PLAINS COUNTY COUNCIL

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5209, 28 November 1927, Page 3

PLAINS COUNTY COUNCIL

SPECIAL MEETING. The Hauraki Plains County Council held a special meeting at Ngatea on Thursday last, Cr. C. W. Harris, in the absence of the chairman, presiding over Crs. J. C. Miller, W. Madgwick, C. W. Parfitt, H. H. Hicks, J. A, Raid, A. L. Fisher, the clerk (Mr E. A. Mahoney), and the engineer (Mr F. Basham). TAGS ON BALANCE-SHEET. The balance-sheet for the year 192627 was received from the AuditorGeneral and certified to be correct subject to the following exceptions: That in the opinion of the Audit Office the amount of outstanding rates was excessive ; and that the TuruaNetherton supplementary loan of moo 1 has, contrary to law, been credited to allocation “a” of that loan instead of being apportioned to the allocations in respect .of which it! was raised.

The council authorised: the following reply : “Steps arc; being taken to collect alt recoverable arrears. A large portion of arrears of rates are the liability of Crown tenants, while a further portion showing ,as arrears are rates levied on Crown tenants who have since abandoned their properties. In neither case has the council redress against the Crown as it has against the ordinary mortgagee. Pressure on tenants at present occupying' Crown properties would only result in their leaving the holdings, with the consequent complete or partial loss to the council of outstanding rates. The council hopes, in view of the improved position of the ratepayers generally, to collect the greater part of. these arrears by continuing its past policy and allowing time for the payment.” With reference to the second exception an explanation was given that instead of crediting sundry accounts and then transferring the amounts to the allocation to which they would ultimately find their way, the matter was done; in one operation. The balance-sheet will be printed and circulated. TALL FESCUE. Cr. Hicks pointed out the rapid spread of tall fescue, particularly about! Turua, and he moved that the engineer be instructed to have the roadsides mown as soon as possible. The matter was urgent. , Cr. J. C. Miller said that it would not be long before a person would not be able to find Turua township at all for tthe tall fescue. He; was absolutely disgusted with the apathy of those settlers who permitted tall fescue to grow and shed its seeds along their road frontages year after yepr without taking the slightest notice. Or. Hicks said that it was for the council to do the work, otherwise it would not be done and t[he pest would quickly overrun the county. Some few isolated settlers were; giving the matter attention. The motion was carried, and telephone messages were sent tb start pn the work.

FINANCIAL POSITION. As instructed at the previous ’meeting, the clerk and the engineer submitted a statement of estimate! receipts arid payments for the period from November 1, 1927, to 1928, as follows : — Receipts.—Refund Netherton Roads Loati, £453 9s 4d; licenses and fees, £73 subsidy main highway, £2OOO ; subsidy on Coxhead’s filling and Mangatardta bridge, £375; court costs, £10; ferry fees, £4OO ; rents, £135 i and plant charges £100; making a total of £3546 9s 4d. The, debit balance at Novembe" 1 was £7658 10s, and the; estimated payments were: Public Works, £2683 17s 3d ; contractors’ deposits, £1845 ; hospital levy, £1592 13s 2d; interest and sinking funds, £5585 2s 4d; arid miscellaneous £ll2O 10s, making a total of £20,485 12s. The items of Public works were: Ngatea bridge £7O, cars’ running expenses £4O, ferries, Komata North £l5O, Pipiroa £230 ; thirds, Coxhpad’s filling £33 12s 6d, Mangatarata bridges £279 4s 9d; Moehau Road £326, Pipiroa ferry £BO, grading clay roads £375, grading main highways £250, patching main 'highways £2so', patching and sanding Orchard Bast Road £250, machinery maintenance £lOO, contingencies £250. The iteriis under the head of mis-

cellaneous: Audit fee £74 ss, valuation fee £26 ss, collection of Native fees £95, legal fees £5O, court costs £lOO, office expenses £5O, printing, advertising, and stationery £110; salaries £6OO, telephones £25, travelling expenses £9O. The rate collection required by March 31, 1928, was £16,939 3s sd. No estimate of collections of rates has been included, as this will depend altogether on what stleps the council authorises towards collection of arrears. The amount of arrears outstanding is £11,226 10s 6d, and the current year’s rates outstanding total £22,460 6s 3d, or a grand total of £33,686 16s 9d. The future financial position of the council depends entirely on the recovery of all recoverable arrears of rates, and would be quite sound were these paid. It is unfor-

tunate that many of the defaulting ratepayers are Crown tenants, and * the local authority has no claim against the Crown as mortgagee. Of the outstanding rates £2OOO have been collected or are In sight per postdated cheques. In tihei event of the council instructing the clerk to prosecute for arrears, it whs recommended that the clerk gjje notice of the liability t!o mortgagees before the addition of any costs to the, debt. The statement assumes the payment in full of subsidies on Mangatarata bridges, Moehau Road, and main highways and the grant! on Coxhead’s filling before March. 31. & It was decided that the be given full powers to collect all ’ outstanding rates, and that he le instructed to notify all mortgagees on whose lands rates were