COUNTY POLICY

Northern Advocate, 9 October 1920, Page 3

COUNTY POLICY

KOADING AND MACHINERY

Speaking of the decision of himself and Cr. Kernohan, as members for Maunu riding, to purchase one of the traction engines under offer to the Whangarei County Council, /the county chairman (Mr. W. Jones) declared yestsrday that whether he was reelected to the council or not, he would not like to see the county next year so poverty-stricken for broken road-metal as ithey had been in the past. He advised pther councillors to secure power, machinery, as the recently purchased crushers would soon j be arriving and there were no engines , with which to drive them. Maunu riding would take one traction engine and he advised the council to,' take the other. If they did not they would find themselves hampered for want of power. When he considered what the council had been trying to do during the past three years he was not sure that they had acted altogethed with wisdom. All around they were faced - with increases of prices, and yet the rate had remained the same. The results could not be satisfactory. He emphasised the point that the council was'getting credit for spending its £19,370 raised ,by rates on the roads, but it must be remembered ,and impressed upon the ratepayers, that of that sum £5000 went towards the upkeep of the Whangarei hospital, whjch was a splendid, institution, but he was not altogether sure that it was wot coating too much proportionately. However, the pinch would not have been felt so much had the council raised the rates mac? cordance with the .general rise.. He declared that there was not a county council in all New Zealand which had spent its money better than the Whangarei council had dome during the past three years, in spite of what Colonel Mackesy had said to the contrary, polonel Mackesy had been a good soldier a-t the' front, but he would have tP learn that there was another little war at and' a 1 council could not work on pre-war rates. Every day new roads werp wanted, all of which showed that tthe place wsie advancing; but co were tho costs. Cr. McLennan, chairman of the Finance Committee, said that there had been a heavy call on the ridings for machinery, and he declared that Hhere should have been a special loan for machinery. ' As there would be only three enj gin es in tHe P°u?sy, the chairman i queried where the engine was coming from for use on the Great Nprth Road. . Cr. Hodge : said that he had only £300 for his riding to spend, but he did not feel inclined to put it into "nrac/hinery and then not have any money at all to spend on other works. Cr. Currey stated .that he had no use for a crasher in his riding except for provision of metal for the main Wha* ngarei to KMpaka road. Cr. Webb believed that at the present time Otonga did not require an ■engine, but he moved, seconded by Cr. Currey, that Maunu riding be authorised to purchase one of the traction engines out Of the Mangakahia loan. The motion was carried.