HIGHWAY BOAUD MEETING,

Auckland Star, Volume II, Issue 481, 26 July 1871, Page 3

HIGHWAY BOARD MEETING.

PAENELL,

(the annual meeting of the ratepayers wns held on Tuesday, in the Parnell Hall, which tais Tery numerously attended. J. M. Darga#yille, Esq., occupied the chair. In opening ' »he proceedings he explained the objects for which the meeting had been convened. When the chairman waa addressing the meeting he was interrupted by loud noises. He thought that the custom of bringing up the accounts of Highway Districts, and asking the ratepayers to adopt them at once, was not judicious. He considered it would be much better if they were furnished to the ratepayers in a printed form, or published in the gazette. (Cheers.) They would in such a case be acquainted with all the details, and better prepared to speak to thorn.—Mr. Smart read the report for the' past year.— "As Chairman of the Parnell Highway Board for the past year, it is now my duty to lay before you a statement of the income and expenditure during the year, as well as the Board's annual report—Eeceipts : Bates collected, £276 19s 7d; subscription in aid by ratepayers, £20 j amount received from the Colonial Government, £792 15s. Miscellaneous : Dog Nuisance Act, £28 15s; Impounding Act, niij sundries, £132 14s 9d; total, £1251 7a 4d. Expenditure for forming j roads, &c, £802 13s Id ; bridges aftd culverts, £240 6b ; other works, £13 10s 6d j commission for collecting rotes, £11 14s 9d ; salaries and rent, £49 1-33; printing and advertising, £14 11b 2d : legal expenses, £7 12b 4d ; miscellaneous, &c., £21 6b 6d; total, £1251 7s 'Id, —Keport of Parnell Highway Board for the year 1871: —The Board have to report that during the past year the receipts on account of income have amounted to £1250 14s Bd, and tho expenditure ha 9 been £1251 7s 4d, shewing a balance duo to the treasurer, on th 30th of June last, of 12s. Bd. Erom. the report of the Board it will be observed that the incoms for the past year was £1250 14s. Bd. This auuu enabled tho Board to undertake some works of very considerable importance to the district, amongst which may be mentioned the formation of a large portion of the main road between Auckland and Parnell, at a cost of about £520. This work was considered by the Board to be very necessary, and they accordingly lost no time in getting it completed. Had they delayed the undertaking till the summer, no doubt a small saving in the cost might have been effected, but at the same time a considerable delay would have taki-n place. The Borough Council of Auckland contributed towards the work a sum of £80. Tho Boa"d havo also improved the principal streets leading from the main thoroughfare, at an expense of about £443. These works have all been carried out principally durijig the winter season, and consequently could not be so expeditiously completed as the Board could have wished. The Board have also, along with tho Eeniuera District, contracted for tho erection of a bridgeon the Brighton Hoad, and when this is completed a good thoroughfare will be opened to that district. The Board have also had in their employment a number of men keepiug the streets generally in a state of repair. It is now the duty of the ratepayers to strike a rate, a.id elect trustees for the ensuing year. — Jas. Smart, Chairman Parnell Highway Board.—Parnell, July 25, 1871."—Mr. Blott rose amidst some applause, and proposed that the report be not adopted. He considered that was the time to criticise the conduct of the Board of Trustees. He considered that the improvements undertaken by the Board had not been properly carried out, and the way they had dealt with the baok streets waa not satisfactory. (Hear, hear.) What had they done? They had, indeet, made some alterations in the vicinity of the Chairman's house. He considered that the expenditure on the new road at Pnrnoll had been most injudicious and nnncc. ssary. They had expended £440 by contract, but they cduld have got tlic work t done. for £75 leßs in any case He believed tliey had been consulting, not the interest of the ratepayers, but their own ends. He condemned all" hole and corner" meetings, and referred to a number of conversations from which he inferred that the interests of the ratepayers were not protected by the trustees. He would-take the contracts of those very

