NETHERTON RATEPAYERS

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4466, 13 September 1922, Page 1

NETHERTON RATEPAYERS

MEETING WITH COUNCILLORS. COUNTY MATTERS DISCUSSED. A well attended meeting of ratepayers was held in the Netherton Ha.ll on Friday evening, when, by invitation, representatives of the Hauraki Plains County Council attended to discuss the Kirikiri bridge proposal and other county matters. Mr J'. A. Reid was elected, to the chair. There were also present Mr J. C. Miller (county chairman), councillors G. Death, A. Chatfield, C. W. Parfitt, C. W. Harris, Mr E. Walton (county clerk), and Mr J. Higgins (county engineer), The Kirikiri bridge scheme was fully discussed, and was reported in our last issue. EXPENDITURE ON ROADS. Mr Potter asked for information concerning what had been spent on the roads. Mr Walton gave details of expenditure which totalled £2500. A pum of £5OOO had been received from the State Advances Office. Mr J. Carter asked for the approximate proportion of rate money spent in the Netherton riding. Mn Walton said for the first year the ajnount of expenditure was £346. The- amount of general rate collected was £1230. In the second year £1558 was received and Ell6O l spent. In addition the metal from the Hikutaia quarry was obtained out pf the general account. So far in the present financial year to August. 31 the amount received was £952 and spent £426. The proportion of general expenditure was based on valuation. Replying to Mr Laughline Mr Wanton said that the rate money not spent must be credited to the riding, and not spent anywhere else. BAD METAL. The chairman said the metal from Hikutaia quarry had cost a great deal and some of the metal was not worth the money. Half of the metal put on the roads was “’muck.” Mr Miller was surprised to hear that the Hikutaia metal was of inferior quality. The chairman said the metal should be screened. THE VANISHED CREDIT. The engineer said he knew some of the metal was not the best, but they had been stuck for metal at the time. He hoped in future that they would have less complaints to make. Mr Heappy asked what credit had been handed over from the O'hfriemuri County, and where had it gone. Mr Walton: The credit balance tb the Netherton riding was £lO2B, and that amount has been spent. Mr Whisker :-Has the expenditure in this riding been greater than the rates received since the Hauraki Plains took over ? Mr Walton: Yes. Mr Whisker: By how much ? Mr Walton: In the two years the expenditure debited to this riding was greater than rates received by £2OOO. Mr Whisker: And the roads have gone back by some £5OOO. BY-LAWS. Mr Munro asked when the by-laws would be likely to come into force. Mr Walton replied that it would probably take several months to take the necessary steps. Mr Carter: Have we no by-laws till then? Mr Walton : We have power to punish criminal offences. ANTECEDENT LIABILITY. Mr Chester asked what portton of the antecedent liability were they charged with. Mr Walton: There is a uniform rate struck over the whole of the county. It is struck on all, Crown tenants and freeholders. HOUSE FOR A VETERINARIANMr Harms asked if the council was going to build a house at Ngatea for a veterinary surgeon out of county funds. Mr Miller said it w'ould be a selfsupporting affair. Mr Walton said the veterinary club had asked the council to exercise its powers to erect a dwelling, the club to pay rent to the council equal to the interest on the sinking fund. The security would be over the Patetonga and Waitakaruru ridings. The money would come from the State Advances office out of! the housing fund. Mr Harms said they should not countenance such things, as the veterinary surgeon was not a council employee. Mr Walton said the county council was empowered to build residences for workers. ORCHARD ROAD. Mr Carter asked what was the position for the proposed loan for the Orchard East Road. He understood that. £l4OO had been promised by the Government if .the Council provided a similar amount. Mr Walton said that was a matter which would come before the council at its next meeting. He knew of no power t.h'e council had that the whole of the county would pay flor that road. NEXT WINTER’S METAL. Mr Whisker asked if the council had any scheme for procuring metal for next winter The engineer said he had come to the conclusion that the Hikutaia quarry was a good asset, and with the opening of the Hikutaia stream they could land metal a,t very little cost. The cheapest means of transit was water. Mr Vowles : If our roads are in the same state next winter I think you’ll have the county minus the Netherton riding. We’ll join the Ohinemuri again. VOTES OF THANKS. The chairman moved a hearty vote of thanks to the council representa-

tives. They had clearly answered all the questions put to them. “We will be satisfied,” he said, "providing the county mends our roads.” Mr Laughlin, seconding, said it was not all sunshine with councillors. The vote of thanks was carried by acclamation. 4 vote of thanks was also passed, to the chair.