ROADING PROBLEMS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15585, 17 April 1914, Page 9

ROADING PROBLEMS.

NATIVE LAND DIFFICULTY. MAORI OWNERS AND RATES. '.-•.-'' <<<■■-. ■:.';.:,*.;;:.;.;. :::v ; : .' KING COUNTRY CONFERENCE '[FKOM .OTTO OWN CORRWTONDF.KT.I .' '," ', Tattm.uitjnti. Thursday. The third meeting of : the '-King Country Back Blocks Association was, held in Tanmarnnui. Mr. Scholes was- chairman,' and 1 there were also present: Messrs. C. ; Leech. R. Boddy (members if; Awakino 1 County Council), H. Sandel (member of- Clifton County Council), P. Mora (clerk of \vaitomo County Council), Ford (Manununi Town Board and Kaitieke County Council), Sandison and, Hay ward. (Ohura . County), Mostyn .Jones (TeKuiti Borough Council), Wackrow (Mayor), and C. J.' Ryan (Tailmarnnni Borough Council), ~ . The Mayor of Tauraarunui, in cordially' welcoming the delegates, said there were special and knotty problems to be solved in the King' Country. ~ ',•' .' *•■•,-*■ Roads Through Native Lands.

The chairman said, in .reference to the roading of native land, that Ministers had indicated that no assistance could bo- given to those leasing native lands. The chairman strongly dissented from this, saying there were many cases where the making of roads through Crown lands : opened up native land. •....• , -

i Mr. Ryan failed to see why the Act ishould .not.apply.to nativo lands.as well as Crown lands. Rents paid for -native ; lands compared favourably with those paid for Crown'lands,.in. the vicinity. The lessees should "pay one-third of "the rent for roading. " , ■ • -•• . Mr. Hay ward said that where lessees of land paid only a shilling an acre it should bo no hardship for. them to raise,a loan to put in their own roads., Mr. Mostyn Jones doubted if the Government could ever be got to give grants to' help' lessees of ~ native lands, and so. break up a contract which.had been made. But he objected, to haphazard roadmaking. There should be a general scheme for. roading each district, and also in conjunction with, adjoining districts. . ■ '. , Burden of R«admaking.

Mr. Wac.krow said the matter wa* very j intricate. In this district Grown lands lay behind native lands, therefore the former could not receive access without it being afforded to the. native land.. ;'. , ; Mr. Boddy doubted if people who leased native lands paid a much cheaper rat* than Crown tenants. Theje was not much difference. •He did not sec why people who go in and make the 'land, valuable ; should- bear ' the." whole" burden of - roadmaking. native owners, whose lands 1 were' enhanced in value, should bear 'part of the cost. ' There •' should be '"a rending lien as well" as 'a ■ survey lien. ..Ho. moved-a". resolution urging the • Government ,to deal • with the ■ question of roading. in the King- Country, more particularly'in the case 'of native' lands, ■whether occupied or unoccupied. ■ He asked ' the conference to, suggest that all ■' native land, whether partitioned;'or.' not, be loaded to defray the cost of roading in that particular district,.and that in the caw of individualised land, the Government pay to the local- body the- amount of such loading which shall become from time to time, a charge '.against, the land. '"He backed up the resolution by giving instances where native land had become enhanced ;in ■ value from 5s to . .£3 10s .an acres by improvements- made on - the adjoining .land by European settlers. The natives' were, sitting there' arid receiving all the benefit without ' rendering ■ any assistance. -■ ' i '-'. \'-' ■& . y ••■- - An amendment, proposing' to' limit the scope of the resolution to native' lands about to be brought into occupation, and those'which.- had. roads through them to give access to Crown land beyond, was lost, and the original resolution carried. Liquor la King Country, > A resolution was moved by.the chairman, and carried, that a* conference of all local bodies be i held to bring about a'radicalalteration in the licensing laws in the King Country. It was stated that the present ' condition. of < things. was ' disgraceful, and satisfactory neither to the liquor party nor the prohibitionists. • - > The feeling, was warmly expressed that residents 'in ■ the, King Country should no longer be treated as school children anaole to decide for themselves' what was good or bad for them.' ' .'" \ , ; ■'. '-. : .It. was decided to hold ; the meetiig in Te Kuiti early next month. ; ..-■•<.'< . ..'•'■ Bequests to • Qove'rnmeHt.

The following resolutions 'were moved by Mr- Ford, for the Kaitieke County Council, and carried.' That the Government be requested to take over the control of the main arterial roads in'new districts; thai the Government should give ; reasonable notice before handing over roads to local bodies; that the powers provided for under Section 60 of the New. Zealand -Land Laws Amendment Act, 1913, be amended to provide also that the revenue receivable from lands within- special districts may be hypothecated for a definite period to pav interest' and sinking 'funds, on loans which local bodies may borrow to construct the roads as defined under the beforementioned pection of the Act. A resolution, moved by Mr. Leech, wa3 carried, to the effect that instead of asking the Government to construct and maintain all main arterial roads, it should be asked to subsidise all money raised locally to the extent of £2 to £1. . ' '.' ' , j