TURUA TOWN BOARD.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4449, 4 August 1922, Page 1

TURUA TOWN BOARD.

THE MONTHLY MEETING. Ths monthly meeting of the Turua Town Board was held on Wednesday evening, the following being present: Messrs J. A. Bennett (chairman), J. T. Davies, C. Scott, C. A. Ansford, J. Mules, F. Olsen, and J. E. Green (clerk). The Bank of N.-Z., Thames, approved of an overdraft limit of £l5O. The intention to strike a rate of l%d on the capital value of £34,740 was confirmed. THE DOMAIN. The Lands Department advised that it was unable to identify any area as having been set apart for domain purposes within the Turua Town Board area. A Member: Then we have a domain board and no domain. The clerk read a previous letter, stating that t,he land was vested in the Crown. He suggested sending copies of all correspondence to Mr R. W. Bagnall, and informing the Commissioner of the number of the sections and drawing attention to his previous letter. This course was adopted. ADJUSTMENTS WITH COUNTY. A letter from the Hauraki Plains County Council denied that the agreement was at fault, apd asked in what particular it erred. It was decided to reply that the Board considered the agreement was at fault in that the Board understood it was to enter into an agreement for one year only and future agreements were to be with the future boards. Mr. Ansford said the least the Beard could have done would have been to endeavour to amend the agreement. The chairman said he would rather resign his position than sign the agreement as it stood. Mr Davies said the Board was in a far better position by not signing the agreement. They were now having something done to the roads. ROADS AND FOOTPATHS. The chairman reported that work of improving the footpaths had commenced. Mr Ansford said the first work which should be done if money was available was on the main road. Mr Mules said the road from the post office to the factory was in a disgraceful condition. Mr Olsen said the Board should be ashamed of; the footpaths, which were worse than the roads. In some places pedestrians took to/the roads in preference to the path's. Mr Ansford said the road to the factory should be the first consideration. If the farmers could not get to the factory Turua may as well shut down. He was ashamed .to be on the town board and see the condition of that road.

The chairman said the Board had so far nothing to do with that road. The, County Council had neglected it. The clerk said the sum of £lso' w.as available to pay existing accounts. The Board had commitments for £4B 18s lOd. The Chairm,an: We’ve done more than the County Council has ever done. We have put a bridge over the drain for the school children. Mr Mules suggested that the Board organise a night working bee. He volunteered to make ope worker. Mr Ansford proposed that the Board put metal not exceeding 50 cubic yards on the roads in the Board’c area and that the clerk make inquiries as to the best place to obtain the metal. Mr Scott seconded, aijd the motion was carried. Mr Ansford considered that the metal could be put on the roads with free labour. Several Board members offered labour and drays. ' REVALUATION SUGGESTED. It was suggested that a revaluation should be asked for the innep block or township area, excluding all farming properties. New buildings were being erected, and the present valuations would be unfair. Mr Ansford upheld the suggestion. The clerk said that 50 per cent, of the,buildings in the area were not qn the valuation roll. Mr Scott said that the Board would be losing a lot of money if they did not have a revaluation. The cler,k said most of the present valuations were very low, and that with a revaluation the revenue from that source could be doubled. On the motion of Messrs Ansford and Mules it was decided to ascertain if a revaluation of the inner area could be obtained.