MOUTOA DRAINAGE BOARD.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 2545, 20 February 1923, Page 2

MOUTOA DRAINAGE BOARD.

A meeting of the above was held . on Saturday. Present: Messrs F. * S. Easton (chairman), W. E. Barber, J. Chrystall, K. Easton, A. King, and the clerk (Mr Alf. FrasThe minutaes of the August meeting were read and confirmed. Correspondence was read from Mr Clutha McKenzie, B. G. Gower, Minister of Internal Affairs, H. Byers and John Madden, also copies of outward correspondence to the Minister of Internal Affairs, secretary to the Treasurer, Valuation Department, J. Madden, B. G. Gower, Public Trustee, Manawatu Herald, South British Insurance Co., and H. Byers. The Treasurer’s report was read and adopted. Drain Clearing: —The specifications and conditions for annual drain cleaning as prepared by the clerk was read and adopted. Deputation. —Mr 11. Byers waited on the Board in regard to stumps in his drain and the difficulty of getting water to the Board’s drain. The chairman stated the stumps would be attended to after the drain l.ad been cleaned, but the question of lifting the water was to be met bv joint action of Messrs Byers and Spring. Treasurer’s Report.—Bank Balances: General a/c cr. £2B 12s 3d; Special a/e, cr., £72 Is lid. Rates. —The whole of the rates — General £7GG 10s Bd, and Special, ' £lB9 15s 4d, have been collected, a total of £9SG 6s. Antecedent Liability:—The Antecedent Liability of £268 16s 3d, together with the interest on same, £8 18s Gd, a total of £277 JL4s 9d, was paid on 15th September last. Assets and Liabilities; —Assets: General a/c, balance £2B 12s 3d; Special a/c, balance, £72 Is lid; total £IOO 14s 2d; deficiency, £2B 19s 9d, total £129 13s lid. Liabilities: Interest on loan over-. due, £lO7 16s lid; Flood Gates and Contingencies, £lO, Clerk’s salary to March 31, £6 13s 8d; Office age, etc.to 31st March £L; total rent to 31st March, £4 3s 4d; Post£l29 13s lid. The above deficiency has occurred by the actual expenses being greater than the estimates made at the beginning of the year, for instance :

Drain cleaning, estimate, £3lO, cost to date £370; Antecedent Liability, estimate £267 as against £278; office expenditure, £53 as . against £6O. The difference in these three items above is £7B, or more than double what we require to make both ends meet at 31st March next and as the bank cannot give us an overdraft, I would suggest as a way out of the difficulty that some, of the ratepayers be asked to payment as against next year ralf°. The position now is that we must pay our way every year and show a clean sheet on 31st March with all accounts paid. Accounts. —Accounts amounting to £75 18s 8d were passed for payment. The chairman moved that the report be adopted. Several matters were discussed in reference to the erection of stop banks, which at times brought up a heated argument.