RABBIT BOARD RATES

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 70, 9 April 1937, Page 13

RABBIT BOARD RATES

96 Per Cent. oi Total Collectable Paid ANNUAL MEETING HELD The annual meeting of the Hawke's Bay Babbit Board was held on Wednesday. Mr T. E. Crosse (chairman) presided over Messrs E. Averill, J. B. Oampbell, L. M. Monekton and H. E. Allen. The chief inspector, Mr D. Bcott, and the secretary, Mr B. Kelly, were also present. Leave of absenee w granted Mr Greenwood. The rate statemeni for the year ended March 31, 1937, showed that £238'? 2/10 had been colleeted for the year, beiag 96 p^r cent. of tho rates collectable. In adrhfion £51 17/7 of arrears had been colleeted. Eates outstanding at March 31 amounted to.only £77 19/9, together with £14 18/7 awears, Accouiits were passed for paymen t amountittg to £546 15/-. It was decided to donate dve guineas to the King Georgo 'V. National Memorial Fund for Children 'a Health Camps. Infotmation was received to the effeot that the N.Z. Local Bodies Labonrera ' Hnion had for the present abandoned its application that rabbitboards be included within the scope of the avvard at present applying to county councils and rivers boards. The Secretary reported that an important decisiCn had been received from the Aoditor-General to the effect that lt was not legal to expend the board 's funds received from rates and subsidy on the destruetion of rabbits, but only in conneetion with administration and inspection. This was in line with the adviee the board had always Teceived jfrom its solicitors, but certain doubts I had been raised in view of the reported ( practico of rabbit boards in other parts

f the eountry, The deeision will make 1 t impossible to comply with the re[ucst from the WebeT district that the ioard should take over the destruetion »f rabbits from the loeal Babbit Trust. The chairman and secretary were apjomted as delegates to attend the North tsland Babbit Boards' Conferenee at Feilding on April l£. The balance-sheet for the year ended Mareh 31 showed a surplus of assete iver liabilities amounting to £3276 6/9, , as against £2215 8/10 for the previous year. After considerati,on of the estimates for the year 1937-88 it was decided that the rate to be struek in June would be the same as for the previous year. The eeeretaiy stated that reports regarding noxious weeds submitted by the board 's inspectors to the County Councils ddring the period September-Mareh were 633 in all, these reports covering Hawke's Bay, "Waipawa and Patangata counties. The inspectors ' reports were read and considered satisfactory, special satisfaetion being expressed that the two inspectors who had recently exchanged districts reported favourably on their new territories. 1 ^ i'I 1 a 11 nrm