OWAIRAKA ROAD.

Waikato Times, Volume 101, Issue 16947, 9 November 1926, Page 11

OWAIRAKA ROAD.

DEPUTATION TO COUNCIL. MO SUBSIDY AVAILABLE. A deputation of settlers of the Owairaka district waited on the Waipa County Council yesterday with a request that the Council spend the loan money raised and subsidy on the Owairaka road this year. The settlers had heard, said Mr Lowry, the chief speaker, that the work was not to be gone on with this year, at which they were greatly concerned. They had raised the loan for the purpose and, .in the circumstances, they considered that this should be expended as soon as the weather was right. The county engineer, Mr Civil, said the' Council was unable to get a subsidy on the loan and thought it- was desirable to hold up the work until a subsidy was available. The whole subsidy which the Council would ceive this year was £2900. Last year £IOOO and this year £650 in subsidy was spent on this particular road, and there was only £6OO of the loan money now available. There had been £3600 in loan and subsidy spent on the road already. The Council's desire was to try and get a subsidy on the balance of the loan.

The chairman, Mr C. Macky, said that no' subsidy had been granted on the deviation loan, and such being the case he was afraid the work would have to wait. The Council, could, of course, spend the £6OO and the 10 per cent, increase (£BOO altogether) on the road this year, but it w r ou!d not give the settlers what they were asking. The Council could not help the position, as it was impossible to spend a subsidy that had hot been granted. If subsidy, was now spent on the road Owairaka would on dipping into some other riding's share. Cr. A. Livingstone said the settlers had been treated as well as the Council could treat them, and he could tell them straight away that nothing could be done. His (the speaker's) riding had been waiting two years for a subsidy on £SOO. Cr. Lowry said that last year Piako County got £IO,OOO in subsidy. The ciiairman assured the deputation that they would get a fair share of rates Spent on the road in the meantime. He thought they would have to be content, however, with grading. Mr Civil remarked that a lady had complained that the bad state of the road was due to Mr Lowry carting his manures Over it in the wet weather. (Laughter.) Cr. J. Johnson said that if the deputation could bring pressure to bear on the department to make a straight-out grant for the work the Council would bo willing .ea— zfiflff Council would willingly expend the money.

This the deputation said it would endeavour to do.