THE MAIN ROADS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LI, Issue 9139, 11 July 1906, Page 8

THE MAIN ROADS.

A QUESTION OF COUNTY RATE

EXPENDITURE,

At the meeting of the Waimate Road Board on Tuesday the question of maintenance of the Stratford-Opunake rood was discussed. From what was said it appears that settlers bought land adjoining the road under the impression that the road was a main road, and indeed on all maps of the county it was marked as such. However* the Chairman stated that it had never been reckoned a main road by the governing body and had never been treated as one. Tears ago there were certain reasons why some of the ioads should be designated main or county roads, but just now he was not prepared to go into that part of the question.

Mr Swadling complained of the state of the road, and expressed his opinion that the settlers were being unfairly treated. He 'maintained that the whole of the county rate on all the sections above the Eltham road rating area, (the northern line would be about half-way between the two reads) should be spent on the maintenance of the Stratford road. In the Stratford County the road was rightly treated properly, and up to the boundary of the Waimate ioad district it was in splendid order. Beyond, the traffic was driven down the Bowan and other roads and along the Eltham read, which carried more than it should. Mr Swadling said he had gone to some trouble to get figures from the Clerk, and he found that in the 6outbern district there were 8 -miles 40 chains of ioad. on which £989 was spent ; in the central 8 miles 70 chains, with a total expense of £597; while in the northern there were 8 miles 30 chains of roads and the expenditure only amounted to £386 2s Bd. Thus while approximately £116 per mile was spent in the southern division only £50 per mile was spent in tho north, where the Chairman admitted the formation was rotten and rain was always falling, thus increasing the cost of iraintenanee. The speaker furtttermore added that tho roads carried more traffic.

Tho Chairman (Mr Bridge) : Oh, I question that.

Mr Swadling. continuing, said he thought means should be found of making an adjustment so that the roads in the northern subdivision should bave a fair share of expenditure, and not only a sum leas than half that expended in the southern district. He moved to that effect, viz. • That steps be taken so that the Stratford-Opunake road gets some concession, and that an adjustment of the county rate be made so that there would be no loss to the Eltham road.

Mr Fitzgerald seconded the resolution. He hoped to see the accounts adjusted so that each county would get a fair proportion. He suggested that the Board should appoint some person in New Plymouth to go to the Land Office and find out how "thirds" paid to tlwf Waimate Road Board had been spentOthec members interjected that they were quite satisfied that the money had been satisfactorily dealt with, for the Department was most particular in obtaining certificates.

Resuming, Mr Fitzgerald said ibe had personal knowledge of the condition of affairs on the Stratford road. Ho had land up there for -which, "he had paid £12 per acre some years ago. He had heen paying special rates on it,- and yet to part of the place there was not metal, and ho was unable to work his farm. In his opinion it ■was lamentable that £500 had been granted by the Government for the Stratford road, and yet it was impossible to take advantage of it, as a further £100 could not be obtained in sufficient time. The wad had been robbed. fThe Chairman: I question that. There has been no robbing so far as the Waimate Bead Board is concerned.

Mr Fitzgerald : I will stick to it- The road has been i robbed. It ie in debt, and the settlers wonder how that can bo when no work has been dene on it. The Chairman said that the same xate was struck over the whole of the w»d district, but more money accrued to the southern subdivision because "the toad in tbailocatity-was Une more valuable* Mr Swadling : But the county rate., aocru ing- might be spent on the Stratford road* The Chairman . The county rate is being spent where it is wanted— on the Eltham rood. Mr Swadling: Then we wall let the Elt&aim road burst up and be fair to the Stratford road.

Mr Long said whon a man bough* expensive land in the south of the district he naturally expected that he would get better roads than another who bought land worth half the amount further back. \ Mr Wells said that as far as he could see the Board had worked perfectly straight. Mr Swadling: There is robbing going on now.

Mr Wells: Then you are as mucih to blanu«-as any of the rest of us. Mr Swadling : No ; lam trying to point cut t?U> wrong and leeul you. in tn« ri.gfh.tdirection.

The Chairman did not see that they could take any steps with regard to the matter. So liong as there were riding* the money aocruing in a certain place must bo spent there. It was recognised tihait the ELtham road needed extra expenditure, and for that purpose the sum of £7C had been granted.. H seemed that the more the northern end was given the less satisfied it was. He could not support the notion.

Mr Fitzgerald pointed out that When the loan was raised to metal the Eltlham. road the area was curtailed so that it did not interfere with the sections 'whioh should contribute the county rato to the Stra'foid road, and yet the Waimate Raul Board without the slightest regret took the money aocruing and spent it on the Eltham road.

.The Chairman said lie Hawera County Comical in all its communications did not recognise the Stratford road as a main read. Mr Swadling suggested that the Hawera County Council should not be quoted as an infallible authority, since it had allowed the Board to spend the county rates in paying interest oa loans on by-roads. The northern members were working in the interest of their settlers, but fckey were opposed by an unholy combination of the soutnem and central members.

The Chairman repudiated any combination whatever.

Mr Wells did not think it would be of nso to prolong the discussion. The Chairman insisted that no injustice had been done to the settlers on the Stratford road. The side roads were metalled, and it was better for them to have one good main road than two bogs. Mr Swadling paid the land rated for the Main South road extended up to within

two .sections of the Skeet road. The rates to maintain the Skeet road were collected ficm tho land up to within two sections of the Eltham road, which thus had to draw its revenue from above and left tho Stratford ioad with an overdraft. The rates right through were robbed back to the southern division.

Mr Wells said that when a man took up land away back cheaply he did. so with his eyes opoiij and he could not expect all the advantages obtained by those who paid a big price. He took it that the rates collected within the vicinity of the Stratford Toad were spent on that road, wifch the exception of what went to the Eltham road.

Mr McPhillips suggested that the matter should be left over so as to allow of the members becoming acquainted with the road. He thought that iJhe motion was rather selfish, as there were several other roads situated equally badly. He would like to see something done to "Improve the Auroa road, and expiessed the opinion that Road Boards and County Councils should have power to do necessary works and then strike a high enough irate to pay for it. There was not a road in the district which did not require metalling.

Mr Wells: And I don't see why we should not have that power either. We ©re appointed by the people, and if they don't like what we do they can put us out.

Mr Long : But the trouble is we coul/i do a lot of harm before they could fire us out.

Mr Wells moved as an amendment that the matter be held over for two months.

Mr Long seconded the amendment, which was carried.