CARRINCTON ROAD DISTRICT.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LV, Issue 13928, 6 April 1909, Page 7

CARRINCTON ROAD DISTRICT.

MEETING OF RATEPAYERS.

INTERESTING RETROSPECT.

A general meeting of ratepayers ir the Carrington Road district was helc at the residence of Mr T. B. Blanchett. Vogeltown, last night when various matters of interest as well as the position of the district at March 31, on which date it was merged into the Taranaki County Council forming part of the new Hurworth Hiding, were discussed. Mr C. Carter, late Chairman of the Road Board, was voted to the chair. There was only a sina?l attendance. A statement of accounts detailing the financial position of the Carrington Road district as at March 31 last was presented by Mr Blanchett. This showed that the balance at the bank and cash in hand amounted to £287 Is 4d, but against this there were outstanding liabilities amounting to £245 13s 3d, leaving a credit of £41 8s Id. The amount of rates still uncollected totalled £10 6s Bd. # The balance-sheet was approved subject to audit. ' The engineer, Mr L. G. P. Spencer, presented a report dealing with the contracts in hand. The formation on . Kyngdon's contract on the Brooklands Road was now ready for the metalling and the contractor had some 140 cubic yards of boulders on the road ready to crush. He should be ready to have the crusher on the works in about a fort- \ night, and if he used reasonable diligence another fortnight should complete this protracted work. The formation on Hendrickson'^ contract Upper Carrington Road was well forward anil only the recent bad weather had prevented it being completed. A few fine days would be sufficient to do so. The whole of the necessary metal had been broken and- about a week's fine weather should be sufficient to spread it. The total cost of improvements under his supervision had been £1967 ss. For this sum 284 chains of widening and new formation had been carried out and also 192 chains of new metalling. The foreman, Mr \V. Eva, reported that all roads were in fair order and that there were 80 or 90 yards of maintenance stene and from 40 to 50 yards of boulders on hand. HISTORY GIT THE DISTRICT. The Chairman then gave a brief but interesting review of the history of the district. He said he may term that! meeting as one of the closing scenes of a Road Board district with a record that had probably ; been debarred many districts. It was 54 years agp since it came into existence, but at that time it included a larger area and what was now known as the Mangorei Road. Of course, during such a long period they could imagine that there had been a good deal of stress, privation and peril to a good many people, especially as during that time the Maori War was a very disturbing factor in this district as in practically every other district of Taranaki. Whilst this had oeen so, however, there was also the other side of the picture. There had been comfort, prosperity, contentment qf the people ybisojight about largely .by the early <-the strenuous life they lived, the way they went td work in providing for tfe T in the early days. There had been a good many honoured names! in connection with the Carrington Road district. Some of -them were still handed down to us with the greatest respect. There was, for instance, Sir Harry Atkinson, H. R. Richmond-, the Htjrsthouses', BroadmoreV, Frenches*, Major Brown and other old identities. They, hardly, perhaps, realised their indebtedness to these early settlers who had cut out the bush ior them and made the position to-day one of pleasure and affluence and comfort by the side of the hardships they themselves had to undergo; In 1854, New Plymouth and the surrounding districts were treated afe one, and administered by a Town Board, but in February of 1855, under the Public Works Ordinance the No. 4 or. Carrington Road District was .formed, the Commissioners being Messrs G. Broadmore, H. R. Richmond and 0. Carrington, whose principal business consisted in striking the rate for the current year, this being, over the whole acreage of the district at Is per acre. Another matter that had to be attended to that year tvas to carry the road as far as Ratanui Estate, a distance of three miles from town. The boundaries of the district at this time were between the Henui and the Huatoki streams, including section 776 ? Government blbck, practically to the junction of the Frankley ,and Carrington Roads. In March,, 1856, the district was ' re-constituted and extended further inland, the Commissioners for this year being Messrs H. R. Richmond, G. .Broadmore, and J. C. Neild. Among works undertaken that year were repairs to the Carrington Road to Ratanui at a cost of £112 17s, widening of track from Ratanui to Hurworth, £30 15s; repairing Avenue Road, £9; Bell Line to Ratanui, £77 10s; clearing track from the Mangorei branch to the Carrington Road, £4; extending the road to Ronald's clearinp. £189 3s; stationery account, 9s Cd; Commissioners' fees, £B—making8 — making £261 0s 9d. The rates and Government subsidies for the period amounted to £266 16s lOd. In the following year Messrs Broadmore and Richmond were the Commissioners. The amount proposed for expenditure was £184 12s 7d, the rate for this year being 6d per acre. It was in the year 1858 that the Carrington Road proper was formed under the Roads and Bridges Act of that year excluding the Mangorei district and the Avenue Road. A general meeting of electors was held in May every year and published in the Government Gazette of the province. The chairman in those days was elected by votes at a general meeting of electors. The first meeting of electors was held on May 29, at the Taranaki Hotel. The meetings of the Commissioners were arranged by the Board as suited. Two Commissioners coujld call a special meeting by giving notice in writing, which had to Be signed by the conveners and also stating place of meeting with three clear days before. The first rate made was 9d per acre, and the Commissioners were Messrs Broadmore Richmond, and J. H. H. Smith. The expenditure to October 20 this year was £129 2s 6d, including £60 for'logs?ing, cutting undergrowth, and repairing: tracks, etc. In the following year, 1859, the estimated expenditure" was £165 13s l§d, and the estimated rates for the vear»amounted to £128 12s 3d, the difference beino; made up by a balance brought forward from the previous year of £37 Os lO£d. At this titiip the Commissioners were Messrs H R. Richmond and C. Brown. In l.^fil the Ma,ori wars broke out, and ili is was a Very anxious time for the settlers, some having their place* burnt and others losing their cattle and

