ROAD DISTRICT MEETINGS.

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1098, 5 January 1878, Page 3

ROAD DISTRICT MEETINGS.

HEATHCOTE. The annual meeting of the ratepayers of the Heathcote district was held yesterday at noon. On the motion of Mr Clephane, Mr S. Manning was requested to occupy the chair. The minutes of the last annual meeting were read and confirmed. The Chairman said that he had much pleasure in submitting the statement of accounts of the Board for the year. Mr GK L. bee said that he woidd move “ That the accounts as now submitted be adopted.” Mr Clephane seconded the motion. Mr Lee asked whether the Board had any hope of recovering the amount of rates outstanding in 1876 I* Mr Manning said that he did not think so. There was very little standing out. As regarded the 1877 rate there was but a very small amount outstanding as compared with 1876. Mr Grarland said that he was very glad to see so good a state of things. He never recollected seeing so satisfactory a state of things in connection with the Board. The Clerk stated that the whole loss on the rates of 1877 would not amount to more than £4O. Mr Lee thought that it would be as well if the ratepayers were informed of the position of affairs between the Board and the Borough of Sydenham. The Chairman said that a statement of assets and liabilities had been made out for the nine months ending in September. This was submitted to the Sydenham Borqugh Council, the Board considering that they were entitled to £2OO. The Sydenham Borough Council, however, declined to settle the matter amicably, and asked that the matter should be referred to the Commissioners of Audit. Mr Lee said what he desired to see was a statement of what amount of rates would be lost by the division of the district. That is, what amount the Heathcote Road Board would receive in rates next year now that a division had taken place.

The Chairman said that the whole rates collected from the undivided district was £2200 ; of this £SOO came from Sydenham, so that they lost a fourth of their rates by the division of the district. As to Mr Lee’s suggestion, he did not think they could furnish anything but a merely approximate estimate, the more so as there was a new valuation. He desired to call the attention of the meeting to the fact that there was an increase of rates this year of £842 2s 5d as compared with last year’, which was very satisfactory. Mr Jones said he desired to point out that the stringent measures taken by the Board to recover the rates was not by the Board, but it was by the direct instructions of a general meeting of ratepayers. The motion of Mr Lee for the adoption of the accounts was then put and agreed to. From the statement of accounts duly audited, it appeared that the total receipts during the year had been £12,650 13s. The expenditure for the same period was £10,559 10s lOd, leaving a balance of £2091 2s 2d to the credit of the Board. The statement of assets and liabilities was as follows : Dr. iS s. d. To amount due to Waimafcarm Board of Conservators for rates collected 1875 and 1876 (less commission for collecting at 10 per cent.) 30 11 6 Amount due to Waimakariri Board of Conservators for rates collected 1877 (less commission) 140 1 0 Amount due to District Drainage Board 56 7 5 Assessment of district 50 0 0 Pay sheets 25 0 0 Press Company 8 5 8 “ Lyttelton Times” 8 0 8 J. T. Smith and Co. ... ... 4 0 0 Morrow, Bassett and Co 1 15 0 Pect —Amount contract for shingle to Avonside ... ... ... 83 15 0 Cooksley and Gallop—Sumner road 20 0 0 Balance ... ... ... ... 3368 11 8 Total ... £3796 7 3 Cr. £ s. d. By balance at Union Bank Australia ... 2091 22 Bates outstanding, 1876 . . ... 302 8 6 „ ~ 1877 116 8 6 House and land 821 0 0 Old gravel pit 50 0 0 New gravel pit ... ... ... 25 0 0 Sundry accounts for earth 5 17 0 Special rate, 1877, R.S. 79 ... 34 10 0 Plant 324 15 0 Amount due from Halswell Road Board 25 C 1 Total £3796 7 3 By balance ... ... ... _ ...£3368 11 8 The Chairman said he desired to call the attention of the ratepayers to the fact that the nomination of two members of the Board, in place of those resigned, took place on j Friday next, the 14tb inst, at noon. As it . was under the Local Elections Act the rate- | payers might not generally remember the fact ; that an alteration had been made in the mode j of election.

A letter was read from H. Matson and Co, asking the chairman to lay before the meeting circulars and forms of subscription to their Corn Exchange and Farmers’ Club. As the matter was one of considerable interest to the farmers, they trusted the chairman would bring it under the notice of the ratepayers.

Mr Q-arland said he desired to move a vote of thanks to the retiring members, who had

worked most energetically for the interests of the district. Mr Lee desired to second the motion. He would take this opportunity of once more bringing under the notice of the Board the necessity which existed for the appointment of an officer to go over the whole district and and report to the Board, instead of making the members do the work as they now did. This he thought was the reason why gentlemen did not come forward for seats on the Board. They could not expect gentlemen to give up the large amount of time which was necessary for them to go over so large a district. There was no other district of such a size in which there was no surveyor, and he thought that the money spent for such an object would be well spent. He trusted that this matter would be considered, because, so far as he saw, it would not only be a good thing for the district, but also for the public interest. Mr Manning said he desired to thank them for their vote. He quite agreed with Mr Lee as to the necessity of appointing a surveyor, because it was a very severe tax on the time of any gentlemen who took seats on the Board. He had found it interfere most considerably with his business, and that was one reason why he was not willing to come forward again. Mr Jones also supported the suggestion of Mr Lee. The Heathcote Road Board was one of the largest in the province, and yet they expected to manage the whole affairs with five men and no surveyor to carry out their works. Ho considered that so largo a district as the Heathcote required more members. Mr Clepliane was opposed to having any more burdens imposed on the ratepayers, which wmuld be found hard to bear. After some further remarks the meeting terminated. AVON. The Chairman read the advertisement calling the meeting, after which he gave a detailed account of the proceedings of the Board as to the works carried out during the past year. The accounts as audited and passed by the Board were then read.

Mr Flesher moved that the accounts be passed. Seconded by Mr Hadfield. Mr Flesher proposed, and Mr Spencer seconded, a vote of thanks to the members of the Board for the efficient manner in which they had discharged their duties. Mr Abbott then took the chair (Mr Wilson, the retiring member, being a candidate for re-election), and Messrs Wilson, Albert Philpott, W. Strachan, J. Hadfield being duly proposed and seconded, the chairman called for a show of hands, which resulted as follows: —Mr J. Wilson, 22; Mr Albert Philpott, 10; Mr J. Hadfield, 8; Mr Wm. Strachan, 5. A poll was demanded on behalf of Messrs Strachan and Hadfield, which will take place to-morrow, between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., at the Road Board office, Bingsland School, and Styx Mill Buildings.