GRAFTON ROAD HIGHWAY BOARD.

Auckland Star, Volume VI, Issue 1686, 14 July 1875, Page 3

GRAFTON ROAD HIGHWAY BOARD.

The ratepayers of the Grafton Road district held their annual meeting last evening for general business purposes, and to strike a rate for the current year.—Mr Thomas Macffarlane was appointed Chairman on the occasion. —Mr S. IS. Hughes read the report for the past year, which detailed the proceedings and financial doing 3of the past session, which showed that the receipts from all sources for the past year have been £363 Is 6d, and the -disbursements £359 Is 6d, leaving a balance m hand of £4, against which there is a liability of £3, that sum being due to the contractor for the works lately executed in Park Eoad. The following sums have been expended during the year :—Grafton Eoad, £60 8s 9d; Park Road, £141 9s 3d; Symonds-street, £3 5s 3d; Domain Road (new), £55; Regent-streefc, £3; Carletonßoad, £9 4s 6d ; Seafield View, £513s 6d ; Seafield %ad, £15 ; Auburn-street, £2 3s 9d ; engmeer, £1115s ; secretary and rent, £20 ; col- ' lector, £13 14s 3d; hire of school-room for meetings, £117s 6d; dog collars, £1 Is; advertising, printing, stationery, etc., £13 8s 9d ; ■ aepoaitrepaid to contractor £2. Total £359 Is : f Tne report went on to state that the whole of the roads in the district had been pnl; into good repair, and a footpath made, which < was urgently needed, at a cost of £140. 1 i ■ Uther roads had been formed and I mh *? et. aUe<l in the immediate localities, < drainage and other improvements per- ! lected. The balance-sheet was as follow : ' j—Balance-sheet.—Dr. : Balance from last J

y< ar. £17 6s 9d ; rates collected, £274 5s 3d; Government grant, £54 17s; Dog Nuisance Act, £10 12s 6d ; sundries, £1 ; contractor, £3 ; rates payable on* the year, £305 5s Id; arrears, £60 14s 5d ; valuaiion (total) upon wilier. 1 d rate of last year wasstruck, £73,261. Cr. : Forming road, £75 ; making and channelling £153 15s 6d; bridges and culverts, £53 3s; other works, £25 Is Gd ; commission for collecting, £13 14s 3d • secretary and rent, £21 17s 6d; printing, &c,', £11 19s Sd ; Dog Nuisance Act, £1 Is ; sundries, £1 9s ; balance, £4.— —Mr Hughes proposed "That the report be adopted/—Mr Btckham considered that the £24 tvlnch bad been expended on the new road 10 the Domain was money wasted.—Mr Hughes replied, that the money was granted especially for new roads and this was the oniy one in the district. —Mr T. L. White, was of opinion that when such small grants cculd not be profitably used, they should be aiiowed to accumulate until they could be vised in works of real usefulness. At a future time he would move :—" That a petition be sent to the General Assembly praying that an alteration be made in the Payment to Provinces Act which would make it legal for the trustees of any Highway Boa-d to reserve any annual grants made under this Act until successive grants shall have amounted to a sum sufficientto expend advantageously upon some new work of real benefit to the district." — Mr. Peacock, in seconding the report, dissented from Mr. Beckham's statement tbat the money spent on the road was throw m away, as the road ultimately would be found serviceable. — Mr. Hughes said the road would yet be the principal entrance to the Domain.—The report was then adopted.— The next business was the striking of a rate, and, after much discussion, it was agreed that a rate of Id be struck. The following gentlemen were then elected trustees for the ensuing -year : Messrs. T. Macffarlane. T. Peacock, 8. iS. Hughes, S. Reid, and T. L. White. Messrs. G. Aicken and T. Batger were elected auditors. Messrs. Welsman and Garland were elected fence-viewers.— Mr T. L. White consented to withdraw his motion, and a vote of thanks to the Chairman concluded the1 meeting.