YEAR REVIEWED

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 80, 11 June 1943, Page 5

YEAR REVIEWED

COUNTY CHAIRMAN'S REMARKS

SUBSTANTIAL CREDIT BALANCE

RATI-; COLLECTION f>B PER CENT

In his address to the Whakatane County Council on the occasion of the annual meeting last week Mr J. L. Burnett, the chailrman, made mention of the fact that the council had) now a credit balance of £21,000, and that last year the rate collection had been a record, no leas than 98 per cent of the total levy. "This is no doubt a A*e-ry large amount to be holding idle/' said Mr Burnett referring to the first item, "but the reason for it is that avc are building up a reserAc so thai Avhen the war is over we. will haA'e something of great potential value to our ratepayers. In normal times of course avc Avould not have had it. It Avould have, all been spent on plant and maintenance. Now, all avc can do is to maintain just what we haA'e. The money will find substantial Government subsidy Avhen rehabilitation undertakings are under consideration/' Dealing with other matters Mr Burnett referred to the E.P.S. (County) Avhich he said, he hoped Avould not be allowed to deteriorate merely because the Avar .prospect had brightened. It Avas a very wise, and precautionary move and a great potential asset to haA 7 e it available at 'a moment's notice.

The work of maintenance had; been carried out exceptionally \'voll by the engineer some 20,000 yards ol' metal being spread on the roads, and two new bridges constructed. He referred to the completion of the county workshop, the Edgecumbc water supply anil. Matata. Also to the growth of noxious weeds on the plains which, he claimed would become a major menace unless effectively dealt with. Already he said blackberry, dewberry and. gorse were appearing along the drains and this feature would have to be rigidly watched unless they wanted a problem like that presented in other counties.