THE PAHAUTANUI ROAD.

Manawatu Herald, Volume I, Issue 33, 17 December 1878, Page 2

THE PAHAUTANUI ROAD.

■■ ■: ; ■'•. ."♦ ■?■■. ■■'-■ -;W**£%* (FiioJi The N. Z. TiMJßs.f*** *" A deputation, consisting of Mr ■■ Mason, Chairman of the Hutt County Council) Messrs. Uastwell and Smith, waited upon the Colonial Treasurer on Thursday, to request aid front the Government towards repairing the serious damage lately inflicted by. tho fljods upon the road to the West Coast. Mr Mason explained that the money at the disposal of the Coun.ty Council waa altogether insufficient ; to meet the sudden aud unexpected demand made upon their resource*. At least £600 would be needed to repair the road. Tho balance avaij* able for expenditure at the laqfc meeting of the County Council was only £109, and the Council was not in a position to repair the works and, reopen the road for traffic. iMr Ballance informed the depute- : tion that the only vote from which any grant in aid of such works at those now required by the Hutt County Council could bo made *wa# the £50,000 voted for damage done • b> floods. Strictly speaking, he believed that this money had been- * originally intended for Otago, but a portion of it had been lent to Cdnterbury, and he thought that under the circumstances a similar concession might be made for this work. At - the same time, the Government thought it very desirable that the districts which received assistance should show their willingness to help themselves by contributing towards repairing the damage done. It was to bo hoped that the County Council would agree with this view of tho case, and subscribe say half the ' amount required. Mr Mason observed tha the County was already taxed up to the utmost limit that could be borne — not in the form of rates only, but in the form of heavy toll charges. The county was, I he believed, more heavily taxed than J any other county in New Zealand. iMr Smith explained that the riding through which the road passed had a very small number of ratepayers living within it. If an attempt were { made to levy a special rate in order j to raise money to meet the difficulty, even if the heaviest rate allowed by ' law were levied, it would be altoj gather insufficient to repair the road. !At least £500 or £000 would be required to open the road for wheel traffic, and this sum could not be ! raised. j A conversational discussion ensued, in hen iMr Balhnce said that the county had the borrowing powers j under the Act, and in any case it was ■ only possible for the Government to ' grant money as a loan. Air iMason desired to know for how long the loan would be open, and was told that j the present system of subsides was | ouly guaranteed for two years from J this date, and would be the limit of the time which the Government waa prepared to lend the money. It was explained that owing to the diverse interests of different parts of the county there was no chance of a loon being generally agreed to, by the ■-■ I ratepayers of the whole county. The • j Pahautanui road was only of service 'to a small section of ratepayers, though of importunce as a main line jof communication with the West ! Coast. The Colonial Treasurer observod that the Government declined ! to accept any respousipllity whatever !in regard to the main roads of the J colony. If tbo counties would not undertake this work, the question arose, of whufc use are the counties : at all? No doubt if a main road I were suffered to full into disrepair jit would be a great calamity; but ! the subsides wero given with a view !to tho maintenance of main roads, I and tho responsibility rests with the couuties only. He suggested that j the County Council, after its next j meeting, should make an application i'ur a definite sum, to be advanced by the Government as a loan for two years ouly ; and it was necessary that I the county should undertake to repay | tho loan out of the subsides at the | end of the time. | Mr Mason informed the Colonial Treasurer that a special meeting was called for Tuesday next, to consider " i this question, ami the Council would thou send in the requisition required.