WAITOMO COUNTY COUNCIL

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 688, 22 July 1914, Page 7

WAITOMO COUNTY COUNCIL

Continued from page 6. have been,struck in twelve different Special Rating Arras, and in each case there are amounts of native rates unpaid. In order to provide interest and sinking fund on any loan for one year a rate is struck over that particular area just sufficient to provide that one year's interest plus 10 per cent. But, say, £lO, a portion of the rate, is not collected in the case of natives, we must have that deficiency made up the next year. We would require to strike a rate next year over the same area to produce £lO more, and so on, every year until rates become recoverable from the native lands. The General Rate, if not paid for three or four years, does not cause any serious difficulty, but the interest jpn loans has to he met every year, and consequently the ra'es luust be collected from that particular 'oan area to meet it. The amounts so * far in respect of each area are not very big, but they will accumulate each year. The amounts are: Mataparu loan 11a sc!, Tawanui loan £9 0s 2d, Aria loan £2 6s Bd, Caves road loan £3 3s Id, Mairoa loan £66 2s 3d, Hpnikiwi loan £25 4s lid, Otorohanga-Pirongia £7 5s 6d,Hanga-tiki-Waitorno-Ruakura Caves £lO 17s 6J, Mangaorino loan £2 7s Bd, totalling £126 19s 2d. ' From the total amount of General Rates received, viz., £3809 0s lid, Government subsidy £SOO, licenses (including dog legislation £135 12s 6d) £232 2s 6d, and sundry other reciepts, making a total of £4309 6s 6d. Expenditure: Engineering and .surveys £593 IPs Bd, existing roads and bridgeß £1569 lis, including maintenance and improvements. Advanced in anticipation of loans, £l7B 3s 2d; advanced to meet interest on loans, £179 4s 3d. Miscellaneous: Various expenses were incurred under this heading (£223 4s 2d debit balance March 31sr, v 1913), revising valuation rolls, £4l 18s; subsidy health officer, £5; audit fees, £ls 6s 8d; subscriptions to Counties' Association, etc., £5 9s; travelling expenses, £27£ 18s - 2d; Accident, Fire and Fidelity Insurance, £l-97 18s sd; additions to buildings, £ll7 6a lid; telephone guarantee, £3 16a 4d; Waikato Hoßpital Board, £443 4s 2d; legal expenses including Supreme Court action Powell and Co., £lO7 6s sd; material, stone crusher, engine, and tools, £267 17s 9d; dog registration, collars, commission, etc., £94 13s lOd; refunds dog registration,' rates and surveys, £l7B 113 lOd; Borough rates, £5 8a lid; rent section, £6 Is; BUndry itsijie, £lB lis Id. , ' Administration: Including clerks salary, assistant, printing and advertising, stationary 1 and stamps, telegrams, telephone fees, interesi on overdraft and" bar* charges, £752 16s sd. This amounts to a shade over 2|d per cent, on oue -1 tal revenue of £28,327 7s 2d, and on our total turn for the year, viz., £64,685 12s 6d, .equal to about 1| per cent. This should be considered very satisfactory seeing the . many difficulties that are met .rn a new county such as ours, including demands for loans, special rolls, special rating areas, etc. Then the effort to collect, native rates entails a considerable amount of extra work, the arrears having to be brought forward from time to time.' In addition to General Rates we have Special Rates from 12 different Special Rating Areas. These.make a considerable amount of extra work, especially seeing that thirds accruing in the various Special Rating Areas have to be credited to e3ch section from time to time. At the rate at which Loans are being raised in the County, in a year or so, it will take a man most of his time keeping the rolls posted during the year. There were something like 300£ rate notices issued, General and Special. Engineering, ccmprising engineer's salarv, assistant, foreman and surveys," amount to £593 I9s Bd. This on the actual amount spent on roads and bridges, viz., £31,925,8s 4d, amounts to less than 2 per cent. During the year ending March- 31st, last, the total length of roads metalled was 28 miles, including the necessary reforming and culverting. A distance, of eight miles of new dray road formation and widening has been completed. Two bridges, one 340 feet in length over the Waipa river at Kawa, and another 53 feet in length over the Mangapu stream, near Hangatik'i,have elso been built. Therefore, when the many works in connection with maintenance and repairs to the varioua roads in the County are taken into consideration,the past 12 months show that your Council have carried out, with its limited staff, a considerable amount of worts. While appreciating the low cost of engineering, etc., this may not be altogether in the best interest of the County. It might be wise in the case of the big metalling schemes to have more su pervision, the cost of which could be a charge against the Loans. If, say, an extra 10 per cent, was raißed on 'each loan to meet the cnst of engineering and supervision. In the cases of Otorohanga, Pio Pio, and Maiioa, where there are various roads being metalled, a man could be employed ,in each place to supervise each contract and report to the engineer. It must be admitted that we have a large, unwieldy County, extending from Kawa to very near Ongarue, and many miles East and West of the railway line. 14 is impossible for the engineer to give personal attention to each requirement. The appointing of responsible men in different parts of the County to attend to these requirements, and to accept a certain responsibility would be of considerable assistance to the engineer, and, further, would ensure getting matters attended to at once. However, the3e are suggestions that could be di3cussed from time to time by the Council. Roads —Probably the most serious problem we have in the King Country is the question of road access, more especially in the case of native lands.

