CLIFTON COUNTY.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 August 1922, Page 8

CLIFTON COUNTY.

MEETING OF THE COUNCIL. ANTECEDENT LIABILITY. The Clifton County Council met at Waitara yesterday. The chairman, Mr. R. H. Piggott, presided, and the other councillors present were: Messrs. R. Mounsey, S. J. Sutton, C. H. Barnitt, T. McKenzie, H. A. Foreman, anl F. C. Jones. The Public Trustee, Wellington, wrote in reference to the loan of £4OOO for the extinguishing of the council’s antecedent liability. The council had desired to repay the loan by ten annual instalments of £4OO, and the trustee advised that a sinking fund of 10 per cent, for ten years would more than repay the loan before it became due, taking compound interest into account. A sinking fund of 8 per cent, would be sufficient, as the compound interest allowed by the Public Trust Office would be sufficient to make up the additional amount. Should the council agree to the 8 per cent, contribution, £320 per year would be required and interest would be credited thereon at the current rate for sinking funds, at present 5 per cent. The conditions of the loan necessitated the appointment of the Public Trustee as Sinking Fund Commissioner, and he requested the early advice of the council as to their acceptance or otherwise of the 8 per cent proposal.

The council agreed to accept the latter proposal, ahd a special order authorising the flotation of the loan, bearing interest at 6 per cent., and to be secured by a rate of one-fifth of a penny on the ratable property in the county, was passed. The chairman pointed out that; the Public Trustee’s proposal would mean a saving of at least £2OO to the council. The special order will come up for confirmation at the next meeting of the council. BRIDGE RECONSTRUCTION LOAN. Further to the council's application to the State Advances Office for a loan of £15,000, for the reconstruction of bridges under the jurisdiction of the council, and their proposal to open a County Bridge Fund Account at the bank, the following resolutions were passed on the motion of the chairman, seconded !>y Cr. Mounsey: (1) That the said loan shall bo charged to and be payable out of the said Clifton County Bridge Fund Account; (2) that the term of the said loan shall be years, and the rate of Interest thereon four and onehalf pounds per centum per annum: (3) that the security for the said loan shall be the bridge rate aforesaid.

The special order passed at last meeting authorlisng the levying of a rate of %d in the pound upon the ratable value of ail ratable property in the county, for the purposes of providing the instalments in respect of the principal, interest, and other charges on the loan, was confirmed. GENERAL. The Public Works Department forwarded a copy of a letter from Mr. J. H. Rowe, of Mangaonga, -requesting the removal of a felice from the centre of the road leading to his section. He wanted to form a sledge-track along the road before the factory opened. The fence referred to was on the surveyed road line and was the property of Mr. Pybus.—On the motion of the chairman, it was decided that Mr. Pybus be written to, requesting him to remove the fence back to the proper line. Advice was received from the Public Works Department, to the effect that the sum of £4OO had been lodged to the credit of the council for work /lone under the grant for Kaipikari. Mr. Wm. G. Whitton tendered the thanks of the settlers of Waitaanga, Ohura, for the council’s efforts. In conjunction with Mr. W. T. Jennings, M.P., in obtaining the grant of £ 1000 for.widening the remainder of the Ton&a-ponitu-Mangaroa Roads and advised that the work had been laid off. On return of the plans from Taumarunui the men would be put on the The Minister of Public Works advised that he would give every consideration when preparing the estimates to the council’s request for a grhnt of £4OO for the purpose of widening the Matau South Road from the Mangaopa Bridge to the Matau South Bridge. The council’s solicitor submitted an agreement between Jane Brown (otherwise called Henui te Ran), of Remuera, and the council concerning the closing of a portion of the Old North Road and the proclamation of another road through subdivision 2a in substitution {hereof and giving the council the right to carry gravel and stone through the property* lying to the north and west of the Old North Road. The agreement provided among other clauses for the payment to Mrs. Brown of sixpence per yard of material carted and compensation for any unnecessary damage to the land and buildings on the property.—The chairman and any councillor were authorised to sign the agreement on behalf of the council. The council discussed the question of the wages paid to permanent and casual employees in the county and it came out that there was a difference in the rates paid in the ridings. Cr. Mounsey moved that the wages be made the same, but other councillors contended that the men whom the council held responsible fcr the work should receive more than the men sent to assist them.—No action was taken.