PATETONGA RATEPAYERS

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4403, 19 April 1922, Page 4

PATETONGA RATEPAYERS

INTEREST IN COUNTY FINANCE. CLERK ADDRESSES MEETING.There was only a small attendance of settlers at a meeting of'the Patetonga Settlers’ and Ratepayers’ Association, held' on Tuesday evening, April 11, when Mr E. Walton (Hauraki Plains County Clerk) and Crc. T. McLoughlin and J. F, Mayn attended at the request of the association. Mr D. J. Rogers occupied the chair. The chairman explained that the County balance-sheet had been discussed at the previous meeting of the association and it had been decided to ask Mr Walton and the riding members to address a meeting. Those gentlemen were present, and were prepared to answer questions from the meeting.

Mr Q’Dwyer asked that Mr Walton should give particulars regarding riding accounts and general rates. Mr Walton explained the compilation of the balan'ce-sheet. In the Patetonga riding the adjustment account when the Plains Council had taken over from Ohinemuri County had certain liabilities to the extent o". £362 9s. The amount spent in the riding amounted to £203 2s. There had been a transfer to the general account of £246 14s 7d. Assets, and rates collected had also been taken over, and. a share of the subsidy, totalling £238.10s Bd. .Arrears collected were £BO 16s sd. The debit balance to the riding was £482 18s 3d. The Patetonga riding’s share in the general expenditure was £586:. Peplying to Mr O’Dwyer,-Mr Walton said that when an article had been bought prior to a loan proposal being'authorised by 'the ratepayers the loan money could not be used for that purpose.

Mr O’Dwyer said £lOO had peen paid for tractor hire. Mr Walton said it had been anticipated that the first loan would have been carried. The tractor had. been paid on the hire purchase system. While legally it was hire, it was really purchase money. The £lOO Would be 1 debited to general account, of which the Patetonga, riding would pay a share. Mr O’Dwyer said'the tractor had been obtained for one or two ridings, and he contended it should lie paid for by those ridings. Mr Walton said it was not bought for one or two ridings, but while used in the Netherton riding it had also been used in other ridings.. Mr Rogers : Does each riding purchase its own plant ? Mr Walton : No. All the machinery is bought’ from the general account. The quarries were a charge on the whole of. the county, and the metal obtained from,the quarries is charged to the riding accounts. Mr O’Dwyer asked if ,all parts of the county contributed to the ferries and bridges. ; Mr Walton replied that all were raced according to their valuation. Mr O'Dwyer said that some of the ratepayers had been induced to vote for the loan on the understanding that no' rates would- be levied un’iil some of the money was spent on the roads. Mr Walton said that the statement was that no rate would be levied the first year and only a fraction of a penny the following year. . Mr Potoky said he had sections to some of; which he had no roads. He asked if he was liable for rates for those sections. Mr Walton said he was liable for rates if the land was in the county. Mr Potoky: Then I’m paying’ for benefits I don’t get. Mr Walton said some other settlers were in almost the same position. Mr Potoky said the Government had pledged to give a road in that area. Mr Walton -said it should have been proclaimed a Government road. He had recently ascertained that a number of Government roads on th’e Plains were in. fact county roads. There were some county roads on which the Government was doing wo’’k. Because it was a county road it was not to say that the Government would do no work on it. Mr O’Dwyer said his property was loaded with rates for roading. Mr Walton said that if. the riding members and his association would back Mr O’Dwyer .the County Council would probably support him in a plea to the Government. Tiie secertary was asked to write to the Minister of Public Works pointing out the position.

Replying to Mr Bennett, Mr Walton said that all the roads on the Haqraki Plains were what are known as county roads, Government roads, or district roads. A Government road would require a Government proclamation. A county road did not require a declaration.