The difficulty seems to have arisen on account of the natives being allowed to deal with their land without making any provisions for reading. The now occupiers of these various native blocks are making repeated application to the Council to give them road access. In eases where the application only benefits one section the Council are loth to move in the matter, if so, the County would very soon be dotted over with blind roads which prcbabiy in a year or so would be of no use. In view of development, sections would probably be served by Borne sysytematic scheme of roading in each locality. There are caseß where individual road access is necessary. In these cases as well as many other roada that the Council think are necessary for the development of the district have been recommended, and authorities have been asked of the Chief Surveyor to gat these roads surveyed. For some reason unknown to the Council the Department are very dilatory in these matters. All responsibility rests with the settlers in these caFes. They agree to pay the cost of the survey and other charges, under the. Native Lard Act, 1909, 5 per cent, of any native block can be taken for roads free of compensation. What is asked does not appear to place any responsibility with the Department. Recently they have referred the Council to the Native Land Court, where we have several applications at present. Many suggestions have been offered to solve the position. This Council has suggested that the Government should appoint a commission consisting of ajiy engineer or surveyor, along with the County engineer, and give them power to devise some scheme of roading in each particular locality. This scheme could be submitted to „the Public Works Department and if approved the Council could adopt it. Even ii the Council had to pay the cost of such a scheme, the cost could be refunded from a loan, or loans raised to cnrry out these roading schemes in different localities. This seems a workable 5 suggestion, and one that Wjulj tend lo solve the problem. The position every year is becoming mere critical, and should be dealt with at once. In the case of native lands where there is.aiy system of roading, we realise that the Government are doing their utmost in providing £ for £, and have offered to do so in every csae where the settlers agree to assist themselves. Undoubtedly the progress of certain localities will be hindered for a long time in consequence of the lack of a proper system of roading, inasmuch as the settlers are not in' a position to help themselves, and are thus doubly penalised. In conclusion, it is further desired that the thanka of the County be accorded to Messrs C. K. Wilson and J. A. Young, M's.P., for their assistance and attention to County matters, and more especially to Mr Wilson. Undoubtedly he has used his best efforts in the interest of the ratepayers. Lnst year the. County raised seven loans to metal various roads, and in every case excenting one £ for £ Bubsidy has been provided, mainly as a result of Mr Wilson's efforts. As mentioned earlier in the report very little new money has been spent during the year in consequence of the authorities not being issued. Mr Wilson could not help this, as he is not responsible for the issuing of authorities. „„ r ,~ rr , n A. SCHOLES, County Chairman.