AKAROA AND WAINUI ROAD BOARD.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 50, 9 January 1877, Page 2

AKAROA AND WAINUI ROAD BOARD.

THE ANNUAL ELECTION. On Saturday last, the annual meeting of ratepayers of the above Road District, was held at the Board's office, Akaroa, at noon. There were about twenty ratepayers present, and an unusual amount of interest appeared to be manifested in the proceedings. Mr. Duxburt, one of the retiring members, and Chairman of the Board, said that they had met in accordance with custom to receive a statement of accounts for the past year. The Board on entering upon its financial year, started with a ciedit balance of £75619s 7d. The receipts during the past year amounted to £344612s 7d, and the expenditure to £158618s lOd, leaving a credit balance at the Bank in the Board's favour of £1859 13s 9d.

On the motion of Mr. Waeckerle, seconded by Mr. C. M'Donald, {the balance-sheet, as read, was received and adopted. The Chairman said, that the next business to be proceeded with was the nomination and. election of two members to serve in the room of himself and Mr. Keegan, who retired by rotation. He called for nominations.

Mr. Piper was nominated by Mr. T. W. Barker, and seconded by Mr. Shad L."< Mr. Hunter was nominated bj 3-;. Cole M'Donald, and seconded byl-s «j; Bates.

Mr. Bates was proposed by Mr. Duxbury, and seconded by Mr. Lelievre.

Mr. Waeckerle was proposed by Mr. Piper, and seconded by J. Noonan. . Mr. T. W. Barker was proposed by Mr. Shadbolt, and seconded by Mr. Waeckerle. Mr. J. Sunckell was proposed by Mr. C. M'Donald, • and seconded by Mr. W. Wright. Mr. Sunckell said that he had no desire to stand, and would like his nomination to be withdrawn, buthis proposer and seconder declined to concede to the request.

The Chairman then took a show of hands, with the following result:— J. Sunckell 13 J. Duxbury II T. W. Barker ... — ... 10 H. Piper 8 C. M'Donald ... 8 J. Waeckerle ... 7 Mr. Barker demanded a poll on behalf of Mr. Piper. Mr. Piper said that he thought the proper time to give members a jacketing for inattention to duty was at a nomination. He disapproved of the system- of continually sticking up members in the public streets, and chastising them for their errors. He would tell them before th« commencement of the poll, what his intentions were. The ratepayers had elected gentlemen two years ago on the Board to represent their interests, and he regretted to say that the greatest confusion appeared to exist among them. The striking of a ninepenny rate he considered to be a great injustice towards the .ratepayers, and the Board were not obtaining money in an honourable way by extracting it from ratepayers when it had a large amount to its credit in the Bank. There had been no extraordinary heavy Aveather to wash away sea walls demanding large expenditure, and he feared that the Board's desire to impose such a heavy rate, was to have a shot at those who had worked hard to gain a position. The ninepenny, rate would, of course, not be felt so oppressive by the general bulk of ratepayers, who would only be called upon to pay something like 5s each. He had that morning paid.£l2 for rates, which he contended was 50 per cent too much, taking the Boards positionintoconsideration. Informer years the Board had not exercised its rating functions arbitrarily, and he failed to see why it should do so now. The Board had no right to anticipate emergencies. It would be time enough to provide for them when they arose. The rate of this year was 50 per cent over and above that.of former years. He. trusted that the ratepayers would return men of business and foresight to the Board. He held in his pocket a summons which he had received, as Chairman of the School Committee, from a person who had enjoyed largely the favours of the Road Board in the matter of day labour. Mr. Shadbolt. —There has been no Road Board pet during the time I have sat here.

Mr. Piper questioned whether it was right on the part of the Board to award men 8s per day, whose labour was not worth ss. He had told the person who had made an extravagant demand upon him in his official position that he declined to pay for the work until such time as it had been fairly valued. There would now be two rating bodies within the district—the Road Board, and County Council. Mr. Duxbury.—lt is quite optional with the County Council to levy rates. Mri Piper.—lf, the Board had been short of funds, he could well understand the excuse for levying a ninepenny rate. The imposition of a threepenny rate would have been quite sufficient, and that amonnt would have allowed the County Council a chance

of levying a rate of 9d or Is in the &. The County must strike a rate if any good be expected to come out of the measure, or the Act will be found to be unworkable. He understood that a majority of the members of the Council were pledged to carry but the Act in its entirety, and therefore it would be necessary for the Council to levy at least a Is rate, or it would receive no funds from the Government. The Road Board would be provided with plenty of funds, arid therefore it could afford to be content witli a nominal rate. The County Act had not received sufficient consideration at the hands of the people, or the Legislature, for if it had, it was evident that two rating bodies would never have been allowed contemporaneously.

Mr. Shadbolt contended that the Board had never been so well conducted or better in funds as at present. Mr. Piper did not desire to take exception to the manner in which the business of the Board was being conducted, but to the unnecessary heavy rate it had levied. He regretted having taken up so much time, and trusted for the future the Board would be more discriminating in the question of rates. After a considerable amoiant of desultory conversation, a vote of thanks was tendered to the chair, and THE POLL was proceeded with. Therewas an unusual amount of interest manifested in the contest, one. or two ratepayers specially exerting themselves in the cause of their respective candidates At 4 o'clock Mr. Adams declared the poll to be J. Duxbury ... ... ... 52H. Piper ..: ... 48 C. M'Donald ... 22 J. Waeckerle ... 14 T.-W. Barker 12 and declared Messrs Duxbury and Piper duly elected.