streets they hud made. The contract would have been taken for £150 for making those very streets for which they had paid £440. Was that doing justice to the ratepayers ? He had told them that the work they proposed would cOBt them £600. He believed it would take £300 or £400 to make them fit to travel upon. He had had a conversation with a medical gentleman who told him they had provided for accidents in the best possibla manner. Had they ru«de the back streets, as they had promised ?' (Crifr s of no, no.) Thej had destroyed the property of the widow and the orphan. (Cries of shame and cheerß.— The Chairman thought it would be more in order if Mr. Blotfc would address himself to ti;e report as presented by Mr. Smart. He was prepared to* hear every ratepayer speuk his opinions.—Mr. Bfott gave a history of the tendeis and the contracts which had been laid before the Board. He thought tho mtmnev in which the Board expended the money disentitled them to be reappointed as a Board of T.nsU-ea. He censured Mr. Smart for refusing to postpone a meeting because he was goinjf to the Thames. He would tell the meeting why he wwit to the Thames. —The Chairman hoped the speaker would keep to the sahjecfc of the report. They were not there to hear why certain gentlemen went to the Thames. cheers, and hisses.)— Mr. Bio! b finally withdrew his resolution, amidst a good deal of noise, intima ting both approbation and dissent.—The Chairman said the next business was to strike a ' rate.—Mr. Pike proposed, and Mr. B. Irela> d seconded, that the rate shoul i be one penny in the pound on the vulue to fell.—Mr. Miller proposed, an:l Mr. O. Smith seconded, fclmt the rate should be one half-penny in the pouud on the value to (.ell.—Mr. Mitford proposed, and Colonel Nation seconded, that the rate be three halfpence iu-the pound upon the value to sell. Mr. lioskiuge suggested th:it before any rate be struck, a valuation should be made of all the rateable property iv iVrnell. That would place all sides in their true position. J.ne Chairman ibought the. suggestion was worthy of attention, but they could not depart, from the perfo. muiice: of the business which brought them together; moreover they should be ear. ful, lest tho bu.-iness of striking a rate niiuhi.bo taken out of their hands, for it they did not do it the Superintendent might do it fur thym. He would also ask whether the meetting would take the vote by show of hands.— Mr. Dyer suggested a great difficulty in taking the vote by show of hands, on account of many ratepayers having a plurality of votes,— The Chairman said he would call for a show of hands in the first instance. If that wer*) not considered satisfactory he would resort t) the other mode of selection I provided. —Mr. LeEoy recommended the meeting not to decide upon a low rate,—Mr. Dyer said that therate could not, be struck by the pluralitiei of votes if ths show of hands were to be taken as decisive.—The motion for a three-halfpenny rate was then put and lost. The proposal for v halfpenny rate was also put and lost. The motion for, a penny rate was then put.and carried, the numbers for it being 119, M against 42 for the three-halfpenny rate.

11 Election ot Trustees.—The meeting next 11 proceeded to elect the Board of Trustees. Upwards of " dozen names were propoMd and seconded. The following were put to the show of hands :~Captain Anderson, U°i JM. Dargaville, 112; Kobl. Hale, 110; ut'lijumin Tonks, 107 ; John Kenls, 96.—Mr. liobt. Halo moved that Mr. Blott and Mr. Bright be scrutineers of the proxies.—-The Chairman said that no proxies had yet been tendered. This announcement was received with cheers and hisses.—Colonel Nation moved, and Mr. Bright seconded, that the election taken by show of hands should stand.—The Ch&irman said they could not override the provisions. The Act prescribed the manner iv which the election of trustees should be taken. Provision was made for plurality of votes, and these votes must be taken.—-Mr. Hesketh said he was afraid that the model n which the rate had been struck was, to say the least, not a safe one. He could see that there were two sides, one opposed to the other. Now, if there were any grounds for opposing the rale upon the score of illegality, it might be difficult to recover it. He was afraid the rate was a bad one.—Mr. Eraser thought that Mr. Hesketh had not examined the clauses with his usual care. He had after careful oopsirW* ation come to an opposite conclusion. Mr. Kissling explained several clauses of the Act.—Mr. Tonks came forward, and wished ;o withdraw from.the candidature. - He would not be put in under the wing of the holders of proxies.—Mr. Keals also withdrew if lie had to depend on tho proxies.—Mr. Strange mounted the platform, but the meeting would not hear him. —The Chairman said the question was as to whether tho proxy-holders would withdraw their proxies. —Mr. Strange, amidst a storm of disapprobation, said he would not withdraw his proxies. Messrs. Hesketh and Dyer were appointed scrutineers.—The scrutiny commenced at a quarter-past nine o'clock, and had not concluded before a quarter to one o'clock in the morning. The labor of the scrutineers was by no means enviable, for they wero nearly smothered by the of proxy-holders and those who sorutinizad the scrutineers. —At length the Chairman had to request the proxy-holders to rutire to the lower end of tho hall. The lights, too, suddenly " went out,' but the event was prophesied before it happened. It was ulso said that an assault was made upon the pile of proxies, However, t.he result of the scrutiny was received with loud cheers, as follow : —DargavilJe 181; Kissling (H.), 174; Keals, 167 ; Tonka, 158; Hoaphy, 154. A vote of thanks was passed to the scrutineers, the old Board, mid the Cbairman, after whioh the meetin« separated.