SHOULD THEY MERGE?

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 1, Issue 77, 18 March 1913, Page 2

SHOULD THEY MERGE?

Opaheke Ratepayers Say No.

What Will Drury Do?

At the instance of the Opaheke Road B'>ard a inetti u of ratepayers wa« held in the bod i ffice on the ]stn nit By invitation Lr FlariDta (re re enting th- Drury ridins). Mi lhura i'- (C iairma'i 01 tht i'apara'a r.oad Board), and Mr blass >• ■0 i. ni - - ma rf the Drurv . 1 o pies nt. Mr Mxrldia-ir, Chairman of the Opaheke Koacl Bo.ni, pi.=.d-.d, ani explained that • ii- object of the meeting wat to fully di-cus.s the qui stion ui ir;e ging mt. ihc Fra>.k----1 i.l i uunty Council. H" regrettei thut th-• (ip.:h k ratepayer* h:id nn turned out in large r umbers, and depl ;r d the tat i',ai great.r interest was not t .k-. ;i i > public mattcra b, sc:tiers gent rslh\

Ihe Chairman sp >lse at considerable length on th ■ quest ion of merging, hh rtnnrks b:ing gtner lly h favo-ir of t°e continuance of th Board. He r U criticised the Council's action in spending so much money on machinery, and questioned the use uf such; the leader would be tf no use i i t;is ilisirict. He did not tpprove the pur hasj of horse teams, 'fhi Chairman did not think that the amau t of expd se3 tlbwKl i'ojpcillors »vt.s excessive; he thought the Council did rigiit in taking over the main roads as they proposed In concluding his remarks, the chairman said that if the ralepa\ers did rot like the Council thev could get rid of it th - same wav as they had go; it; that was uy Act of Parliament.

At this juncture Cr Flanagai was asked to address the meeting, and in a very tactful so ech ably defended the general policy of the Council He pointed out why the Oun:il considered it n ce. u sary to procure a suitable plant, and also explained how a gradet be of con id?rable service in the Opaheke riding in keeping the water-tables ot'en. He also touched <n tho necessity of by-laws, and pointed out how much easier it was for the County to enfoice such than a Roid Biard. He reemmended Opaiieke to merge. He considered that each member endeavoured to act fairly by all the ridings. Mr Ihjm:s, chairman of the Paparata Roa • Board, said he had twelve years' txcerience on a County Council* He explained the system that obtai ed in the VVaikato Council, where an tngi.ieir was not rmploytd rermaneitly. He di 1 not favour merging; his district «ould remain as it was.

Mr Glasson, Chairman of tht Drurv Roai Board, staged that the question of merging would be fully discussed by ttie ratepayers at the annual meeting h May, but he did net think merging would be favoured. Mr considered thai under the Courty system thi; side roads migh' not ree>ive satisfactory attenti n, ar.d moved, that the Opaheke Road Board lontmue in existence as at present, 'this motion was sjiondcd by Mr W. Pratt, and was declared carried unanim'iuslv.