MATAONGAONGA.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XLIII, Issue 15000, 14 July 1898, Page 2

MATAONGAONGA.

As will be noticed by an advertisement in another column, a meeting of the ratepayers in the Mataongaonga Hiding of the Wanganui County is to he held at the County oflices on Wednesday afternoon next. The object of the meeting is to consider the advisability of forming the Biding into a Road Board District, " in order that the business of tlie Jtiding shall he managed by those most interested." There are six Hidings — Mangawhero, Upper Wangaehn, Purua, Kaltokc, Kaukatea, and Mataongaonga— in the County, but the last mentioned is the only one which is not also a Road Board District. Consequently, while the other five Ridings have their own elected 1 Boards to carry on the necessary works, with representatives from those Boards to watch their interests at the Council j table, the afl'airs of the Mataongaonga are administered by the Council, one member of which represents the Hiding. This, of course, doos not necessarily mean that the required works in that Biding are overlooked, but it must he admitted that one very important work — the protection and maintenance of the main road along the foot of Shakespeare's Cliff— has not received thatattention at the hands of the Council which its importance deserves. Wo understand that if the proposal to form a Road District is adopted, those now moving in the matter will advocate the raising of a loan for the purpose of pushing on with this very necessary work. The river, of late years, has been gradually but surely eating away tho bank along the foot of the Cliff road, until now, in several places, the water flows right up to the side of the road proper. Unless something is done, and done quickly, the road itself will go, and in that case tlie County will have to face a very serious expenditure. Apart, however, from this important work, there are other matters in the riding — which, embracing as it does Eastown, Long Acre and Cherry Bank, is by no means a small one— requiring attention, and these matterd it is claimed would be more satisfactorily dealt with by a local board than by the governing body of the Cqunty. While the affairs of tbe other ridings constituting the County are administered by their respective Boards, there can be no reason for the Mataongaonga Hiding remaining practically isolated as at present. The whole question will no doubt be fully discussed at the meeting on Wednesday next.