TAHORA RIDING WHANGAMOMONA COUNTY.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 48, 11 October 1911, Page 6

TAHORA RIDING WHANGAMOMONA COUNTY.

(To The Editor, “Stratford Post.”) Sir, —-Your correspondent “Skelly.” in his letter in your issue of the 6th in.st, has fallen into serious error in dealing with the above matter, and he will perhaps, recognise that when a bitter personal attack upon an individual is made, animosity becomes unfair—doubiy so when such an attack rests upon misconception and mis r statement, of the facts. Now, firstly, 1 did not interview the Council at its last meeting as stated by “Skelly.” Tin- deputation of which 1 formed one waited on the Council at its August

meeting, because at that meeting the general rate for the year was to be struck, -and it seemed very unfair that no allocation for main road maintenance should, year after year, lie made for the Tahora Riding, and if such allocation were to lie made for the current year, it was necessary upon that occasion to make provision for it in the rate levy. Secondly, I did not ask that a special rate be levied over the Tahora Riding for main road upkeep in the Central Riding, as stated by your correspondent, for the simple reason that a special rate can only bo used for paying interest and sinking fund upon a loan, and such a rate would consequently ho useless for the purposes of the deputation. What we asked for, seeing tiiat the main road in the Tahora Riding was maintained by the Government was, that a fair allocation from the Tahora general rate should be made to cover the wear and tear of that riding’s traffic to and from Stratford over the main road in the Central Riding, the latter being maintained by the ratepayers of the riding. Surely a reasonable request. “Shelly” states that 1 am a heavy ratepayer in Lbe Central Hiding and that Fie scheme would materially benefit me. 'l'llis is not correct, as the request was that Tahora should bs called upon to make a reasonable contribution to Central Riding to cover injury from the former’s frallic, hence not benefit, but the removal of an injury is in question, and “Shelly” overlooks the fact that, no reduction of rate in Central Riding was asked for, and the rate, notices just issued show that 2d in the £ has been levied in the Central and ltd in the Tahora Riding. Further, under these notices I am

called upon to pay £2l _ls lOd upon land in Central and £lr lls lid in Tahora, and had my advocacy of uniform rating been successful, the amount of i;• v rates in each ruling, would have differed by a few shillings. Tins charge is therefore quite unfounded. Tahora- is now making no allocation >or main road upkeep. During all the years Stratford C.C. controlled our district ail ratepayers contrioutoc! heavily to main road upkeep. Alter Whangainomona Comity was constituted Stratford County claimed £‘2oo on account of our county s traffic over their main road oetwe.en Dougi; c rail wav station and the boundary of the two counties. Whanga recognised the claim as an equitable one and Tahora paid its proportion of the amount. How then can we say that it is right for a comity to pay for its traffic on a main road outside the county altogether, and at the same time right to pay nothing for its traffic- upon those sections of the main road under comity control within the county y “Skeliy” can rest assured that no matter who may term the pers.mcl of the new Council this business has within itself that which must lie rectified, and no wrong, hut a lull measure of what is just will come to Tahora in the process.—l am, etc., W. A. McCUTCHAN, Whangainomona, 9/10/11.