Correspondence. DIVIDING WAIMATE.

Opunake Times, Volume II, Issue 90, 14 May 1895, Page 2

Correspondence.

DIVIDING WAIMATE.

(TO True EDITOR. 1 Sir, —l see another attempt to merge us into Hawera is going to be made, but this time the merging folks are going to work a bit cute. So long as all Waimate sticks together, they see it is hopeless to try and carry their point, but if the bush district is cut off, and made into a new Road Board above the Skeet Road, they know that the Kaponga end of what would be the new district could swamp this western end, and force merging on us whether we liked it or not. Anyhow, Ido not see what there is such a hurry about it for, as there is going to be a new valuation now, and when it is made the bush district will be found to have nearly doubled iu value, and I think then that by going as far as the Skeet Road we would have a good deal more than our share. It is very likely that a third of the value wall be found to be in the bush country above the railway reserve, which would then leave the Skeet Road alogether in the Waimate Ward. At any rate, Ido not see how the bush part is going to keep up two main roads—the Eltham Road and Stratford-Opunake Road together with half the Skeet Road, when the other division, with double the rates, would only have the one main road to do, and half the Skeet Road. If the Council thought we • were going to merge, very likely they would be only too glad to give us a new Road Board, but otherwise, I don’t think there is much chance of it being formed. _ I would advise the ratepayers not to sign any petition this time until they know_ exactly what it is all about, or they may be doing as they were before — signing a contra one to get them out of the difficulty. I think, Mr Editor, that you might put the state of the case before them, as you saved us the last time from Mr Hemmingway’s schemes, and it strikes me that he is “ on the job ” again in a quiet way, and laughing up his sleeve at the simple folks around him.—l am, &c., Ratepayer.