GERALDINE ROAD BOARD.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2041, 3 May 1890, Page 2

GERALDINE ROAD BOARD.

A meeting of this was held on Thursday last a short t&mie before the annual meeting, when the'injlflS&l report to be laid before the ratepayers was considered. There were present Messrs P. E. PJatmau (chairman) W Deßenzy, A. Metcalf, and J. Kelland. Annual Meeting. The annual meeting of ratepayers was held immediately afterwards, ihere were about a dozen ratepayers present. Mr F. R. Platman, chairman or the board, occupied the chair.

ANNUAL EEPOET. The chairman read the annual report as follows: Qentlkmek, —ln accordance with the usual custom your board has prepared a report to enable you to judge whether the whether the work has been carried on faithfully during the twelve months. Twenty-four contracts have been let during the year, and your board is glad to report that all are completed in a satisfactory manner. 198 chains of new roads have been formed, and 306 chains of old roads reformed, and 270 chains have been shinGsd No new bridges have been built, but severs! have been repaired, and are now in good order, with the exception of two or three of the. oldest, which will have to.be replaced at an early date with new ones. This will causa a considerable outlay which cannot be avoided, as the bridges are in situation where fords cannot be substituted with advantage, Tbo roads throughput the district are "in good order for the grain traffic, but when the weather breaks several will require shingle, repairs being worn down considerably. Your board deemed it prudent to purchase a fresh horse, harness, and spring dray, as the old horse was getting slow. The present plant allow the surfacemen to go much quicker to and from their work, the spring dray being much more useful than the old tip dray.It will be seen by the balance-sheet" that your board levied no rate this year. Thu action was taken with some reluctance on>the part of the board, but seeing so many rates levied by the various local bodies 'and nearly all made payable about the same date, your board thought well to let the year, pass without collecting a rate. Consequently your board s capital had to be intrenched upon to the extent the rate would haye netted the board, had the same been collected. The sum or £l4 12a 8d was the amount of unpaid rates for the year 1888-9 when your board took office. This, we are glad to sky, has ah been collected, with the exception of ss. The board commenced the year with a credit balance of £9583 16s Id, which, after deducting the expenditure for the current financial year, there remains the sum of ■£846123 41 unexpended, Thus it will be seen that had the sama rats been levied as in 1888-9, which realised £979 16s, 7d, your board would only haye encroached upon the capital to the extent of £142 16s 2d. While shewing the foregoing figures the board admit having had a favorable year regarding the weather. The fords in the riverbeds needed very little attention, which iu a rainy

season cost the ratepayers a considerable sum; The chairman then read a statement of receipt* and expenditure for the past year : Tbe balance to credit on the Ist of April la«t ll?’ CJ £9583 16 ’ * ld i fcho receipts were ±.908 8s 5d ; tne expenditure, £2020 13s lid • leaving a balance to credit of £8471 16s Id. * In conclusion your board wish to state that the expended money has been fairly divided to each portion of as far as it is possible,^sp_jas "to be beneficial to the ratepayers as a whole. * (Signed) Fbedk. R. Fiatman, f , Chairman. May Ist, 1890. The chairman in moving the adoption of the report regretted that such little interest was taken* in the annual meeting. However, as there was very little grumbling, he supposed the public were fairly satisfied with the administration of the board. The chairman here moved the adoption of the report.

Mr W. Postlethwaite seconded the proposition. In doing so he said there were one or tw® things he would like to speak upon. He regretted to see that during the past year no rate had been levied in the Geraldine district. It was very evident to one and all that it that policy were pursued the little money lying to their credit in the bank would soon melt away. The chairman had said no rate had been struck owing to the number of rates that were to be levied in the district for other local bodies. Mr Postlethwaite said if they looked at these other local bodies they found that one and all of them from year to year would not only have to strike a rate but also to increase the amount now struck, He asked the ratepayers to consider what would be the position of the district when the £8461 now lying to their credit ceased to exist. He could quite understand leaseholders asking for no rate to be struck because as long as no rate was struck there was no call upon them, but it was a different thing with the freeholder. If rates increased greatly the leaseholder could go to his landlord and decline to pay the rent he had been paying m the past owing to the

