WHANGAMARINO ROAD BOARD.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 133, 17 January 1916, Page 2

WHANGAMARINO ROAD BOARD.

Monthly Meeting. The usual monthly meeeting of tin above-mentioned authority', held on Saturday Inst at Waerenga, was presided over by Mr J G Browne. The ether members present were Mesirs J W Keub, S Bennett, Shanks, U Hall, together with the enigneer and clerk, Mr George Herbert, C E. WILLOWS IN CREEKS With a view of obtaining assistant towards clearing the willows lrom the Marumarua river, ihe chairman of the Waikato Kiyer Board applied to the Board lor a donation of £25. He pointed out that there was a £ for £ grant of £l5O available lor tin work, but that his Board bad r.o funds to enable it to t-.ke up the Eufcsidy.

Mr Bennett: 1 wonder what tiie Waikato Kiver Board would think it wc made an application to them tor a similar amount towards improving cur roads.

lhe cliairman thought there was no possibility of assistance beirg rendered as tar as the Whanga marino Board was concerned, and that the only chance was by way of separate assistance from the Maramarua district. Mr Keith stated tbat the Crown Lands Department he 1 j tho title nf a fair piece of property hi tin Maramarua, but nevertheless the revenue collected by the Kiver Hoard thereon was tubstintial. Mr Shanks: The Board cannot give assistance

Mr Hall: It's cut aide cf the Board's province. We could not do it legally. Tho engineer supplied the infor mition that a Council coull make a donation towards sjch improvement, whereas a Board could not. Mr Keith proposed that the matter be referred to the Marjmarua Hatepayers' Association. —Mr Shanks seconded, and the motion wai carried. HELD UP A request that a track leading from Mr Milin's property to the boundary cf the property at Iki Iki, Waerenga, owned by Mr E N Grimwade, be put in repair before February, to allow tor the cartage of seed thereon, was received from Mr Grimwade, who stated that although the only available access to hi 3 two sections was via the aiore-mentioned track it was impasable. The clerk stated that th: work of improving the track was in hand, and that the Board could with money in its p:sses?ior\ [tut it in a condition suitatla tn carry se?dcarting traffic. However, through the Public Works Department's attitude nlitivs to the future administration ot works to tie undertaken by local bodies, the matter whs held up. The chairman proposed that strong representation should be made to the Public Woiks Department lor authority for the Beard to expend small grants m the district, and that it be pointed out that the Board bad better facilities for undertaking work than the Department. The motion was carried.

Mr Bennett suggested that as an alternative, if the Department did not favourably consider the request, they b2 asked to place four men under the Board's supervision to execute the work.

ft was further resolved du.ing a later di'cussion tbat the clerk should personally wait on the Department and go i.ito the matter o:i behalf of the Board. LOAN MONEY The chairman intmateJ (hit he understood that the Superannuation Board was offeriing to lend money. He considered it an excellent opportunity for the Board fa raise the loans authorised by the ratepayers on McPhereon's and Waipuna roads. He proposed that application be made for the nnney, aod alio if it was forthcoming that works lor which the loans had been authons d should be proceeded with immediately.

Mr Bennett seconded, and tie resolution was unanimously adopted, BOARD'S FINANCES, "I've come out wiith my back up. It s the third week in January and mthing has been done." This opening remark in connection with works approved to be undertaken in the Rangirin disttict, but which had not been proceeded with, fell fioni the lips of Mr Hail, and was the forerunner to a lengthy debate on the Board s financial position. On being asked lor a rough estimate of how tin various subdivisions stood, the c!?rk stated that Waerenga had a debit balance ot £1270 4s 2d, while Kangiriri and Maramarua were both in credit, the former to the extent of £202 and the latter £1)0 4s Bd. Trie Board had drawn on the full limit of its overdraft, viz, £llOO. Mr Hall said that flu work in the Waerenga sub-division would have to cease, to that th: proposed work at Kangi.iri coull he proceeded wi'li. lie added Hat Mr Cleh'un, who was unalh to be present that day, ha I asked him to mention that lie agreed with hi?, the speaker's, views. It was their ri;ht to spend the money that stood to t'itir credit. He imposed that all the work in the Waerenga sub duHi n should c ase until the amounts standing to t'ie credit of the Ka'girui and Maramarua sub-divisio:.s were placed to their credit in the Hank and available for e\p3ndit ire; mu, further, that each sub division sheuld have a separate banking account.

the chairman remarked that the Board iot;ld not arrange fjr the latter portion ol the motion.

