NETHERTON RATEPAYERS

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4570, 30 May 1923, Page 1

NETHERTON RATEPAYERS

MEETING OF ASSOCIATION. A large number of farmers took full advantage of the ideal weather conditions which prevailed on Saturday evening last to attend the Netherton Ratepayers’ A ssoc i meeting, and it must have, indeed, been very gratifying to the officers of the association to know that they are so well •supported. Mr T. Vowles occupied the chair, and in his opening remarks he thanked the ratepayers for their support, in defeating the Thames Harbour Board scheme, particularly thanking Messrs J. A. Reid and H. Hare, both of whom had kindly placed their motor cars at the disposal of the association.

A great deal of discussion took place on the increased rate sitruck by the Hauraki Plains County Council. Mr G. Death considered that the time was most inopportune for increasing rates, as t.he farmers were already overburdened with taxes. Effort should be made to have the loan money expended on the roads.

Cr. Hare, in reply, stated that the rate of in the £ struck recently would yield approximately £l5lO to the Netherton riding. Of this amount £249 would be required for administration charges, £125 would be absorbed in public works* while miscellaneous charges would account for another £lBO. There would, therefore, be a balance of only £9OO for riding expenditure, provided that all general rates were paid. The engineer’s estimate, he understood, was in the vicinity of £lOOO. He considered that it would be better to have a credit balance at the end of the year than to die in the hole for the want of :< few pounds. He further explained that the antecedent liability rate, which last year was % of a penny, would now be reduced to about half that amount.

Mr Death thanked the ratepayers for their support at the Hospital Board election.

After the meeting a smoke concert was held, and a very pleasant evening was spent midst song and story.