neavy rates and taxes he had to pay but the freeholder could not do that ne had to pay the rates however much they were increased. He, therefore', spoke strongly on this point. He saw clearly that the money had been fnttted away. He knew the position ot the members of the road board Many ratepayers could not see an inch before tneir noses, and advocated a policy that would land them in ruin. He did think of moving a resolution that the members of the road board should consider whether or not it was desirable to levy a rate during the coming year, because it was evident that they would have to pay a harbour board rate. I n their minutes it | appeared there was an agitation a few meetings ago to remove the Moody wharf The cost of this work had peen, he believed, about £IO,OOO, and lS. eßtimated * would c °st another to remove. Then take the Education Board, and their they saw m Geraldme the removal of a school tundred yards, merely to woul/ 416 of a . few » whom he townrd K uaranfce f. P aid very little* toward the erection of that school.

The school buildings had only been up about sixteen years, and he knew for a that they were perfectly sound. Mr Postleth waite,. again urged upon the ratepayers to husband the little they had at the bank, otherwise they would soon be in the position of another local body he read of in the papers, had ample funds, but did not know how to take care of them, and in a short time were in the hands of the bailiff. He was very glad to see there had been so little expenditure during the past year. This was,no doubt owing to the excellent weather enjoyed. Still they had dipped in some £1122 13s 9d, and if they added to that the £250 subsidy from Government it was very little ®?ort of £I4OO. If tney continued to dip. m at that rate and decrease the interest in proportion they would soon be m queer street at the bank. The chairman did not think the board had any intention that it should be a hard and fast rule that there ■hould be no rate struck for the year. This was the first year of the Harbor Board rate being struck and the Eoad Board thought it only fair to give the ratepayers breathing time, instead of having such a number of rates to pay at once. He thought it was a pity that the local bodies could not manage to make the various rates fall due at

different times instead of all about the same time, as. there was no doubt but that to a great many people it made a considerable difference. The chairman thought if Mr Postlethwaite would move some resolution re striking a rate it would strengthen the bands of the board. That was the proper course for the ratepayers to come forward at the annual meeting and make suggestions to board as to their course of action. Mr Postleth waite said if he moved sjieh a resolution it would appear as if hie were dictating to the board, and he declined to do so. Major Moore said he quite agreed with Mr Postleth waite re striking a rate. He was glad of the opportunity of saying so, seeing he was a candidate for a scat on the board. If the payers did not believe in a rate they could show it at the polling booth by hot electing him to the board. He did not like a rate any more than anybody else, but he would rather pay a ■£d rate than a 2d rate, and it they went along as they had done during the past year they would soon have to pay a2done. He thought it would be absolutely necessary to strike a rate during the coming year. Mr Postlethwaite asked Mr Moore, as a candidate for the Eoad Board, if he would be prepared to advocate that a rate should be struck for charitable aid purposes as well as for , road board purposes ? Whether in the event of the Bill for local bodies to take over the collection of the har- \ ■a bor board rates being passed he would ] W be in favor of a special rate being i

struck lor Harbor board purposes ? He would like to know from candidates whether they would be in favor of special rates being struck for special “••'purposes ? The chairman said that as the Harbor Bill at present stood they could compel local bodies to collect the rates, giving per cent, for doing so. They only looked upon the County Council as the local body, and not the road boards, and they were now only asking if the smaller local bodies would do so. They thought it would be an easement to adopt the method now before the public that the local bodies should collect the rates, and pay the sum total over to the harbor board. The latter board at the end of each financial year would inform the local bodies of the actual amount they wanted. This would then be added to their rate, and there would be only one collection. Mr Postlethwaite quite agreed with the principle, but thought the local bodies should inform the ratepayers as to the objects for which the rate

