CHAMBERLAIN’S ROAD

Waipa Post, Volume 43, Issue 3391, 22 December 1931, Page 4

CHAMBERLAIN’S ROAD

METALLING SCHEME HELD UPCOUNTY COUNCIL INDIGNANT. ' Rather a surprise was “ s P r^]?£ ' on Waina County councillors at Monday’s meeting on the subject of Chamberlain’s Road. The chairman, Local Government Loans Board, advised that the board has declined to sanction the council’s application to borrow the sum of £4OO for the purpose of metalling Qhamberlain’s Road as it is of the fef inion that the proposed work is s fiot essential to the needs of the district at the present time. Councillors expressed surprise, and Cr Johnson thought the board’s decision was wrong. The engineer said the project for metalling was to give all-weather ac~ , cess to five or six settlers who suffer great inconvenience in the winter months, when the road is quite impassiable. Several other settlers would be afforded a shorter route to Te Awamutu, their marketing centre. The chairman said the board was taking up a very paltry attitude. The council was certainly not spending money needlessly. The engineer said the fact that the riding is providing £4OO is evidence that the road is needed. The clerk said the board obtains an opinion from the P.W.D. district engineer, and is usually guided by that opinion. Mr Grant then read the letter from the board, which mentioned that two of the settlers in the proposed special rating area had lodged objections. His reply, covering the whole of the negotiations, was also read, and approved. The engineer said if the work is delayed he would not be able to get the metalling done this summer. He pi’oposed to get 2000 yards of metal from the Puahue quarry. « Cr Johnson said that no doubt the' Loans Board had done good service in checking reckless expenditure, but if it opposed a rating scheme such as v that planned for Chamberlain’s Road he would say positively that the members of the board did not know their business. They were taking up a wrong attitude, as it was defeating the co-operative principle. The refusal was unreasonable. Cr Livingstone agreed, and mentioned that the proposed loan was only £4OO out of £I6OO. Cr Johnson said he was leeently over the road, and was much impressed with the development work there. New settlers had gone in, and were battling hard against great difficulties. They would, if judiciously assisted, make really good farms. At present the land is capable of *arrying a cow to two acres. Cr Clarke remarked that it seemed a glaring case of injustice. Cr Johnson said if the board vas to insist, it was standing in the way of closer settlement in a most remarkable attitude, especially at the present time. An emphatic protest should be entered. The chairman said he could not understand the board’s attitude. He felt the position keenly as it reflected , on the council’s policy of careful \ administration. The engineer said the urgency and desirability of metalling the road was realised by the fact that application for the loan was given precedence by the council over several other roads. It was decided to emphatically protest and ask for a review of the application. The facts will also be supplied to Messrs D. S. Reid and W. J. Broadfoot, M.P.’s.