WAITAKI COUNTY.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18541, 11 April 1930, Page 13

WAITAKI COUNTY.

TRANSFER TO HIGHWAYS GROUP 16. At a meeting of No. 15 District Highways Council held in Timaru yesterday, application was made by the representative of the Waitaki County (Mr T. A. Munro) for the transfer of the County from Group 15 to Group 16 (Otago). The chief ground for the application was that highways work was increasing to such an extent that it was desirable that the County should be in closer touch with headquarters than was possible at the present time, with headquarters situated in Christchurch. It was pointed out that the County i was in the Otago Public Works dis- j trict, and in the Canterbury Highways district, and it was felt that it would | be in the interests of the County to j be transferred to Group 16. Mr J. Bitchener, M.P.: There are no j disadvantages to this Group, by the •. severance, I take it?” The chairman (Mr F. Langbein): I “I think not.” Mr Bitchener then moved that the ! Council agree to the transfer. He ex- | pressed regret that Mr Munro would j be leaving them, for their relations I had always been of the happiest. The motion was seconded by Mr K. j MacKenzie (Geraldine), who said that ! he hoped the relations of Waitaki with j the new Group would be as happy as ! they had been with Group 15. j The chairman spoke on similar lines. ' Mr W. T. Lill (Ashburton) said that I Ashburton was nearer Christchurch than Timaru, and it might be said that their community of interests were more with Christchurch than with Timaru. He had to come 50 miles to j attend the meeting that day. The chairman: “Your alternative is j to go fifty miles to the other meeting. 1 A member: “You would not get more ; highways from Christchurch than from here?” Mr Lill: “Yes, far more.** The chairman: "You are better off in a group of five than in a group of j seventeen.” Mr T. B. Garrick (Levels): "You j have been a happy man here, haven’t 1 you?” Mr Lill: “I have been up till today.” (Laughter). Mr C. J. Talbot (South Island representative of the Main Highways , ) Board) said that Waitaki had been brought in in the first place because 1 the officials had been working together for years, and there was a certain community of interest. Now, however, conditions had changed. Waitaki were in the Otago Public Works district and in the Canterbury Highways district. Paving schemese were now in hand, and in the interests of efficiency, it was desirable that Waitaki : should go into Group 16. The motion was carried. Mr Munro thanked the Council for having agreed to their request. He | also thanked members of the Council ( for the courtesy and attention which had been paid to them at all times. I