SETTLERS' HUNGER FOR METALLED ROADS

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume L, Issue 7964, 19 April 1922, Page 4

SETTLERS' HUNGER FOR METALLED ROADS

NEEDS OF THE RAENGAROA DISTRICT. The importance of metalled road' and the strong desire there is on the part of settlers to secure them, was well and forcibly demonstrated af Raengaron on Thursday afternoon, when a meeting of settlers was held in Mr Gilmour's hall as a result of the decision come to at the last meeting of the County ouncil. The County Chairman (Mr H. Southey) and Crs Griffin, Grant, Vereoo, Darragh and Gilmore were present, and some sixty or more rattlers. Mr Southey was appointed chairman of the meeting. lie explained that the question that had arisen was that a certain amount of metal was lying at McGhie's cresisng, and eonic at the Raeiigaroa station, and the. three Riding representatives could not. agree as to where t he metal should be put. All were satisfied that the whole cf the deviation on the main road should be metalled, but were not agreed as to whether the other metal should bo put ou McGhie's road or the Raeugaroa Station road first. A deputation from Rougakawa had waited upon the Council, and asked that the metal should be put on McGhie’s road, which was part of what was really a main road, and that this should be done after the deviation. The Council had decided to take a vote of the settlers, and ho took it that whatever the decision was, that would be the road to bo metalled after tbe deviation bad been done. The Council wished to put the metal down in accordance with the wishes of the majority of tbe ratepayers in the district. Mr R. King asked whether the Council had not already called for tenders for the spreading of this metal. The Chairman : Yes, that is the peril ion. Mr King : Then these three gentlemen from Rongakawa influenced the Council to such an extent that it did not accept any tender? The Chairman: All the tenders were opened, but Ibis tender was held over until we find out Hie wishes of this meeting," Mr King; Then had these three gentlemen not waited upon the Council I take it that the Council would have accepted one of the tenders? The Chairman: That may or may not be so. Mr Vngg asked if this altered the decision that the Council had come to in regard to the order of the metalling. At the request of Hie Chairman, Mr Rage (county engineer) explained that in the loan proposal certain roads were named on which money was to be spent. The roads were very clearly slated and these three were included in the list; but there was nothing to show that that was the order in which the money was to be spent. To his mind it did not follow that the order in which works appeared on the schedule was to be followed, unless it was so arranged at the time.