RATING IN WAIKOHU COUNTY.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 13430, 11 July 1914, Page 3

RATING IN WAIKOHU COUNTY.

MOTION TO RECONSIDER THE , QUESTION.

The rating of the Waikohu County district was recently fixed as follows : Zd m the J3 for Kauakuuaia, Karaka, and Xgatapa ridings, and 2^d for the Motu riding. • Or Bridge, at a previous meeting, gave notice to move: "That the resolution confirmed on June 12, striking the general rate for 1914-15 m fach and every riding be rescinded , and the matter of striking the rate for the said year be agaiii gone into by the Council." Cr Mortleman seconded the motion. . Cr Bridge said that m 1909 the Council passed a- motion declaring all its roads main roads.; The reason for this was that the Council desired the power to expend any rate money m any part of the county. Main roads were distinct from district roads. The former had to be maintained by the county as a whole. He considered they had, made a mistake m asking each riding to bear its own share of administration and maintenance. He would like to .^ee a general rate levied over the whole county, or as an alternative the -Council should deal with the rate m that way. The cost of administration and maintenance, of the roads should be charged against the general' account, and the balance of the rate m every riding be spent on its own permanent improvement works. Until the present year the Council: had not struck a differential rate for some years. Beading from a lethal opinion on the (|uestion, thc> speaker said that the .striking-- of the rate was quite legal, but was illogical m the face of the fact that all roads had bi'en doctored main roads. Continuiiyi, Cr Bridge* contended that by rewinding the ■ motion they would probably not be. able to strike another rate for this year. On account of that reason he would move : "That the- rate .struck \:e applied m this way : that the cost of, administration and maintenance of the main roads be» a first call on tho general rate throughout th» whole county, and the balance of the rate collected m cacli riding be spent on permanent work m that rid in:.', as In irl down m tht» engineer's estimate*." The. Chairman : Does it not amount to the Motu riding bein,i maintained at the cost of the other ridings? Cr Spence : That is exactly what it amounts to. Or Bridge : We are all responsible for the roads hi the county. They wore declared all to be main roads. The Chairman j And for a very sensible reason, too. Or Bridce : And the Council should maintain these roads out of the. general rate. The Chairman said the resolution was passed before the riding account came into vogue, and i*- was desirable that there should be a full meeting before the vote, and he suggested the matter should be allowed to stand over until next meeting. This Cr Bridge agreed to.