NGATIMARU RIDING LOANS

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 36, 14 April 1930, Page 5

NGATIMARU RIDING LOANS

THREE LOANS OBJECTED TO. LOANS BOARD’S VIEW. At Saturday’s meeting of the County Council a letter was received from the chairman of the Local Government Loans Board, stating that the Board had considered the proposals for three loans for the Ngatimaru Riding, and had decided to refer the application back, as it was of opinion that a comhensive loan could not be raided, as loan over the whole Riding should be formulated. Cr. Mounsey thought application should be mad© for the metalling of the road widened. A comprehensive loan could nt he raised, as several settlers were already in other loans, and had come in merely to help their neighbours. Cr. Murray thought a further effort should he made to lift the sub«idy. The chairman said the amounted to turning the loan down. Would be not be possible to evolve soma other plan.

Cr. Mounsey thought it would be impossible. Cr. Pitt said subsidies of three to one were not offered every day. if it was not lifted soon he ■was afraid it would be withdrawn. Cr. Mounsey said the men who had been in the district for thirtyeight years should be given credit for knowing what could be done. The subisidy was a good one and ■worth having, but the loan remained oh the land for thirty years or so. Cr. Murray thought the matter should be worked out to show how one loan would affect ratepayers. This might put a different complexion on the matter. The chairman said the estimates could be prepared, and he and the [Engineer could attend a meeting of settlers. fi Cr. Mounsey said some settlerjs who had metal to their gates had agreed to come into the smaller loans, but. he could not see them coming into a loan to “metal out to glory.” v * The chairman said settlers should realise that if the big subsidy was misfeed the work would cost very much more when it became necessary. At present the Riding had to raise £BOO a year for maintenance, but with metalled roads .the maintenance cost should he reduced by half. Cr. Mounsey said this seemed quite reasonable. He thought the Public Works Department should be asked to metal the Matau South Road where they had broken the surface. 1 It wafe agreed to do this; and the matter of amending the loan application was left in the hands of the chairman and Riding member.