THE WAIKUMETE RIDING AND THE CITY COUNCIL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13226, 11 July 1906, Page 3

THE WAIKUMETE RIDING AND THE CITY COUNCIL.

. Sir,—lt could not bo possible for «.** riding to be more unfortunate than the W*i. kuruoto Riding, owing; to defect in thai »■' existing law which enables the Auckland Ift City Council to acquire ail the land on th« ' Nihotupu, Htiia, and Waitakerei watersheds, - ~» turn the streams of these watersheds into tlx* city by gravitationand convert , the .- ;'v" water into one of the best tmta of th« ' Council, the revenue from which isenormbus and ever-increasing, without contribute ing to the upkwp of tho roads. Thin wafer is constantly running diy and night. ready to be. sold at 10d per 1000 gallons. The are* of land required to gather this, waver and keep it clean and- pure is ; onormtni#. Fully otic-half of the Waikumele Riding it required for this purpose, land that wat.pitt ' ,n S. rates, to the Waitomato. County Council ' «■ ] for tho malting nd upkeep of roads in the riding. But *» soon as this land is acquit**! by the Council for waterworks pur owes alt revenue for rates ' totin? County Cowwit cease, although tho object for which it is acquired, vi*., the sale of water, is univonii ally known to be better than any gold mm*. . f This.ja'v«ry nice" viewed from the point of* ' ftview of the Mayor, councillors, and citizen* '"''"u of the city of Auckland, But what about' *- v the vicwf, of the settlers and ratepayer* of," - the Waikumeto Hiding who arm paying an>s i struggling to keep up tho roads in this dia- - - trict. After this loss of revenue they fin>» fit it quit© impossible to do it. The road *&■ > present ib quite unpaftisiiblo. Carls and horse* ( $ W are constantly bogged on it, and them are' '- no funds for repairs. Something mui.'l be ?, ?!?? to remedy this injustice of one po.iliou of the community making enormous revenues ' • at the expense of another portion of tho same community. Jf the City Council doe* : 1 ' not contribute it#, fair share to the making - -v. and upkeep of tho road where it runs, : through Council property (it ! has iirap!# ~ power to do so under the Municipal Council " p, Act), then the Legislature must, be moved -•" to compel it to so contribute. What the City , Council should do, or bo- compelled ta ' J : do, is to keep the road in repair whore it'-',. \ runs' through its land, from tho top of the ' range to the Breakneck cutting, a distiin(j, ' of ; about four miles. All this is through the : ' " " watershed* of >Tiholu)>u and the Huial - ■Ihm at this end of the riding is all" tho ' / if* tralhc to the cemetery at Waikumete, cut- •, t • H<|> ting tip tho roads, and contributing nothing or next to nothing. A dole, of a few loads, StS of road metal is sometimes obtained, after'*• >■ ••' -- a deputation of tho members, of tin) Waiv. " f,< - temata Couniiy Council, cap in hand; has ' pleaded with tears; streaming down * their. - 1 Ifiji poor, weather-beaten faces to that august • ' ' ?.?1 body, the Oily i; Council. Something must w| bo done here by tho City Council in" the 4 iflS shape of an annual contribution to the road. < jjpp in this riding that, is carrying the enormous' • ,<< frame to this cemetery, or the Legislature, ' - in common justice, should be moved. to seoj ' • '' that, a just contribution ;is made.. But, sir, I do not think it will bo necessary to anpeal to the Legislature in these matters. ''A* «•:- ' "i Boonas th«; true state '■ of this unfortunate" '§8 riding as regards tho making and upkeep of- ft its roads and the position of the City Coun- ' *?*• oil relating thereto is made known to th# , 'Mi councillors and:; citizens of • Auckland, I } WM have the faith to ■ think, that, ■an srnicifcl>l<?i^ ■. arrangement will •be como, to in regard to' this matter. , One That WEPr. ■< •