MAKARA COUNTY COUNCIL

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 54, 27 November 1919, Page 8

MAKARA COUNTY COUNCIL

ANNUAL MEETING.

The annual meeting of the Makara County Council was held yesterday, Jlr. S. Bryant (chnirman) presiding. In his annual statement to the council the chairman said that the unsettled state of industrial matters ■ called for a greater degree of watchfulness on .tho part of the council. Labour w.as decidedly unsettled, and had not. vet made apparent the extent .of their demnnds. The matter of supplies had also been of concern to the council. The council had had a'competent road stall, consisting of men vrho were loyal and who were satisfied with their conditions, and Rave good value for the. wages they received. The time had arrived when the county should be -further subdivided, and tho Porirua riding split. _ A. . portion of this riding, through its isolation, had little in common with.other portions of the district, and ae it pos.eessed a high valuation it could be equally well administered. if severed. Porinta. riding had a valuation of jC850,7G2. rateable properties,. arid the ratepayers' •roll was 487, while the Makara riding had a valuation of rateable properties, and a- ratepayers' roll of 58. The balance-sheet for, the financial year ending March 31, 1919, disclosed a satisfactory position at that time. It was satisfactory to note that the accounts of the council were in credit. The balancesheet compiled for the first half of this financial 1 year disclosed a somewhat different position. The railway cut had had a decided effect on tho roads, and the extra, cost for maintenance was .£MO nnd the roads had been left in such condition that must cause the council some concern. With regard to the finance mmerally. the estimates of the council for the Porirua riding provided for an increased expenditure arising from con. ditions over "which the council had no control. In addition, a rate had. been further increased to provide against a possible lieavy overdraft.. Thie increnso in the rate would return .-65(50. It wne an onen question whether better roads would be obtained if the "Government took over the control of all arterial roads in New Zealand. It was quite apparent that no rantter which body assumed control, tho present nirans of nrovidiiiEf Tevemie would be totally inadequate having rrptrd to tfietrnffic. The motor hiwl come to stnv. and means would hnvft to be provided to permit of it using roads with loss wear nnd tear on the vehWe and less destruction to the rcwds. The ivrnds in the county compared favourably with those of other ioonl bodies.

Tim County Cleric wi« conerabilnie'! tou til? maimpr in which he 1)M con-di"-l:ed tlie nffnirs of tlm council.

The chairm.in wns re-elected to fill tho position a third time.