TURUA TOWN BOARD.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVI, Issue 4840, 12 June 1925, Page 1

TURUA TOWN BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Turua Town Board was held on Wednesday evening, Mr J. Mulqs presiding over Messrs C. Scott, S. G. Williams, F. Olsen, J. McConnell, J, H. Johnston, J. T. Davies, and the clerk, Mr J. E. Green. NEW MEMBER. Prior to opening the business of the meeting the chairman welcomed the new member, Mr J. H. Johnston, who had been appointed in place of Mr U. J. Bedford. He said that Mr Johnston was well known to all members, and would get on. well with them and be an acquisition to the board. Mr Johnston thanked the chairman for his kind remarks and said that it would give him pleasure to do his bit for the welfare of the township. The present board had done a great deal of good under the circumstances. He was out to see Turua get a town hall and to sec the street lighting necessary. STREET LIGHTING. Arising out of the reading of the outward correspondence in regard to •street lighting the. chairman reported that there was some opposition to the removal of certain street lights. The matter of striking a rate was discussed, and several members spoke in opposition. The clerk pointed out that if a rate was struck the board would be in a safe position. Otherwise, should the account become overdrawn the bal-nace-sheet would be tagged and members would be personally liable. A rate need not be collected. The amount of donations could be credited to the account, and only the deficiency collected by way of rate. A rate of 3-16 d in the £ on the capital value would produce a total of about £4O, while the s.ame sum could be obtained by a 3d rate on the annual value, which was six per cent, on the capital value. The rate would work out at 15s per £lOOO of capital value. Members realised that it would be cheaper for them pcnsonally to have the rate struck, but it . would act unfairly and would tend to stop the flow of donations. On Mr Williams’ motion it was decided to hold the question over until after the picture benefit for the fund, and call a public, meeting of ratepayers prior to the' next meeting. TOWN HALL LOAN. Messrs Bryan and Walker wrote advising that the Public Trustee could not entertain the board’s application for a loan of £3500 for a town hall. The Bank of New Zealand, Thames, wrote advising that its head office Was making inquiries .as to whether it could place the loan, but was not sanquine as to the result. The bank urged that an effort be made to place the bonds locally or to make application to other Government lending departments. The clerk reported, upon other unsuccessful efforts he had made to raise the money. The Bank of New Zealand had again been approached, and it had suggested hypothecated debentures. It was decided that the clerk again approach the bank in regard to floating the loan, and should he not meet with success, the bank be asked f o hypothecate debentures for £3OOO. OUTSTANDING RATES. The clerk reported that the rates were coming in fairly well, but there were some which had been outstanding for a long time. It was decided to send a final notice, and should the amount not be received by the end of the. month; the settlers be sued. TOWNSHIP FOOTPATHS. Mr Williams reported that the county engineer had agreed to supply the board with a puntload of metal chips from Puriri for the township footpaths when a punt was coming to Turua. The cost would be the cost of production and delivery. . It was agreed to organise a working bee to spread the chips on arrival. RATES. Formal notice of intention to .strike a general rate of the same amoiint as in the previous year was moved by the chairman, seconded by Mr Scott, and carried. KERBING AND CHANNELLING. The matter of laying kerbs and channels to the footpath from the post office to the library was discussed, but finally it was left to the works committee to) furnish a report. PIAKO ROAD CONTRACT. The chairman reported that a contract had been signed whereby the N.Z. Roads Company .agreed to lay down Piako Road as a bitumen ro'ad for the sum of £2264 2s 8d after it had completed the far portion of the road within the county. The road was to be maintained by the company until the whole work was completed.