FORMATION OF TOWN DISTRICT

Putaruru Press, Volume XXI, Issue 1238, 10 July 1947, Page 4

FORMATION OF TOWN DISTRICT

AND OTHER INSTITUTIONS Loan Money Refused New Board Fight For First Finance It was not surprising, therefore, that coincident with the flotation of such big schemes as those instanced in the first article, residents should desire a form of government distinct from that of the county council. At this period (1923) the late Mr. Clement Cargill, of Morrinsville, started a newspaper (the Putaruru Press) and, being possessed of the pioneering spirit himself, always encouraged his staff “to go and do likewise.” It was such promptings which resulted in the formation of the Putaruru Chamber of Commerce, the, Putaruru Farmers’ Union, Putaruru Beautifying Society, and later the Putaruru Town Board.

At that stage in the district’s growth, thera were no footpaths to speak of in the township and little metal on the roads, so that in one respect the now body—an Independent Town Board which had been launched with the hearty goodwill and co-operation of the Matamata County Council—was able to start and build up from scratch. The first -board was a very live body, but right at the outset it was faced with a couple of most interesting,

hut almost insurmountable problems, one of which threatened the very existence of the new local organisation. Unprecedented Position Aft.cn- drawing up a big programme of roading works to metal and bituminise the major streets and to form footpaths, the engineer for which was Mr. M. E. Fitzgerald, engineer to the Matamata County Council, the newly-constituted body, in spite of having a clean financial sheet apart from the small proportion of county loan taken over, found that it could not obtain any loan money. All State departments and major lending institutions were approached in turn with the same result—a polite but very firm “No.” (Later, it was found that there was a “(black ring” round the district owing to bush sickness.) The services- of the member for the district, the late Mr. F. F. Hockly, who was Chairman of Committees in the House at the time, was enlisted, but again there was a very firm but polite refusal. It was- an extraordinary and possibly unprecedented situation —a new town board with the excellent security of a first rate, but unable to obtain a penny piece by way of loan with which to start its roading and other works Private individuals were also approached with the sSme result. Such, then, was the faith of “Money Bags” and “Big Business” in Putaruru and district in the year 192627. All followed the lead of the State departments in flatly turning down’ such excellent security and, ba it noted, money was in plentiful supply for investment at the time —the year, 1927.

Finance Secured But settlers who had fought to 'build up such a district were not to be denied. Where there was a will there was some way, they held. With a deal of trepidation, it may be said, blit with a strength in the consciousness that their quest was a genuinely sound one, tho chairman of the board and its legal adviser (Mr. J. R. O. Lochhead) slipped ■away .to- Auckland and interviewed thp solicitor to the trustees for the bondholders of New Zealand Perpetual Forests, the largest of the tree-planting companies. In brief, their approach was almost disarmingly simple. Every card was tabled and the full story of the “(black' ring” was told. Nothing was withheld in regard to the repeated refusals by State departments and the largest financial institutions in the Dominion to advance the required loan: of £7500. The agreement -with {the county council was produced, and all documents regarding the rateable area and the very minor commitments of the new body tabled. Then came the summarised comment: It’s up to the company operating in the district and advertising throughout the Southern Hemisphere to show its faith in that district by advancing the required money to enable the chief town to function.

Fortunately, the solicitor approached, the late Mr. J. Melville, had had long experience of local body affairs as a member of the Mount Eden Borough Council. He immediately saw the force of tho argument and the value of the documents produced. In far loss time than it. took to tell the story—in fact, immediately after one or two questions of an administrative kind had haen answered—a promise was made in (black and white that the money would l be forthcoming for instant action. The Story of a Road Yet another interesting and difficult problem quickly confronted the town board. Members and their advisers had early recognised the value of coming under Gordon' Coatas-’ recently-passed Town Planning Act—in fact, the Putaruru Town Board was one of the first, if not the first, local body in New Zealand to prepare to take advantage of tb o Act. In drawing up the town plan an obvious requirement was to secure an alternative route ever the railway linei to relieve the sole (level) crossing in the centre of the town. An underground route to the north and an overhead- bridge to the south were decided upon. High railway engineers approved the northern scheme—which involved a slight raising of the permanent way —but to the south one of the biggest timber mills in the Dominion lay on the direct .route a few hundred yards from the station and

blocking one end of the main street in the town.

Enquiries revealed that in the past individual searches had resulted in the information' that no road —paper or otherwise—lay in the direction required.

The board decided to make its own search and in reply a very complicated document came from Auckland confirming the previous information.

Herein lies a curious story. A casual lay study of this document apparently showed a mapped on paper road running right through the planing shad of the timber mill. This rather -exciting discovery prompted a further and more serious examination. Again, a more serious study was made of the many openings and closings of roads and parts of roads and other adjustments made in Piako county days and whan the railway first came to Putaruru, and this confirmed the casual idaa that a road- was indeed there. Was it possible the Auckland searchers had made an error? Consulted, the board’s adviser hardly thought it possible, but a still further examination, this time by the trained legal mind, proved that unless, thore was a typist’s error a King’s highway through the mill there undoubtedly was.

It was clear in these circumstances that another urgent trip to Auckland had to be made and arrangements were made accordingly. However, before departure, there came a telegram advising that an error had been made—the road was indeed open, , A Friend to Putaruru But this was not the end of the new board’s troubles. Naturally, the mill manager disputed -thei issue, so there came to Putaruru the chairman of directors of the mill concerned (owned by the. Taupo Totara Timber Co., Ltd.)', the late Mr. F. G. Dalziel, later described by the late Mr. Gordon Coates, when Prime Minister, to a Putaruru deputation, as the “possessor of the greatest brain in Wellington.” At a conference Mr. Dalziel’s suggestion that a great commercial enterprise could not be interfered with by a small local body, wag matched by a suggestion that the Labour Party, then rising to power, would delight in taking up the case of a great commercial enterprise interfering with the lights of the people. There was no further trouble; the town surveyor wag asked to flag out tiha map road for an inspection. Next day, in company with the Matamata County Council engineer, Mr. Dalziel inspected the route There was no further argument—to the manager he said the planing mill could be moved. Not only that, he approved Mr. (Fitzgerald’s suggestion that the road should swing out from the railway line to obviate a right angle approach to the bridge. From that-date - Mr. Dalziel:—“the greatest brain in Wellingtn”—was a firm friend of the board, as this story will shortly reveal.

Bold Measure's Devised Amid these grave upsets the loan programme was kept on the move; contracts' were let arid work proceeded apace. Mr. Hammond, and later Mr. Mawson, both of the Town Planning Board, were induced to visit Putaruru, and each gave valuable advice prior to the surveys being made and the town plans drawn by a local surveyor, Mr. E. F. Holse.

The loan scheme, however, was for various' reasons not large enough to cover the construcion of an alternative overhead bridge on the newly-discovered road. The chief being that the town was not yet large enough to bear a burden of more than £7500 as initial capital expenditure. The “black ring” had compelled limitations and there were more immediate needs to be satisfied. The town had to he beautified, and a sports ground had to be provided for the younger section, as the Domain, was too far from the town and mostly too wooded to be of use. But, while these major schemes and the multitudinous miner matters were bainig attended to, the town board had not forgo:ten the “(black ring” and its early financial troubles. If the town was to progress it and the district had to be relieved of tl]e financial stigma attached .’hy outsiders. Bold measures wore needed and bold measures were devised, A body known as the Putaruru Conference was brought into existence.