INTERESTS OF RATEPAYERS

Taranaki Daily News, 21 September 1931, Page 10

INTERESTS OF RATEPAYERS

STRATFORD COUNCIL MEETING. INCREASE IN RATE OF SUBSIDY. The monthly meeting of the Stratford County Council was held on Saturday, when those present were Crs. T. R. Anderson (chairman), S. Pitt, W. Vickers, T. T. Murray, W. H. Were, R. Mounsey, J.” T. Belcher, L. Bunn, J. C. Best and H. C. Taylor. The Main Highways Board advtsed that it had decided to increase the standard rate of subsidy for maintenance works to £3 for £1 during the present financial year. The Waimea County Council invited co-operation in its efforts to bring pressure to bear on the Government to have legislation enacted so that when the Government acquired land either through purchase or through its falling into its hands on account of the default of its mortgagors it should be liable for local rates on the same valuation as if the properties were privately owned.—Support was accorded the effort. With reference to the chairman’s interview with the Minister of Public Works in connection with relief works on Pembroke Road, Mr. P. Keller, Main Highways Board representative in Stratford, advised that under present arrangements the board could not subsidise lorries and other plant Used on the work under the No. 5 scheme. The clerk, Mr. C. Campbell, reported that he had telegraphed Mr. W. J. Polson, M.P., on behalf of the council, protesting against the suggested Arbitration amendment,. as neither the council nor the 38 regular employees desired to be placed under an award. The action of the clerk was endorsed. Poundage had been collected on 20 head of stock on different roads, reported the ranger and inspector, Mr. S. J. Cuff. Six first applicants for drivers’ licenses had been tested, and the total of licenses issued was 1240. He occasionally came across a cyclist without a light, but for some time had not prosecuted, and he desired a direction in the matter. As the council considered cyclists without lights were taking personal risks as well as being a danger to other road users, the inspector will be instructed to prosecute after reference to the engineer. COMPLAINT AT RATING. COMPARISON AT NGATIMARU. A reply to the assertion made in the Press by a settler in the Ngatimaru district that rates in the Stratford county were too high and liable to causa pioneers in the backblocks to “walk off,” was made at the meeting of the Stratford County Council on Saturday by Ci - . R. Mounsey, Ngatimaru riding member on the council. It had been stated, said Cr. Mounsey, that on a certain track there were two neighbouring holdings, one on the left bank of the Waitara River and in the Clifton county while the other was on the right bank and in the Stratford county. One settler paid £3 in rates to the Clifton county as against the £4O paid by the other to the Stratford county. “Now the man in the Stratford county,” Cr. Mounsey explained, “has direct road access to his property but the other man has to swim his stock across the river to his property.” If the Clifton settler swam his stock across when the river was low they became bogged in the silt before they could reach the bank. Should he try to get them across when the river was high, which ■was what he usually did, there was the danger that they might be carried downstream and lost. The settler in the Stratford county was in a very favourable position as compared with the other and had one of the best farms in the district for stock —carrying capacity. Nevertheless he wanted his rates reduced when the extra amount he paid in comparison with the settler in the Clifton county was more than off-set by the advantages he enjoyed by having direct access to a better property. BOY DROWNED AT TE WERA. BODY FOUND IN FARM DAM. Eric Norman Bailey, 17 years old, whose parents reside in Falstaff Street, Stratford, and who was employed by Robert Thomson, Bridge End farm, To Wera, met his death by drowning about midday yesterday. There is a deep dam on the farm and although Bailey had been warned never to go there without company the' i fine weather yesterday attracted him to the water. He told Mrs. Thomson on leaving the house about 11.15 a.m. that he expected to meet Mr. Thomson on the road and would get him to accompany him to the dam. He did not meet Mr. Thomson and at lunch time was missing with the result that the family visited the dam and found his clothes. They commenced dragging operations immediately and recovered the body about 3 o'clock. The body has been brought to Stratford, where an inquest will be held to-day. SKIING ON MOUNTAIN SLOPES. SNOW IN IDEAL CONDITION. One of the most enjoyable days of the season was spent by about 25 members of the Stratford Mountain Club skiing yesterday in fast snow on the Ngarara flat and in the Maunganui Gorge. The snow is off tho plateau and the lower skiing ground but is ideal higher up and should last about six weeks yet. A party from the Hawera Club including Mr. Rod Syme, also visited the Stratford resort. Mr. Syme received warm congratulations upon his success at the Ruapehu winter sports. Speaking in reply, Mr. Syme commented on the remarkable progress in skiing made by many Stratford members.

An inspection of the upper road by the chairman of the east committee, Mr. J. C. Robins, disclosed that there had been practically no damage from storm-water, wind or snow. The road from the radius line is in splendid order and good progress is being made with the gat®.