Road Board Election,

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 388, 27 July 1889, Page 2

Road Board Election,

We publish to-day two letters from conespondeuts with reference to tho election, the polling for winch is to take place on Tuesday next. With reference to the statement in <l Wnitoa Labourer's" letter, to the effect that if all the new candidates get elected it is intended to stiike a tiiree halfpenny rate, etc.: we may state that such a oonrse of fleecing those owning property within the Wnitoa Road District is fortunatply barred by the existing law ; which limits the general rate in any one year to three fartb.jngs in the pound, unless in the event of a $oard failing to pay its debts, in which case thp ci editor can apply to have a JJeepiver of all revenue and rates appointed, until such debts aie paid. In the event pf a Receiver being appointed a special rate — not exceeding three-sixteenths of a penny in the pound — may be levied, if so desired by the ratepayers (to ascertain which a poll would have to be taken), to carry on necessary geneia} works. J?iovision is, however, made in the Road Boards Act for dividing a Jload. Pistrict mt? subdivisions, and the rate in such sub r divisionH may bo vaijed (say one farthing in one portion, and perhaps three fai^hinys in another;, but even then the general rate cannot exceed (}}iee fai'Ihings in any case. We quote herewith the sections of the Act bearing on, tjjese points :—: — Road Board Act, 1882, Section 11 ; *' Any Board may by special order djvt'le its district into sub-divisions v* itii sncli names and I'oundaiies as the P«»aid may think fit. Section ]14 : "Tho Board of every Road Uistiict may from time to time, as it thinks tit, make and levy general ntos on all rateable pio— perty within its district, for carrying in<o elTeot tho p neial purposes oi" this A«-t, but the total amount of snrh r.itrs made for arjy on? year shall not exceed thiee fartliings in poim.l on the mteable value." flection 115 : ** The B<>;.ir<l of eveiv Hoad Distiiet. divided into s,i]b(Ji\i^i«;'is in. iy from finio to tint 11 , oitl er in lieu cf oi in addition to any general lale made under the last preceding sectigu hereof, make and

lo\y -rqtys to be called ' separate intos'" Se»'iiiin IJ7: '" Ni> separate r>\tes Tii>iclt-> in any i>ne year shall together with the general rates levied under B<cli<>n 1 14 hereof exceed in any fjiil'-ilhivhn (Ije amount of three farthings in the pound." Road Boards Act, 1882, Amendment Ac. 1884 :- -Bed ion 3 : " When nny local body fa-ils to pay ni)y debts due liy such local" body, the person or Corporation lo whom such debt is duo or owing may apply to a Jndge of the Supreme Court for relief, and the Judge jnay appoint a Receiver, e(c " Road Boards Act, 18S2, Amendment Act, 3SBB : — Section 9 : "In the event of any Receiver being appointed for the j >ui pose of leceiving the general rates, etc., if the Board shall be of opinion that sufficient funds are not available for carrying out the necessary general woiks and business of the Board, it shall be lawful for such Board lo levy an additional general rate uotex<eeding three sixteenths of a. penny in the pound, for the purpose of canying on Mich works, etc." i The only exception "wade with respect to the levying of 'muds within a Road L)i?tiiet id in the event of a Road Board desir}ng to construct water works, in which case Koad Boards (and Town Boards also, by the I'own Pistiicts Act), have conferred upon them fhs same powers for carrying out water workß a* a Borough Council hare, sections Rearing on this point roads aa follow $ — Road Boards Aot, 1882, Amendment Act, IbBB ;— Section 6 ; «' Every Road Board which shall construct vra^er works may make and levy water- rates within its road district upon the pifnpiplu and according to the jsoule pi escribed by Section 825, of " The Municipal Corporations Act, 1886," etc." Section G : '' Any such rate shall be additional to any general, separate, or .special rate levied by \\ie Road Board, etc." It is to be hoped none of the Wnitoa ; ratepayers will allow themselves to uo made tools of by unsciupuloua fadists, ! who care lifctlo about the permanent future and prosperity of the district, so long »s they can have a finger in pr9senfe expenditure, and work out their own little plans for self-aggrandisement, concealed under the cover of high sounding and plausible schemes. The advice of those having 'private grievances' against the present Road Board, or some of its members, should bo caielully weighed before being acted upon. However we do not believe that the Waitoa ratepayers of the labouring class would be pg easily gulled into adopting such a foolish course as " Waitoa Labourer" in liis letter states is on foot, with the object of fleecing the large land owners. We believe it will be reidily conceded the estates in the Waitoa Road District 'iave employed labour in the past, far in excess of what the returns received have ever wan anted ; and no doubt w<ll employ labour tnoie largely again so soon as prices for stock and agricultural produce will admit qf so doing j and it Ayould be indeed a short-sighted and suicidal policy on \he part of the wage earning class to try and force matters in I the unscrupulous way it is stated has been proposed, f'he inevitable result would bs to kill the goose that laid the golden eggs by driving capital out of the district, We are satisfied too that it would be a great mistake to turn out of office all the old members in favour of a new Board of inexperienced men, who would carry on thu business r>y a series of 'experiments.' If any particular member or members have failed in their duty, \t is in the hands of the ejectors to replace him or them by another (but let the electors first be quite satisfied in the their own minds that t}ie change would have a beneficial effect). \Vedou.b.t very n»uejiif,on the whole, the electors can do better than return the old Boml, who have worked well and harmoniously together, and administeied the funds at thejr disposal we believe on the whole impartially, although jtcouid not be expected they would please all parties. If any ratepayer feels aggrieved by any acts of omission or commission on the part of the Board, why npf; attend either the annual meeting of ratepayers or any ordinary meeting of the Board, and make known his grievance, and we are sure the matter complained of will be carefully considered, and any wrong as far as possible set right. No doubt if a majority of the ratepayers at the Te Aroha side of the Road District wish a subdivision made, and larger rates levied, their wishes will be acceded to by whatever members are returned.