Mr Shanks eupported Mr Hull, and stated that there was no money in hand to meet the accounts with.

Ihe clerk pointed out that there was £4(iu uf Government money to come in and also rates totalling £SOO. If all the ou!s'andirg money was collected before March such woull am aunt to iiOUO. Mr Hall saif that all the trouble was arising out of ore sub-division, viz, Wuereng,'\ The chairman, representative cf Waerenga sub-division: It's bren very satisfactory up tj the present. (Laughtei). Mr Hall: too satialai.tory.

Th 3 chairman pointed out that the £4OO of Government money

which had not been received would cover ths Rangiriri and Maramarua credit?.

Mr Hall: That's not available. The principle is not right. The rates should te in the bank.

Th 3 engineer said that the Board had been behind during the whole of the past three years, and had teen working on a small revenue all the time.

The chairman added that the Board had also been paying interest on the overdraft.

Mr Hall: The Rangiriri and Maramarua sub-divisions are entitled to interest 03 their shire of the money spent in the Waerenga riding. Mr Beunett claimed tint the debt had been hand id to them by the "old'' Board. The chairman said that it was all light to prepare for a chang?, but th°y could not make a radical change al once.

Mr Hall: We want (he work to be proceeded wi'h in cise there is no money later. Mr Shanks: !t Beems to me that there 13 enough work let to Bwalluw the lot.

Tba chairman agre:d with Mi Hall that it was not right for the Board to trade on the Rangiriri and Maramarua accounts, but it W3uld be too drastic to stop all the works.

Mr Hall: It's no use going on as at present; you folk will have to Sight it out with the ratepayers. He understood the wo;k in his subdivision wes to have hden finished before Christmas, but so far it had not b:en touch d. The Board had been gradually getting behind, although the limit of overdraft was inw double what it usaa to be. Mr Bennett: 'Jhero are more roads to ktep up on the ssme expenditure.

'l'hc chairman euggested that the clerk shouid prepare an estimate tor next year' 3 work.

Mr Hall: That was Eupposed to have been due last year; but it was rot. What about the special money, £3i'o? It thou Id be iu the banK by Mar:h ncx', but will not be. The engineer: And also £242 loan money to be paid into the loan account

The chairman w.-s surprised to hear that the Board wa3 in debt to the loan account. Mr Shanks: Tin matter should be thrashed out.

The clerk siii the portion wa9 net satisfactory. He would submit a balance sheet at the following meeting. The chairman: We should amalgannte all the accounts. (Laughter). At this stage Mr Hall withdrew his motion, and instead proposed that they should try to arrange a satisfactory sattlement at the next meeting, and the same was agreed t j. The chairman proposed that arrangements should be made for the supply of 25U yards of metal tor the Waerenga-Te Kauwhata road.— Mr Bennett seconded. Mr Hall proposed as an amendment that the matter Ehould be deferred until the following meeting.—Mr Shanks seconded. On being put to the meeting the amendment was supported by Meagre Hall, thanks and Keith, the chairman and Mr Bennett voting against. It was therfore carried.

MISCELLANEOUS It wag agreed to carry out work on the Churchill, Paddy's and Kiver ro3ds, Rangiriri, and to do repair work oa the main Maiamarua road. The engineer was instructed to submit a reroit at the following meeting of the beat means of conncc'ing the Falls's road witli the Kopuka road, and il was further derided that the members and engineer should visit thu fiti of the proposed wharf, tli3 latter ta sjbmit u report of the earns at the text meeting. It wps resolved lhat Mr A U U (Jlasj be written to and asked, in view (f th2 Hoard's decision to repair Rtv.r road, to try and find a different outlet fron his property to the one that he wa9 using at present for his cows, so that the road would remain in good condition alter the repairs had been effected.