WILLOWS IN HOTEO CREEK AND TRIBUTARIES.

Rodney and Otamatea Times, Waitemata and Kaipara Gazette, 8 July 1931, Page 5

WILLOWS IN HOTEO CREEK AND TRIBUTARIES.

TO THE EDITOR. Siu,—lt seems to me with the Go vernment raising two million pounds for unemployment relief, and spending a lot of it on useless works that now, with an election in sight, is a golden opportunity for the interested farmers, Ocunty Council, and other organisations formed for the welfare of the district, to make a united effort to induce the Unemployment Board to remove the growth of wiliows in the above creek and its tributaries. They are at present spoiling the drainage and are a big item of expense to the Railway Department and County, Council, besides water-logging some of the best land in these parts—l am, etc., Rateaayer.

TO THE EDITOH. Sm,—Woe is me! Mr Scbellum has declared war when I thought that I was putting in a good word for the County Council by stating tLat we had asked for our better roads aud should " move heaven and earth to meet our obligations, and assist our Councillors in carrying out definite promises made by them on our behalf." Surely that is a helpful spirit, which the Rodney .Ratepayers' „ Association has so far always tried to adopt. Such an as6O ciation should act as a medium between the Council and the ratepayers, to secure co-operation without bickering. We have no intention of beiittliug the Council and the staff, but we do maintain that the voice of the rate payers is entitled to a little more consideration than apparently Mr Scholium is prepared to give. Mr Scholium picks me up over my expression "We are in a mess."; Might I remind Mr Scholium that he took exception to a similar remark he was told 1 had made at the meeting in January. In each case I was referring to the world crisis, not the Roduey County Council. I venture to suggest that the world crisis is worth considering when next year's rates are being decided on. We shall Dot be through that crisis until England adopts an Empire Protective Tariff. In the meantime the position of many ratepayers is desperate, ai)d will get worse. May I quote Mr Scholium's letter " one Biding has a debit balance of £298 11s Bd, and in this cass far more general rates are outstanding than would be required to square these accouuts." Surely that is a serious position ? With regard to the £2100 promised on 29th Jan. last, may I remind Mr Scholium that the representative meeting of ratepayers held nine days previously hadahked the Council to withhold monies the Highways Board was demanding; "but apparently they did nothing in that direct on, not even asking whether payment of interest on the quota would suffice. We are paying a total of £1020 for the main tenauce of 84 miles. But the highway completed is a long way short of 34 miles. Could not Mr Scholium have done something there? And I find it very hard to believe Mr Schol lum's statement that considerably more than £1020 a year was spent on that road before, the Board took it over. There was mighty little to show for .it, if. correct;. * With regard to Mr Scholium's statement that the Highways Board could secure any subsidy monies, all the members of the Rodney Kate payers' Association know that, because the meeting, in January signified that they were prepared for this: that they wished for no construction work, and the subsidies could, go hang, if necessary. Wheu the meeting in January pro tested against the unfairness of the Hospital and Charitable Aid, Mr Scholium said "I am with you there." It was the only thing he said he was with us in.* But he has not lived up to it. Our quota has been reduced from £2200 to £1700. but the rate has remained the same. Mr Scholium aiso has uot been prepaid to accept our Gffer to find good men to do Count\ work ut 8a a day, on the understand ing that the general rate would b«ruluceii below the 2<i.

Mr Scholium cannot yet .see that the whole world in in a state of flux : that road conditions have been revolutionised in the last few years : that the land cannot continue to carry the present taxation, which has more than doubled in ' the last ten yeais. We have been fools to allow this to happen, but the Rodney Ratepayer' Association has every intention of working out a retrenchment policy which it feels coulident will get the endorsement of the majority of the ratepayers at the next election of couucillors. —I am, etc.,

Roy F. Ellis, Chairman Rodney Ratepayers' Assn