The ordinary monthly meeting of the NYai^qa Road ftoard \yill be held at i\Jopi riusville to-day, On Wednesday next Mr James Craig wjjl Rell househpld furniture and effects at Ye Arol)t». gee qd»-t. The polling far Wai to. i Road Board takes place *>n Tuesday next, between 9 a.m. and $ p.m. There will boa polling booth at Morrinsville, and also one at Waihou. Rev T« A. Nome will preach in Te Arolia Public Jlail to morrow evening at seven o'clock. Mr Whitbum will preach in the Wesloyan Church, Te Aroha, at the same hour. The^YMeyan and Presbj tei ian services, to ho held in this district to moirov, will ■ be found duly advcitised on our second page to day. At the last monthly meeting of the Thames Hospital and* Charitable Aid ]>oai(l the members pasned the following tiy wise i evolution : •' That in future the l>«nk book be prod need, at all monthly meetings together with the previous months accounts that have beun settled."

Ap pncoosßor t) Mr A. Montgomery, at the Thames School of Mines, Mr J. Park ot the Geological Department, Wellington, has» been appointed. Mr Ptuk is a young inon of about Oiirty years of «ge, and is said to possess high qualifications, Mr X, If. Cooper has made applicaiion for ij, special claim of seventy-five acres, at Tn aw, Thames; bounded on the south by the Singapoje, and on all other sides by supposed unoccupied ground. Messrs Garlick and Hunks notify by advertisement they aro about to dissolve partnership, and request all accounts to bo furnished by or before August Ist. Mr and Mrs J, McCosh Glaike, also Professor I)iown, ariived at Te Arohn, by Tuesday's train from Auckland ; and proceeded direct to Wniororon&omai Wednesday and Thursday were principally spent in inspecting' the new plant and woika now in piogiess ; and all three returned to Auckland by yesleiday morning's train. Mr CLirke leaves on his Home trip in the course of a few weeks, but hopes to bee the Mueller at the Te Arohn S. and G. M. Company's plant at work before he leaves. By advertisement it will bo scon Mr Turn bul l iwis resigned in favour of Mr Ilanmer, as candidate for election to Pinko County Council tor Waifoa Riding. Mr lianmer has consequently boen declarod duly elected ; an<ifcvithout doubt will prove a first rate member for the di«tiiet> Wo considei Mi FlanFTiei's election «igooH thing for Te Arohn as wpll t.B for Wai ton, as it was very desirable thero should be same representative hailing from this bide of the County, and Laving a personal knowledge of its i equipments, wfo \yijl be respected by, and have some weight ip, the Council. lenders close at half-past four this afternoon, with Key S. Lawry, School Committee Chairman, for repaiiing school fencep, etc., at Te Arolm. Specifications of the work to be done can Do seen on application at tho office of this paper, B.y advertisement it will be scon that Mr J. Ilott ban been appointed agent for the Colpnial Mutual Life Assurance Society. The Colonial is well-known as one ot the most successful life assurance offices ever et-tublkhed ; its ne*r business for last year reached the enormous tofal of £1,702,821, placing the Society third on the list of all Britisn olfices, nearly one hundred in number, The importance of insmingin a really first-class, economic cally managud office is self-evident. Paiticuinrs as to mtes, various tublos, etc., may be obtained on application to Mr Ilott, at his office, WlnUik.ai -street, Te Aroha, At the Thames "Warden's Coiwt on Thursday, applioationu were de^lt with as follows \— R. MoDonuld Scott, May Queen, adjourned 22nd August : Jas, Madden, roily (late Me nn.d Howe), Owhnroa, adjourned 2'2nd August; D, Campbell, Victory, Waihi, adjourned 22nd August ; T. H' liubbell, Mt nmouth, Waihi, granted ; Thos, Melville, watei-race, Karangrtliake, adjourned ]sth Auiiht ; Nymph, protection for gix \veek<<, granted ; R. Blencoe, Golden Keef, protection toi six weeks, gi anted } G. Ebeit, Mermaid, protection for six weeks, gi anted ; Thos. Gordon, Kaikoura claim, Waitekami, protection for two months, granted ; Win Biownleo's claim, piotection granted for six weeks, Our Wiioron^omai Correspondent writes : Ido net, think theie ia an idle man in Waiarongomai, what between flaxmills, roads, mines, and fche Coin pany's works, everybody is employed, and 1 hardly know where Mr Clark is going to get mitieis for the "Werahiko" from . A meeting of tho Waiororgomai footballers is convened for this (Saturday) evening, at Mr McLeods boofc and shoe shop. Business — To elect a Captain.