Latest TELEGRAMS

Patea Mail, 26 July 1882, Page 3

Latest TELEGRAMS

This Afternoon. Gold FindsGreymouth.—A telegram from Reefton this evening slates that good stone has been struck in the Keep-it-Dark. Shares advanced 5s within an hour. Good stone was also struck in the Imperial, Selling the Exhibition. Christchurch,—The remainder of the Exhibition was sold for £5lB, making £2629, or £I,OOO less than was offered in a lump sum the previous day. Serious Building Accident. Dunedin.—A serious accident took place yesterday afternoon at the buildings in course of erection in King street. The parapet fell, and the mass of bricks buried a youth named Gow and a man named Wells. Both have their skulls fractured, and are at the hospital in a very low state. It is stated the buildings were being run up in a bad style, but probably an inquiry will be held. Poll on Water Supply, Christchurch.—The poll on the water supply created an enormous amount of interest. As was expected, it was against the scheme, the numbers being 1386 to 900 ; but the votes for the proposal show a great increase on former pollings. Supposed Infanticide, Auckland.—Sarah Johnson, servant at the Masonic Hotel, Cambridge, was delivered last night of a child. Several persons in the house heard the child cry. The body of an infant has been found behind the pigsty. The girl was arrested on a charge of infanticide.

The Board is, by section 22, empowered to regulate, by special order, the method and order of retiring during the intervening three j’ears, though no such order is allowed to be made to take effect during the tenure of office of the members forming it. If no such order is made, then section 33 provides that halt the members shall retire every year, thus allowing for an annual infusion of now blood if the ratepayers desire it. As Road Boards are most valued, and will probably last longest in the poorer districts, it is very desirous to diminish their working expenses as far as possible. The following provisions are framed with that object : By sections 55 and 57, the Chairman, who is to be elected by the Board, may be paid and bold other offices under the Board. By sections 47 and 48, the Board may, by special order, declare that the nominations and elections of members shall take place at one meeting by open voting, thus saving all expense, save that of one advertisement. Sections 99 to 109 deal with the accounts. It will be observed that the financial j 7 ear is made to be co-terminous with the financial year of the colony (from the Ist of April to the 31st of March), which will have many advantages. Section 102 gives the Board the month of April for the preparation of its annual accounts. Section 106 allows the auditors the month of May to audit them. The annual meeting at which the accounts and auditor’s reports are considered takes place on the second Monday in June (section 107), and, as before mentioned the elections take place on the last Monday in June. Section 108 contains a very stringent penal provision to prevent misappropriation of funds, which is also strengthened by the portion of section 13, which requires the names' of all members voting, whether at meetings of Boards or Committees, on questions of expenditure, to be set out in the minutes. Sections 112 and 113 give a power of borrowing by way of overdraft to th extent of one year’s ordinary revenue, Thisßilldoes not deal with the abolition of Road Boards where desired by the ratepayers, that being left to sections 37 to 39 of the Counties Act, 1876. Sections 114 to 124 deal with the subject of rates. There are three classes of rates ; —■ (1.) General rates, which, are leviable all over the district, and form part of the ordinary revenue of the Board. They are limited to three farthings in the pound on the capital value, which is almost equivalent to one shilling in the pound on the annual value. (2.) Separate rates, which are only leviable where the district is subdivided. They are only another form of general rates, the only . difference being that they are separately raised from each subdivision according to its wants, and spent in the subdivision from which they are raised, save onetwentieth which is retained by the Board to cover general working expenses. The beforementioned limit applies to these, together with the general rates ; that is to say, the general rate with the separate rate in any subdivision may not together exceed three farthings in the pound. (3.) Special rates, which are rates raised generally on the whole district, or in particular portions of the district for particular works, subject to the consent of two-thirds of the ratepayers affected thereby. Sections 122, 123, and 124 make special provision for enabling Road Boards to delegate to counties all or any of their rating powers, and to employ the same collector, &c. Speaking 'generally, the powers of the Board aro such as are necessary for the construction or maintenance of all those means of communication in their district, such as roads, bridges, ferries, &c., the responsibility for which is not otherwise thrown upon other bodies. It is proposed to leave the larger and serai-legislative powers which may from time to time be found desirable to be intrusted to local bodies to the counties, subject however to this important provision, that, by subsection 4 of section 125, it is proposed to give to the Road-Boards in all the counties where the Counties Act is not in operation) or is suspended, all the powers within their respective districts of making bylaws which counties have. Sections 139, 140, and 141 give very wide powers for Eoad Boards to unite with each other, or with County Councils River Boards, Boroughs, or Town Boards, for executing works which extend to or benefit their several districts ; or to delegate to each other, on such financial basis as may be arranged, either the execution or supervision of works, and generally to make such provision for their mutual aid and assistance as may be thought desirable. These sections will, no doubt, be found very useful. The numerous other sections of the Bill call for no particular being such as would he necessary in almost any Bill of this kind.