NEWCASTLE LOAN POLL

Waikato Times, Volume 91, Issue 14135, 12 August 1919, Page 5

NEWCASTLE LOAN POLL

THE VOTE TO BE TAKEN

DEPUTATION TO THE HOARD

WARD SYSTEM DISCUSSED

At its monthly meeting yesterday

Newcastle Road Board gave conto a request of a deputation, -representing a very material section of its ratepayers, which sought that Hie proposed loan for £20,000 set down to .(be taken by the Board at a poll on August 20 for metalling purposes, be •deferred until more definite terms as to where the money was to be spent -were set out in the scheme. However, the upshot of it all is that the Board has resolved to go on with Hie poll. The consensus of opinion, as set out at yesterday’s proceedings, is that the* Board feels that there is a certain .amount of merit in the reasons which the deputation set out yesterday but, ..nevertheless, the action of the Board, as outlined by the members’ remarks, is that it has now progressed so far, [both in time and _in financial respects, that the “test” may as well be applied. The Loan’s Defects. The deputation, which represented ■in the remarks made Koromatua, Whatawhata, Rotokauri and Te Kowhai interests had as its opening speaker Mr E. S. Masters, of Koromatua, who said that the deputation had, , prior to coming into the room, discussed the object of its visit and asked ,'him to place its views before the Board. He asked the Board to definitely abandon the loan, which was .not acceptable in its present form. He made the point quite clear, however, that all were in favour of raising , money to have the roads metalled. He \ further sought, as a definite decision i ■of those he spoke for, that the dis- 1 .trict be divided into five wards or areas, each district to he defined, j which would guarantee equal repre- j ■ mentation for the future. Each dis- j trict would define the roads it. required metalling, the amount of money it re- | •quired would be estimated, and the Board would levy a special rate to meet the requirements of each respective area. Tnat was what was sought in preference to the present poll.

Mr S. Fullerton said that thr man in its present form would not have the .-.-sanction of the general body of the •/ratepayers. The Hoard had the power to withdraw the loan meantime, and, in the interval, it could make further ..inquiries. When he had first addressed the Board, at the very outset of the Joan proposals, he had said that there was a big efface of a subsidy being obtained. That was a point, the speaker 'ield. that the Board should ascertain the possibilities of. Mr Masters said that the ratepayers were quite unanimous that the money was required, and that they must have it. He hoped that the Board would lose ;as little time as possible in placing the denutation’s suggestions in workable form. In answer to Mr Saulbrey (a tneniber •of the Board) Mr Masters said that the ■request was, in effect, to abandon the present loan, and for each area to set ■ out to estimate the amount required. Thev required the metal on the roads as soon as possible. They came there representing the majority of the ratepayers in each district. Metal Spells Progress. Mr Gallagher, a member of the Board, said that he was prepared _ to fall in with the views of the deputation, but. at the same time, he did not hold that their policy was a wise one. He 'had no objection to the wards for the purposes of an ordinary election, but the poll was urgent as the roads required metal throughout the whole district. .Any district which had good roads could urgently claim to be a progressive district. He thought that the rateoayers would he well advised to pull together on this big question, and take an evey vote over the whole of the area. Under the scheme proposed the district he represented (HoroUu) would be rated light compared with some other parts. What he advocated was the appointment of a committee .to act with the Board, and set out where it wa« necessary for the loan to be spent. 'They should take a poll on the £20,000 as it stood, and he clso thought there •would be a better chance fsr a subsidy if it were over the whole of the district. £IO,OOO could be lifted at a time. The cutting uo into areas meant a lot .of time, and he did not hold it a wise policy, but he would fall in with the majority. The rate would not he very heavy, but if they did not get the loan amder way soon the rates would come very heavy as the work of last year had placed the Board in debt up to the extent of the rates. The Board had spent approximately £3OOO in the last 15 months, and the coming rates were

practically mortgaged. The roads must he metalled as they would not stand with sand, and the cost would be more if they were permitted to be broken through before the metal went on. Mr Masters did not hold that the

•deoutation’s views could jeopardise the •subsidy in any way. He had good and sound reasons for holding that the present loan, if approved, could not be passed through Order-in-Council. The clerk (Mr Wilcock) said that the. ■county loan was set out in exactly the •same way, and, on that argument, Mr 'Master’s contention could not, hold. Mr Jones (a board member), said that the ratepayers should display a little “give and take,” as the board was out to give a fair and square deal. Mr Gallagher said that if the ratepayers, as represented by the deputation, persisted that the loan could not be entertained in its present form, then the board might as well withdraw it. A Fixed Request. Mr Masters said that the deputation •could hardly go into the pros and cons with the board as they were there with a straight-out issue which they could not distort without misplacing the confidence of the ratepayers who had sent them to the board. Mr Saulbrey said that it looked as it the ratepayers were going to turn the proposal down if it was not set out in the form they desired. Therefore it would onlv come back to the board to he placed'in that form. Giving assent q 0 their desires now certainly meant some delav, but if they (the ratepayers) were willing to accept and pay for that •delay and the extra cost, it was wisfi for the board lie thought to follow that •course • , , , ~ , . Mr Crawford said that the deputation wished to know definitely if a subsidy would be available, to which Mr ’Saulbrey replied that there was no definite guarantee of any (Continued on Page 3.)