w^s;:struck, and the amount to be devoted to eacl),. object. Major Moore, thought the rates raised for road board purposes should be expended upon- - the roads, and that if say three rates were struck it should be specified how much was for the road, how much for the harbor board, and,how much for, charitable aid. He thought the charitable aid rate was a mistake altogether. He considered it should not come out of the Hoad Board funds, but if struck upon the property tax bases would be satisfactory to everone. Mr E. Eae understood that by not striking the rate last year the board had lost,nearly £2OO in Government subsidy. . The chairman said that was not correct, as no subsidy was lost by not striking: the -rate. ; Mr Kelland did not know if the ratepayers understood Mr Postlethwaite when, he implied that pressure had been brought to bear not to strike a rate. He thought the board should take the responsibility upon themselves. Por his own part he had never been buttonholed upon the subject. Mr Postlethwaite said he was speaking on the general principle of striking a rate. The board members present said if

any blame was attachable for not striking a rate they took it entirely upon themselves, as no outside pressure bad been brought to bear in the matter. Mr Postlethwaite said pressure was sometimes brought to bear. Mr G. W. Taylor thought expendi ture during the year had been very judicious.

Mr Taylor ; understood that the board paid the; casual laborers who were hired in case of a storm or flood only 5s per day, and some of them had to work in the water up to their waists repairing fords and culverts. He found the neighboring boards paid 6s, and on those boards they were not called upon to go into water, as in the Geraldine district. He thought the board should pay 6s per day. The men here were as good as elsewhere, and their overseer was a thorough judge of what was a good day’s work. He would move that the casual laborers get 6a per day, the same as, neighboring boards, v f The chairman said the board had no wish to cut down wages, It had, occurred last year when some 30 or 40 men were asking for work, and the board thought to give a shilling a day less and employ more men, so as to get the work done as speedily as possible, and give eveiy a portion of the work. Mr Postleth waite bore the chairman out in what he said. Mr McShane secended Mr; Taylor’s resolution pro forma.

Mr Postlethwaite was decidedly averse to suck a resolution. The matter should be left entirely in the hands of the board. If they could not be trusted to deal with it they had no right to be there. He moved, as an amendment that no action be taken and it be left in the hands of the members of the board. JVr H. W. Moore endorsed Mr Postlethwaite’s view and seconded the amendment. Mr McShane said he seconded the resolution to hear a discussion on the matter. At the time of reduction he had advocated that the regular men get ss, and the casual hands 6s per day, as the regular hands could stand the reduction better. He did not consider 6s per day too much. Mr Kelland agreed with Mr McShane. He himself was not present at the meeting when the reduction was made, and when he came at the following meeting he rather objected to it. as he thought it was bad policy to cut down wages. If a man was not fit to earn 6s per day he was not fit to earn anything for the board or anybody else. Por a public body like that that had to send men long distances to work he did not think it wisdom to cut down the wages to ss. Mr Shiers was unable to be all over the district to watch them. He thought if men got less than 6s per day they would work accordingly. Major Moore did not think the ratepayers should dictate to the board on the question as it was a matter for them to deal with.

Mr Taylor said he merely made the suggestion to consider the matter. Mr Postlethwaite said a resolution and a suggestion were two different things. The board could consider the latter but the former if carried would have to be acted upon. The chairman said it bad just come back to bis memory that the men tbemrelves were greatly the cause of the reduction at the time, "lenders had been called for a number of jobs that required no capital to carry out, bat the men would not tender for them, although urged at the time to do so. At the same time they were asking for day work. Mr Shiers corroborated what the chairman said, and turned up the minutes of the meeting when it was found that no tenders had been received that morning, Mr Kelland said at risk of being patted on the back and being called the working man’s friend he considered it a risky thing to tender for the keeping of the river fords for twelve months. He was assured the contracts were only to put the fords in order at that time.

