EGMONT COUNTY.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 September 1921, Page 6

EGMONT COUNTY.

THE PROBLEM OF FINANCE. SPECIAL MEETING OF COUNCIL. A .special meeting of the Egmont County Council was held at Opunake yesterday for the purpose of considering finance and expenditure. Present: Crs. S. Campbell (chairman), R. Ferguson, A. F. Campbell, J. S. Tosland, M. O’Brien. R. C. Watson and P. Brophy. The chairman explained that the meeting had been called so that the council might go through the estimates and get the contracts called with a view to having an early start made with the season’s work. The estimates did not provide for much work being done, and he thought that if an early start were made it would be possible to get the work done with one. or at most two, plants. They would thus be able to economise, and so at March 31 would find themselves in a much better position regarding the overdraft than at present. In this connection, he pointed out, provision had been made in the estimates for the reduction of the overdraft. He agreed that .it was advisable that all new work on the main road should be tar-sealed, and he hoped that councillors would be able to show where savings could ‘be effected, so as to enable the council to purchase tar-sealing machinery. It was no use putting down a new road without tar-sealing it, as the traffic cut up the macadam too quickly.

'Or. Tosland thought the meeting premature. The committee appointed at the last meeting -should have visited Waimate and should also have inspected, the by-roads to see which required the expenditure and which could be left over. He considered the committee should report at next meeting.

The chairman said that the matter of the Waimate visit had not been forgotten. At present he was endeavoring to have a day appointed when the committee could see the Waimate County work in operation. He had been informed that the Waimate County Council would willingly give them all informs tion possible. Regarding visiting the by-roads, he pointed out that there was very little to do; riding members should know the requirements of their by-roads.

TAR-SEALING NECESSARY. Cr. Chapman said that in the Rahotu riding there Were -some roads that could be cut-out. He instanced the Rahotu road, to which £l4O was allotted. He favored a committee being set up of representatives of each riding. Cr. Ferguson advocated the committee visiting Haw era County as well as Waimate, so as to get the latest information regarding tar-sealing. He agreed that they must tar-seal portions of the main road that were now in good order, so as to prevent them being destroyed. Regarding the upper Waiteaka Road, Cr. Ferguson said that Mr. Clements was prepared to put down 800 yards of metal provided the council found the crusher and spreader. Cr. O’Brien pointed out that the Oeo riding had about £2OO to expend on roads and it was estimated it would cost £l5OO to expend this. If they had a rate roll of, say £15,000, and it cost £5OOO to £6OOO to expend that, it would lead to bankruptcy. The clerk read a list of the amounts included in general expenditure, which comprised salaries, advertising, office expenses. rent, rates, interest in overdraft, travelling expenses, upkeep of car, etc. He did not think the amount would be so large, next year.

Cr. O’Brien said that he would recommend the Opua riding to form a road district. Part of the county could go to Taranaki and part to Waimate. Councillors were being blamed over the expenditure of money and, personally, he thought the Opua riding would be better under a road board than at present. The chairman: It’s a pity you did not stick to the road board. * Cr. O’Brien: You helped to kill it.

The chairman: I did. What killed the Parihaka road district was the amount it borrowed for loans.

Cr. O’Brien: The clerk received £lOO per annum and the overseer 14s per day. That and stamps were the only administration expenses which did not run into thousands of pounds. The chairman: The question is, what are we going to do now ?

Cr. O'Brien: I can tel] you. Enquire into the item of general expenditure. Continuing, he said that he was going to advise his ratepayers to form a road district. The Parihaka Road Board never paid interest on overdraft, as it was always in credit. “Let the Rahotu riding join Taranaki County and let Oeo go to Waimate; tha.t’s the remedy for the present state of affairs,” added Cr. O’Brien. The chairman: Part of the district joined Waimate and it is no better off. Cr. O’Brien: The ratepayers there think they are. FUNDS AVAILABLE. Cr. Tosland asked what was available for expenditure in each riding. The chairman stated that according to the estimates there was very little. Cr. Ferguson considered that Cr. O’Brien was quite right. Tbh system was at fault. Ci’. Tosland then moved: “That a committee of riding members be appointed, first, to find out how much, money was available for expenditure, and secondly, to go over the roads of each riding and ascertain . where the money should be expended, reporting to the council at its next meeting.”

Cr. Chapman, in seconding, considered that the committee should have been called as recommended by the finance committee, but unfortunately this had not been decided at the last meeting. Cr. O’Brien considered the roads in the Opua riding could be dealt with at that meeting. Opua Road required attention and if the council could see its way to put 500 yards of metal on 1£ miles of this road he would give an assurance to make no claim for Ihaia, Te Namu and Arawhata roads. The engineer said that GOO yards would be required. Cr. O’Brien considered the engineer could do the work cheaper with a gang of men and horses rather than by contract.

The chairman said that this motion would practically do away with road accounts.

Cr. O’Brien moved an amendment that as far as the Opua riding was concerned road accounts should be abolished and a riding account substituted. Cr. Ferguson seconded.

The resolution regarding riding committees was carried and riding committees were appointed as follows:—Oeo: Crs. Watson and Tosland. Rahotu: Crs. Chapman, Green and Brophy. The engineer will accompany each committee oa its tour of inspeotiou. The Oeo

committee will tour on Friday and the Rahotu committee on the following Monday. The resolution in regard to riding accounts was held over and it was resolved, to call tenders for 500 yards of metal on the Opua Road. It was resolved to accept Mr. Clements’ offer to put out 800 yards of st.on? on the Waiteaka Road, the council to furnish the plant and find men, the work to be completed by December 1. Ci’. O’Brien pointed out that two contracts on the Wiremu Road, had not been completed, and this would probably have a detrimental effect on the council’s application for a further grant of £2OOO on the road. It was resolved to call on the contractor to complete the contracts, or failing that the contracts would be cancelled.