ROADING FRUIT LANDS.

Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 13978, 7 January 1916, Page 6

ROADING FRUIT LANDS.

SPECIAL RATING AREA TO KE PROCLAIMED.

- At yesterday,'s meeting of the- Waimea County Council tho chairman (Cr. Everett) presented la verbal report on the conference which took place- last month between the Minister for Public Works, settlers, landowners, and representatives of local bodies in regard bo expenditure of grants on certain roads in the Moutere district.

The chairman explained that tho Council had declined to take over the. rdads unless, they wore formed and metalled. In five or six cases already the Council had insisted upon this being done, and the land owners had done it, but in regard to the Appleby-Mapua road a grant of £600 appeared on the Estimates for its formation, and the * Government asked tho Council to sign ,;the plan of the road before it was form;ed or metalled. The chairman said that the Council had declined to take over the road unless it was formed and metalled, but the Government, for some reason best known to , itself, intervened, (and was going to do the formation. The Minister also stated towards the end of the conference that if he found he had the power he would form the road whether the Council objected or not, although at i'he' beginning ho had emphatically declined to £0 contrary to the wished of. the Council. _The chairman said they knew the Minister had the power, land they would find the road formed by the Government at a cost of £600, Vhich. should have been •borne by certain private individuals. It was now desired that ■ tho Coimcil should establish a special rating area to raise a loan for metalling the road after formation. The chairman pointed outt that whatever the position might pc, the road was a district road. Assuming that tho special area was established", it would mean a* liability over all the sections in the' area for the next 36^ years. It would fall upon the ratepayers, and not upon those who had bought the land in order to sell it again. The company promoters had escaped payment for 'formation, and the metalling would have to be don© bjr the settler* in the future. Unless the sotitlers chose to rate themselves, they would have a heavy clay road, which would be impassable in the winter. At present all the formation and half the metalling was coming out of the public purse. In his opinion it was grossly improper. Cr. Maemahon pointed out that those purchasing the land would ftake into consideration that the land would be rated for 36J- years, and the-price of the sections would be reduced accordA deputation composed of Messrs A. McKee and A: P. Airport, representing settlers, later in the meeting waited on the Council, asking it to proclaim a special rating area for the purpose or raising up to £500 towards the cost of metalling the Moutere M-udflat road. Mr'McKee having explained wha.t was proposed to be done by the settlers, it was resolved to take the necessary steps to raise £500 as required by the. deputation.