MR A. A. WAGSTAFF AT POHANGINA.

Feilding Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 101, 26 October 1896, Page 2

MR A. A. WAGSTAFF AT POHANGINA.

On Saturday evening last Mr A. A. Wagstaff, the present representative on the Pohangina County Council for the Umutoi riding, addressed the ratepayers of the Pohangina riding, which he has decided to contest at the coming election, in the Pohangina Hall. About thirty ratepayers were present and Mr Bayliss was voted to the chair. Mr Wagstaff though that persons desirous of election in a new county like this should address the ratepayers. He was contesting this riding because bia interests were so far away from the Urnntoi, beittg resident near the Pohangina township, that he was in a position to offer his services to the ratepayers and that the present representative of the riding (Mr Selby) had lost the confidence of the ratepayers. The up-river road should be formed so as to lead business into the township by keeping traffic on this side of the river. Nearly all the settlers were living on their sections and they should have a fan? share of expenditure on the roads. He defended the re-organisation of the Council staff and always contended their officers shonld live in the county. The Association loan of £4668 would be no good until the township loan was expended. He was mainly instrumental in getting the latter loan carried and if it had not been carried when it was they would not have got any money this or perhaps next year. Another loan (of L 2900) had been carried, but too late to participate. He believed some of the loan money would be to hand at the next or the following meeting. With reference to the attempt to compel the Wangainui Harbor Board to pay over the " thirds " to the County he thought, as they were not very sure of the case, they shonld leave the matter over until after the election. He and Cr Dickin had interviewed the Premier on the subject, and were advised to get a Bill introduced into Parliament to compel the Board to pay over the " thirds." If returned he would make an effort in this direction. They asked the Premier for a grant towards the erection of a bridge over the Pohangina river, and were requested to supply information as to acreage and population to the Goverment. Another question brought before the Premier's notice was that of increasing the borrow* ing powers of local bodies. The heavy traffic on the roads was a difficult matter to deal with, and a conference of local bodies was to be held to arrange bye-laws. He would not be in favor of a prohibitive tax on waggons as that would kill the timber trade. Hill owners could not expect to cut up the roads for nothing, and if they would meet the Council in the matter of repairing the damage they might do without the tax. He defended the action of the Council in voting £10 to the chairman, as that gentleman had been put to a great deal of trouble over Council matters. He believed in letting small contracts, in place of large ones, to give settlers an opportunity to tender. He criticised the statement made by a ratepayer at a meeting in the Tamaki riding with reference to the expenses of managing the Council. He read a statement, prepared by the clerk, showing that for the year ended September 30th, 1896, the income was L 8.824, and the cost of management L 251 16s. Mr J. G. Browne did not include the loan money spent in the statement he made out. It stood to reason .£6OOO loan money could not be spent without expense, and if they had had £2000 revenue as stated the cost of administration would have been less. The riding account books were only made up to August 1, when this riding had a debit balance of £281 ; to be deducted from this was L 64 12s lOd for metalling Holly's hill, which would be refunded when the- Joan money was to hand. About L2O had been spent on drains, L4B 3s had to be transferred to loan account and another L 43 6s 8d had to be deducted, leaving an actual debit balance of Ll2B. The only riding in the county with a credit balance was the Umutoi, where he had reduced the rate to Id from l£d, which was very satisfactory. The valuation of the Pohangina riding was L 27,722 and with the 1| rate L 173 5s lid would be collected from general rates ; L 43 6s 5d Government subsidy ; license fees, etc., L 7 17a 6d ; miscellaneous, L 5 10s; making a total of L 230 available for expenditure. If elected he proposed to spend the pro rota share of the loan money as follows, viz., tbeLIOOO loan, L 225 of which is available, in forming and clearing 97 chains of the main road running north to give an outlet to * association and up-river traffic. It was necessary to deepen the main drain. Of the L 4668 loan, there would be LlOls available, which should be spent in forming 110 chains to Beehive creek, L 20 0; 301 chains formation from township to connect Pollock's road and the track to Apiti, L 60 2; then to give an outlet to settlers on the Oroua side by forming the road and metalling the worst parts; Mr J. G. Browne said the 'statement given by him was from figures obtained, from the late clerk and they might have, been reduced on account of the loan money. He contended the balance sheet was not prepared ifl a proper manner, In reply tq questions from Messrs Spicer, Bolton and Browne, Mr Wagstaff said that, excluding the advertising, the 5} per cent quoted by the chairman was correct. The 44 per cent was not cor* rect. Separate accounts ought to be kept for loan accounts and it was done in the balance sheet. It was generally left to the Councillor to spend the loan money to the best advantage. It was better ta form all roads first and then to wmnxftne* metalling, H« was not m favour of $he, ranger. "Believed Mr Sinclair was a. practical man. Did not think it wofljd b* fair to pay expenses according to y.aluat tion of the riding, but the pogfeaejefc salary should be charged to the riding according to the money being span* in tt. Was in favour of employing rateptagra for road work in preference to non-^te> payers. It would be impossible at present to let maintenance by contract. •, A vote of thanks was accorded to Mr Wagstaff on the motion of Mr Spicer seconded by Mr Cohen. i Mr Wagstaff returned thanks tor \m vote and the usual compliment to- Up gtiair terminated the meeting. < i