The Northland Age WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED THE MANGONUI COUNTY TIMES” “THE BAY OF ISLANDS TIMES” AND “THE NORTH AUCKLAND AGE.” MONDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1923. MANGONUI COUNTY GRANTS – A COMPARISON.

Northland Age, Volume 23, Issue 27, 22 October 1923, Page 4

The Northland Age WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED THE MANGONUI COUNTY TIMES” “THE BAY OF ISLANDS TIMES” AND “THE NORTH AUCKLAND AGE.”

MONDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1923. MANGONUI COUNTY GRANTS - A COMPARISON.

Termf, or Subscription: 12/6 PER YEAR (in advance), t’ostage to any part iuoluded.

We have had the opportunity of going fully into the Public Works votes for the coming year, and we have to congratulate Mr. Allen Bell on having maintained the standard set by his predecessor in Parliament as regards this County. We find, by deducting the revotes from the previous year, that this County is receiving £12,960 of new money, and if we include the road from Victoria Valley to Mangamuka, the new money amounts to approximately £IB,OOO. To compare this sum with the previous year: it just exceeds two-thirds the amount actually expended, and for which liability was incurred during the previous year. During that year the actual expenditure of Government votes in the County and on the road to Mangamuka amounted to £24,470, and the liabilities amounted to £2,166, or a total expenditure of £26,636.

Last year was election year ( and the usual accusation is that on such occasions large votes are made, but small expenditure follows. For that reason we give the expenditure figures. This year being a “money year” we trust an effort will be made to make it a good expenditure year. We are not complaining because Mr. Bell could not get this County more grants than Mr. Reed; even though we realise

that, notwithstanding the £54,000 Loan and the annual Government assistance, our roads are going back. But what we do say is that Mr. Bell has utterly failed by his own actions to justify his abandonment of railway construction. We were told that with the stoppage of railway work we would get main highways for motor service. Mr. Bell has had his opportunity of fulfilling this promise, but we find that our grants on our main high outlet by Mangamuka to the railhead at, Okaihau are less than when we were getting railway construction through Mr. Vernon Reed.

The outlet roads from this County are the Oruru-Fern Flat to Mangamuka Road, and the Victoria Valley to Mangamuka Road. On the first of these roads last year we had £2,420 expended, and this year only £4OO is voted. On the other outlet £10,832 was expended, while £6,750 is this year’s vote. On the whole length from Peria and Victoria Valley through Mangamuka to the railhead at Okaihau last year £15,250 was provided, while this year’s grants have shrunk to £11,550. The local railway construction has been stopped most effectively. The Public Works Office at Kaikohe and the staff have

gone; no workmen nor houses remain, all rails, sleepers and gear have been removed, and the whole outfit can be seen on the Waiotera-Omana railway works, where they have a proper appreciation of railways, and where they are constructing ten miles of railway in two years.