The chairman said he was not in favor of cutting down wages, and never did it in his own private transactions, but he considered that at the time in question the board had not been treated fairly. Mr G. Hammond said as one who went in for these contracts it was often very risky to take a contract to repair a ford, as sometimes when the work was half done a flood came and washed it all away again. Ihe chairman said most of these contracts were for manual labour. It had been suggested that the board should cut down expenses by calling for tenders for the maintenance of certain roads for twelve months. It was found, however, that the cheapest plan was to have the work done by day labor when necessary. Mr Kelman thought the board should have one price for working in water and another for working out of it. He thought the board should give men 6s per day for working in water. Ih chairman said there appeared to be a slight mistake with regard to working in water in the Geraldine district as compared with others. Mr Shiers said there was not much water work. Sometimes after a flood they might have to go into the water perhaps, but he had a pair of gum boots the men could use on such occasions.

Mr McShane thought the matter should be left entirely in the hands of the board members. He did not think a member there was in favor of cutting down wages. Messrs Kelman and Thatcher thought the same, n Mr Shiers said they had three men getting 6s per day, and they did nearly all the water work. In reply to Mr Taylor, Mr Shiers said the regular men got Ga per day and the casual hands ss. He said that the river had to be low before it was any use for a man to gojiulo the water to work.

The amendment was then put and carried, only Mr Taylor dissenting. The chairman said, on behalf of the board, that as long as the present members kept their seals the community would be taken into t onsideration. They would not try to ruu down the work-ng man, nor would they take advantage of the ratepayers by giving men high wages. (Hear, hear.) Mr Thatcher-asked how the board pro posed to deal with the gorse growing on the roads, the seeds of which had been carted there by the board. The chairman said he did not think that matter had come before the board prominently, and he really could not tell him. but he could assure him that the board intended to make those ratepayers who had gorse growing on their frontages clear it. Letters had appeared in the paper saying the board favored Mr Wigley in the matter of the gorse question, and that if it had been a poor man he would have been jumped on ; hut the fnct was it was oo'y late y the board had been in a legal position to fight Mr Wigley, or anybody else, but now they were in a legal position to meet the ratepayers in the court, although they did not want to, and were determined to make the ratepayers clear their gorse. Mr McShane said ho knew of places whoro the gorse had been carted upon the road by the board, and he thought it was a hardship to make the ratepayers clear it.

Mr Postleth waite here proposed a vote of thanks to the chairman and members of the board. They bad done their work admirably during the past year, and he hoped they would be as succrssful during the coming year. He hoped they would consider the advisability of striking a rate during the coming year. Mr McShane seconded the vote, The chairman, on behalf of the board, thanked them for their expression of opinion, and moved a hearty vote of thanks to Mr Shiers for the excellent manner in which he had done his work. When they looked at the fact that; only 5s was ou's'anding of t'ieir rates, when some other bodies had over £6OO outstanding, it proved the way in which the work had been done by him, Mr Taylor seconded the vote, and spoke very highly of Mr Shiers’ capabilities. He did not think it was possible to get a better man. The chairman said that since Mr Shiers had beeu on the board (here had been work done to the extent of over £70,000, and the extras upon the whole of it did not exceed £IOO. Mr Shiers Inanked them for the way they had spoken of him. His greatest pleasure had been the amicable way in which he had got on with the members of the board. The chairman said that though outside of their board they had thought it advisable, the river being so dry, that Mr Shiers should go and examine the bridge and report upon it. That report had been sent to the County Council.,

Mr Shiers, at ti>o chairman’s request, road a copy of his repor-. He saui ho whs quite sati-fied the bridge was good enough for acother 14 or 15 years, acd whs qirte good Hoongh to warrant another deck and top bbing pul on it. He considered it could be properly repaired for about £1409. A good deal of money could bo saved by pultiag a different deck upon the bridge to Ibe one there now. Its weakness was that the bearers were too far apart. Mr Hammond asked if it would not be better if lowered. Mr Shiers said it would cost too ranch ; they would have to alter the whole structure. The discussion then closed, and th 6 meeting terminated.