A HEAVY BURDEN

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXIV, Issue 3242, 13 December 1930, Page 5

A HEAVY BURDEN

HIGHWAY CONTRIBUTIONS. OBJECTION TO PRESENT SYSTEM COUNTY WILL CEASE PAYMENT. Strong opposition was voiced, and action decided upon, at yesterday’s meeting of the Waitomo County Counci In respect of the present system of contribution by local bodies to the upkeep of main highways. In view of what was considered an impossibility for the County to carry on with, it was decided that unless relief was forthcoming before March Ist, that there be a cessation of contribution by the Waitomo County Council. It was also decided to circularise all counties in New Zealand urging a meeting of the executive of the Counties’ Association to take up the matter.

The question was introduced as the result of the receipt of a circular from the New Zealand Farmers’ Union (Auckland) on the subject of derating, wherein it was set out: “The principle advocated by the Farmers’ Union is to derate all agricultural and pastoral land, and its grounds for doing so are that to require one class to provide roads for the whole community is unjust, and further, it is suicidal to the welfare of the Dominion generally for the primary producers, who provide practically the whole of the exports of the country, to be saddled with the extra cost of production thereby entailed. As an alternative to rates, it is suggested that the necessary revenue could be produced by a tax on benzine to take the place of local body rates on rural lands and buildings used for productive purposes, vide as the law passed in England in March, 1929.”

Cr. Wilson said that in this matter the dairying interests in New Zealand seemed to be taking some action, but the sheep farmers were standing still. It was no use “talking optimism” under the present conditions, which meant that the farmer was being called upon to bear too great a burden, especially so in the case of the backblock settlers. The farmer had already been called upon to contribute to the unemployed fund, and he was paying his proportion of the petrol tax. “These backblock farmers are verging on a serious position, and unless they get some relief, they will simply be driven out,” said the speaker, who concluded, “If other bodies will not move in the matter, we must.” Cr. Jensen in endorsing the remarks of Cr. Wilson, stated that the Te Kuiti riding in particular was carrying a very heavy burden. Cr. Lee considered the whole system was wrong; it was iniquitous that the backblock settler should be called upon to contribute to the upkeep of main roads which helped the motorist to compete against the railways. In endorsing the' suggestion made later, that the counties’ executive should take the matter up, he pointed out that the position was probably not fully realised by some counties, particularly those in the South Island. Cr. Georgetti: We should take a definite stand and refuse to pay. Cr. Neal: I don’t see how it is going to be possible to carry on. Councillors’ views were also endorsed by the chairman, and on the motion of Cr. Lee, the above action was decided upon.