RUATANGATA.

Northern Advocate, 28 August 1913, Page 3

RUATANGATA.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) MEETING OF WAIRUA RATEPAYERS. August 25th. A meeting of ratepayers was held in the Ruatangata Public Hall on the 2;Jrd inst. Mr W. J. Finlayson was voted to the chair.

Mr J. McKay proposed that the Whangarei County Council be asked to test the county quarry on Mr Crew's Hill in a practical manner, by opening it up and placing a quantity of the metal on the road. Seconded by Mr W. A. Hutchings and carried.

Mr E. S. Tremaine pioposed that Mr Mander, M.P., be asked to do his utmost to procure the grant of £300 applied for by the County Council, for the Ruatangata-Purua road.—Seconded by Mr J. McKay and carried.

Mr J. McKay moved that a committee be set vi), consisting of Messrs A Wilson, R. Hodge and D. J. Finlayson, to safeguard the interests of the ratepayers in the spending of the balance of the loan money.—Seconded by Mr E. S. Tremaine and carried.

Proposed by Mr J McKay that the County Council be asked to refund the aznount taken from the Wairua special 10 per cent loan.—Seconded by Mr Drake and carried.

Mr .7. McKay proposed that Mr D. j ,1. Finlayson be the deputy from this' meeting to bring the ratepayers' wishes before the County Council. — Seconded by Mr R. Hodge and carried.

The Wairua loan of £4680 being insufficient to complete the metalling scheme, it was found necessary to take advantage of the 10 per cent, supplementary loan and also to apply to the Government for a £1 for £1 subsidy, so as to be in a position to complete the now existing unmetalled gap. Generally speaking, the ratepayers are not satisfied with the quality of metal previously used, and therefore are looking for an improvement in the expending of the balance of the loan—hence the meeting. Although a motion was carried favouring" the testing of the quality of the metal obtainable in the county quarry, the general sympathy,of the- meeting tended towards using Mr Wilson's blue metal, especially when viewed from the upkeep standpoint. However, the position as it staads awaits the test of the quality and quantity of metal in the quarry, and it is hoped they will not be found wanting. The council now hold a tender of 4s 3d per yard delivered from the quarry, whereas the engineer's estimate for the blue metal is 5s 4d. Therefore, from a most optimistic point of view, H is only possible to metal three chains of blue metal to four from the quarry, and an actual probable result at the rate of two chains of blue metal to three of the quarry. There is over a mile of metalling that requires doing, so the chainage would mount up. Nevertheless, let us have good metal even if there still remains an unmetalled gap at the finish of the tnonev available.