SOLDIER SETTLEMENT

Te Aroha News, Volume XLI, Issue 6520, 16 September 1924, Page 5

SOLDIER SETTLEMENT

THE WAIRERE DISTRICT THE £IOOO GRANT THE POSITION EXPLAINED “Referring to the grant of £IOOO, free money, the Soldiers’ Road is now part of the Main Highway and therefore, under ordinary circumstances, only entitled to 50 per cent, from the Main Highways Board,” ijjforotc the Clerk of the Piako County to the Minister of Public Works. “The ; contract for the whole of the work was let and nearly sixty chains completed in three different sections, until owing; to bad weather, the work had-to be abandoned for the winter, but the contractor is now ready to proceed with the completion of his contract. “On the 21st March the engineer ' sent, in a claim for £672 and, on the 28th March we received £326, ■. i.e., only 50 per cent of the claim. It is estimated that beyond the balance of this claim there will be about £4OO of expenditure, to metal the worst portions, set out on the original applications approved by your department. “It is quite impossible to create a Special Rating Area for this part of the road as the soldiers in the Wairere Setlement could not at present, ; stand the burden of a special rate. It is also plainly recognised by your department that this piece of road was ,entitled to free grant, and it appears very unfair that this grant should be cancelled because the Waitoa-Mata-m'ata road had bfeen declared a main highway. The Council did not suggest that this road should be put on the y/7 list of main highways at present and \ will no t declare this a county road. “The Riding has no funds, to vote to this piece, consequently it will be Jcft unfinished if • the straight-out grapt is. withheld. , ♦' “The contractor will also suffer if he is not allowed; to .complete his contract.”