shfep. During the next five years lie had been unaole to obtain any data. In 1867 Messrs H. R. Richmond, who was then Superintendent, made a proclamation that a rate of not less than 3d per acre be struck. There was nothing to guide him with respect to the year 1868. In 1869 Messrs H. Brown and J. Roberts were the Commissioners, and they allocated the sum of £63 for expenditure in that year. Through lack of records there was a blank from this period until 1883 — fourteen years — but from this time onward they had complete minutes in their possession. It was a pity that such a district had not a complete history collected and kept in some place where it could be referred to by anyone requiring to do so. He acknowledged the assistance he had received from Messrs Skinner and Saxton, of the Survey Department, and also from the Herald in preparing his particulars. It was on March 26, 18V 6, that the County Council was formed, and the Provincial Council was afterwards abolished. Commissioners were still pointed, however," to administer outside districts. As he had already explained, from 1883 they had records. The first Road Board, that appointed in 1883, consisted of Messrs Colville (chairman), French, W. P. Barclay, and S. Bayly. The rates for the year amounted to £57 15s 103. The Chairman of the Board in 1834 was Mr. T. Barclay, 1885, Mr. W. P Barclay ; 1888, Mr. J. Earp ; 1889, 1892, Mr. Jas. Spenoe; 1892, Mews. Phillips, J. C. George and Joo (jo^keLt. The latter held office then lor three 3 ears. In 1891 the first loan v :ir raided, this being for the Brookland* Road, and amounting to £125. The second loan was during Mr. Crockett's occupancy of the chairmanship of the Board, this being for the purpose of metalling from the town boundary to Mr. Crockett's residence. In 1895 *hvelaws wore adopted dealing with extraordinary traffic which had grown considerably. Two years later Mr. J. Lashbrook was appointed chairman of the Board and he hold continuous office u-i til 1907. About this period Mr. Ci. W. Browne, then a member of the Board, suggested the acquiring of a crushing plant owing to the difficulty the Boanl experienced in getting breakers. Tho period from 1897 to 1902 were seven years of ordinary occurrences, there l.eing nothing special to call for comment. In 1902 the widening of the Victoria Hill and the grading of same took place, several ratepayers signing an individual gaurantee which was, like most of them, called up. From 1902-190 i there was nothing eventful, but in the latter year the borough, water main v .is carried through Vogeltown, and from this time the suburb had assumed a greater importance and become increasing popular as a residential locality. In 1906 the question of street lighting at Vogeltown was first discussed and although there was some strong opposition — and he Lelieved there were still people on the road who were just *, strongly opposed to it as at that time, the outcome was that in September cf that year a decision was arrived at — the borough to supply the lights and the County Council to defray the coat out of the Board's subsidy. During the same year the Gas Company laid their main in the district and* had from time to tjme extended them since. I»n November of i9o6* the raising of a loan for widening and improving Vogeltown was considered. Mr. Garter, proceeding, dealt with ' the ratepayers' meetings that were held in this connection, many of which would always be remembered. The opposition to the scheme from Brooklands' ratepayers was touohed on in passing. In May, 1907, Mr. Carter was appointed chairman, and" the proposal to raise a loan of £2700 was agreed upon. After the trouble with the BrooKlarids Road people had been overcome, the Jockey Club made an unsuccessful effort to^be cut out from the district and included, in the Mangorei Road district.;' -'-tti July ILe loan proposals were endorsed by a noil of the ratepayers. One hundred and twenty-one votes were cist; 95 beiu^ in favour and 26 against. Mr. Spencer was then appointed the Board's engineer and plans and. specifications were prepared and the contracts let stpd completed. In October the electric light was first switched on. In 1908 meet-; ings were called with a view to seeking relief from the heavy rates, the outcome of which were that united meetings of ratepayers of the Carrington, Frankley and Eliot Read districts were held and alternative proposals submitted: — (1) Merging In the Taranaki County, or (2) joining the Borough of New Plymouth. The former course was decided on and the three districts now formed the new Hurworth riding. In conclusion, (Mr. Carter spoke* of the progress «f the district. The number of dwellings at 1908 was 101, 77 of. which were within the area between the town boundary and the 'bus terminus ; there wei * 130 ratepayers and 134 ratable properties. The capital value of the district for ratable purposes was £135,546, and the general ' i ate amounted to £343. He expressed the opinion that the Cai - rington Road was destined to be one of the . most popular suburbs of New. Plymouth, but what the future would be of course depended largely on *he residents themselves. • He hoped they would continue on progressive lines air.l ,that when the system of electric cays was instituted between the Breakwater and Fitzroy they would see that it was extended to that locality also. * Mr. F. W. Okey proposed a very hearty vote of thanks to Mr. Carter for his interesting review. He must have devoted a, great deal of time v.o its preparation. Mr. G. W. Browne seconded, and the motion was carried.