PROPOSALS REJECTED.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 5 February 1927, Page 9

PROPOSALS REJECTED.

SUGGESTIONS, FROM MOKOIA

TURNED DOWN BY COUNCIL. The sequel to the meeting of ratepayers of the M-okoia riding of the Hawera County Council, held at Mokoia on January 28, took place at the monthly meeting of the council to-day, when a letter was received from the chairman of the ratepayers’ , meeting (Mr. D. S. Richardson) stating that those in attendance had been emphatic in the opinion that more economy should be practised, and asking consideration of the following resolution.: ‘ 'That this meeting of ratepayers of Mokoia, after discussing the affairs of the riding, recommend the Hawera- County Council to adopt a method of arranging dumps at regular intervals along the highways for top dressing metal; and it also requests that the Mokoia riding receive equal treatment as far as tarring operations are concerned as the other ridings, which has not hitherto been accorded to it.”

The result of the discussion by the council was an expression of confidence in the engineer (Mr. A. Muggeridge) and a- decision to take no action on the lines suggested. When the- discussion opened it was mentioned that at the ratepayers’ meetit had been suggested that concrete dumps should be provided. AN EXPENSIVE PROPOSAL.

Replying to the acting-chairman (Mr. T. A. Winks), the clerk stated that the engineer had esetimated it would cost front £BOOO to £IO,OOO to provide such dumps. Cr. A. G. Larcom thought it would be absurd, as suggested at the ratepayers’ meeting, to erect concrete dumps to store the metal, the waste of which would be very small as compared with the cost of establishing the dumps. When invited to- the council meeting by the chairman, the- engineer gave the- opinion that at, would be impracticable to construct the suggested dumps, aiul remarked that the wastage in the district was not excessive,, though a certain proportion of loss might be incurred through the wrongful -removal of me tail.

Or. G. A. Williams agreed it would be out of the question to -build concrete dumps, bub he considered that, an improvement could be effected by cutting into the banks -at certain places where wastage occurred through the metal falling into the water-tables during loading and unloading -operations. The engineer -remarked that such a pTocee-duro would prove dangerous to stock which very often took the .sides of the, roads when travelling. The chairman suggested further that had the big wastage complained of been experienced, councillors would have taken note of the -matter, with consequent action for its elimination.

TRIBUTE TO THE ENGINEER. Or. B. C. Lysaglit -remarked that the council had the services of an efficient engineer and that attention to such matter could well be left to him. It was -trivial, in his opinion, to, bring such a proposal -before the council. -Or. E. A. Washer deprecated the suggestion that- one -riding had received better treatment- in pie,tailing or tar sealing than another. The clerk reviewed the estimates for the current year and pointed: out that the amount available from general rates for reading expenditure was £3480, this being only 14.1 per -cent, of the whole owing t-o other expenses such as hospital, interest and sinking fund charges absorbing 85.9 per cent. The balance of roiad expenditure Iliad necessarily to he made up from revenue from other isources such as ■*licenses, subsidies and grants amounting to £15,075. It was a wrong assumption for ratepayers to anticipate that the whole of the rates collected would he expended on roads land it would -appear that those in attendance ia,t -the Mb .kola meeting had not been conversantwith -the position. On the proposal, of Cr. Lysaght. 'seconded by Or. Williams, the’ following motion was adopted: “That the council, having absolute confidence in its engineer, decides rt take no 'action in connection with the .recommendations made by the meeting of Mokoia ratepayers.”