WAITEMATA ROADS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16983, 17 October 1918, Page 7

WAITEMATA ROADS.

Sir,—The refusal of the City Council-to subsidise loan expenditure by the Waitemata County for the improvement of roads adjoining and leading to the city's properties, illustrates the narrow and selfish policy of the city in regard to its liability to contribute towards the upkeep and improvement ie those roads within the, rural districts where the city is the owner of lands. In the Titirangi riding, the city owns about 4000 acres; which have been acquired within recent years. Some portions have been purchased at a very low figure for water supply purposen, and are thus revenue producing, other lots have been gifts to the city. Prior to tho city ownership of these lands, the riding was collecting rates on them, but now] the rest of the owners are left to make up the difference. This in itself is a sufficient hardship, but as fully three-fourths i • of. the traffic is now from the city, mostly i visitors. to the parks and the City Coun- j cil's workmen, the riding is faced also with the extra maintenance, due to this traffic. The opinion of most of the residents is that a substantial annual charge should be levied .from the city and placed in tho general fund. A loan proposal was submitted to tho ratepayers a few weeks ago, and was rejected, principally on t'.ie score that the balance of the loan was to be expended on approaches to the nonratable city property, and also in localities where littlo or no rates were collected, due to the city holding nearly all the land. There is only one solution if the city does not volunteer a substantial annual contribution—apart from an appeal to Parliament—to erect. a toll gate at tho foot of Porter's Hill on the main road. Titirangi Ratepayers.