STILL IN THE MUD

Taranaki Daily News, 6 October 1934, Page 16 (Supplement)

STILL IN THE MUD

£lOOO RATES AND NO METAL PLIGHT OF PIKO ROAD SETTLERS. WOMEN PUT THE CASE PLAINLY. ■ MUD ROAD SETTLER FOR 26 YEARS. > “What are you going to do about the road? I have been living on a mud road for the past 26 years, during which we have paid over £lOOO in rates. Each year we have been living in hopes that we were going to get the metal. However, we don’t seem to get much further. We have written the council several times, but apparently that has not done much good, so we have come to see you personally to endeavour to get something done.” In these words Mrs. F. M. Whittaker, a member of a deputation comprising Mrs. W. Wereta and herself that waited on the Clifton County Council, pressed the claims of the settlers on the Piko Road, Okoke, for the metalling of 2J miles of the road. The chairman (Cr. H. A. Foreman) stated that the council had received a letter from Mr. W. J. Polson, M.P., enclosing a letter from the Hon. J. Bitchener, Minister of Public Works, who notified that he had carefully considered the proposals submitted in a petition from Mr. J. C. Whittaker, Okoke, involving the construction of the Piko Road as a through road to Junction Road in the Inglewood county at an estimated cost of £4200 and the metalling of the existing formation of 21 miles of Piko Road at an estimated cost of £2500. The connection with Junction Road, refnarked the Minister, would involve about four miles of construction over rather poor and very rough country and could not in any way be regarded as an inducement to new settlement. There was very little, in fact, which might favour the proposal, and he was afraid that the arguments submitted did not appear very forceful in face of the entire absence of new settlement value and the estimated cost of £4200. The most that the uppermost settlers on Piko Road might reasonably expect was the metalling of the balance of the existing formation at an estimated cost of £2600. He understood the settlers had offered to contribute a certain amount of free labour,, but he did not think that was a wise course. In accordance with recent decisions the contribution to be expected from the settlers, after allowing for assistance from the Unemployment Board, was £827, Iris department to provide a similar sum. MINISTER’S BETTER OFFER. Having due regard to all factors affecting the farming community, together with the fact that the settlers were already rated for metalling loans, he was prepared to consider a contribution of £5OO from the settlers. The work could not be proceeded with this financial year as’ all available funds had been allocated, but if the settlers could arrange their contribution the grant could be put in next year’s estimates. A great deal would depend, of course, upon the views of the Clifton County Council, upon which rested the responsibility of reading matters within the county. The chairman pointed out that the Minister suggested that the settlers should find £5OO towards the cost of the metalling, and he asked whether Mrs. Whittaker had any proposal to make. Mrs. Whittaker said the settlers could not possibly find £5OO. If asked to provide £5 it would be nearer the mark. She pointed out that the six settlers on the mud road had already contributed heavily to the metalled portion of the road. First they had found £25 and later they had contributed £lOO to formation on condition that the oil company metalled a certain length of road. The oil company had only metalled a -portion and the settlers who had provided the £lOO had to quarry by means of free labour 490 yards of metal in order to metal 49 chains of the road. There was still another 16 or 17 chains to complete the distance that the oil company should have metalled. . She understood that the council had undertaken to metal a length equal to that metalled by the settlers by means of free labour. The chairman said the council had not undertaken to carry out any further metalling but had carted out and spread the • metal quarried by the settlers. He pointed out that in all work carried out by relief camps the council had had to make contributions ranging from £lOO up to £l2OO. He considered, however, that the department was asking the settlers in this case to contribute too much, and he suggested that the settlers interested should meet and discuss the position, letting the council know the result of their deliberations so it could take the matter up with the department. He would be willing to attend the meeting. ■ He made it clear that the work would not be carried out without some contribution from the settlers, but he sug- : gested that they might offer £2OO instead ; of £5OO, and the council would take up 1 the matter with the Minister on that ; basis. While recognising the difficulties < that the settlers would have to meet in j raising the £2OO, he pointed out that it would be a good business proposition for ■ -the settlers to get 2 J miles of road ; metalled for that amount. ( . 1 SETTLERS’ WORK ON ROADS. Mrs. Whittaker pointed out that besides 1 paying rates totalling £lOOO and assisting bn three occasions to metal portions i of the road, she had also carried out ] work on the road equivalent to em- ; ploying one man for ten years, as every time they wanted to go out they had ] to send a man with a shovel to clear j the mud, and sometimes it took two ] men’s work for 10 days before they could j get out. They had been helping them- i selves all the time and still had to help 2 themselves. r

The chairman: It’s a pity the oil company did not strike oil. You would have had a tar-sealed road by now! Mrs. Wereta stated that as the result of the flood there had been a waSh-out on the road, so that they could not get a' sledge across, and it was dangerous for the children to ride to school. She was a newcomer to the backblocks and was willing to help where necessary, though she certainly would not have come to the backblocks if she had known what the settlers had to face. The chairman said that the engineer would attend to the wash-out. Mrs. Whittaker stated that there were six milking sheds on the mud road and five on the metalled portion, whilst five children on the mud road rode to school. She gave various instances of the trials and tribulations that beset the backblocks settler and particularly the women. Cr. Barnitt said the council was quite sympathetic. Mrs. Whittaker understood that the land had been loaded 5s per acre for roading purposes and also that the councils in the early days had been lax in not taking up grants for roading purposes. The chairman said the - loading for road-making purposes had been expended long ago. The council had been unable to take up the grants because the settlers had been unable to raise the necessary loan money to subsidise the grants. In the course of further discussion Mrs.

Wereta, whose property is situated at the top of the road, stated that, the settlers would not worry about the formation of the four miles of road to the Junction Road. They were keen to secure metalled access to the existing metal. . . It was decided that the deputation would place the matter before the settlers with a view to calling a meeting at which the county chairman and riding member would attend. The council had briefly discussed the letter from the Minister prior to the arrival of the deputation, and members were sympathetic with the request of the settlers for metalled access, holding also that it was unreasonable to ask the settlers to find £5OO towards the cost of metalling 2J miles when other districts had had roads metalled on contributing from £5O to £lOO per mile.