Parawai Highway Board.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3303, 23 July 1879, Page 2

Parawai Highway Board.

ANNUAL MEETING.

The annual meeting of the ratepayers of the Parawai Highway District was held at the school-house, at 6.30 last evening. There were about 40 ratepayers present. Mr W. Carpenter, Chairman of the Board, read the advertisement calling the meeting, and then read the annual report as follows:— • , ''■(

" In submitting the Ninth Annual lieport tho Board regrets that, owing to no change haying taken place in the position of the district since the last ennual meeting, through legislation ov a unanimous resolve oh the part of the ratepayers to merge it into or incorporate it with the County, it cannot congratulate you upou any real progress hating been niade .during its term of office; in fact-the. reverse is the case. The main road is in a deplorable condition, and the Board .hap been compelled to' witness its gradual destruction without the means or the, poWBr to prevent it. .As a County road ii was not under the control of the Board, and all that could be done, Tva!s;;jto urge. upon your representation itrthe County Council tbe necessity ' o»f having it at« tended to. Its financial position has been equally unsatisfactory. Commencing the year with an overdraft at the bank of £114 18s lid, and with but a fmatfsutn due -from the Government for subsidies,' it became necessary to strike a small rate ; to enable it to keep in repair theifootpaths and bye roads. The amount i received under these heads was small, £97 Bs, which with the further sum of £33,5 I6i_ Bd, advanced by the bank,'•; have 'been 1 found totally inadequate for the) purposes required, and providing fpjr | ordinary office expenditure!. The overdraft at the bank now stands at £568 3s but of this sum, £209 will be paid by Government, it having authorised expenditure 1 to ' that amount, thus leaving to j the new Board a legacy of actual debt of £368 3s. 7d less £35 rates due. The total amount' 1 expended upon roads and bridges during the ;past year; is £348, Isi^ild. With reference to your interest,,ia the Domestic Water Supply, it was deemed advisable, upon a claim being made, by the. bauk for ihe payment of the Board's! share'of' the guarantee, amounting to ab0ut,£360,., to accept an offer made by the Than 'us Borough Council to take over the liability upon receiving a transfer of the proper ly. Representations Have been made ito. Government as to the anomalous! position in which the district has been placed iwifcli, the view of btiteihirig an equitable sharo 6'f Parliamentary grants, nor hai c efforts been wanting to obtain. fropvthi) Opuufcy. Council a recognition of its claims upou tfie' County revenues.^MirVs Catipenteb, Chairman. , (j!i ...;, ,;..,. t ;:,;> ■ j The Secretary (Mr Friend Dky) read the annual statement of receipts! pad ex* penditure :t-"' Receipts! and expenditure from July; lat» 1878, to June 30th, 1879 ': i-rGeiieral Government ■■- subsidy, £48; rates received for the year 1878' and 1879, £49 8s; ■subscriptions in did of different Works, £13 Is; -overdraft at Bank of New Zealand. July Ist, 1879, ,£5,681 3s 7d. fTo&l—£67S,- 12s 7d.—Pricing jarid advertising^ 4s 94; salary of seW-e.f ray; £25.; draiu tiles* £30, 9s; .miicellane jus expense^, £15 63; timbe|;accp|an<i. £13 Is 2d; carting jind graVeraccoant,| £77 2s 6d j bridges account, £42 15s 9d; formation of roads account, £317:4's 4d t ; com., mission, £2 13s rcemeterjesaceoubti'£ll •- interest to Bank;"' of} 'New Zealand, "£,±5 ] ':i7i*'2&V overdraft at'Banfc'of NjßW^Zea^ lahd^July Ist, 1878; £llilßs'lldr Total —£678 12s 7d.^-AUdited and<'foaritltforie;c^; ;A;:. Hu]m$ f &', T.; ;I|f ijkfoeon.--Assets? To rat^s due for year IJB7B arid ; ;879, y £35 125.; cash due by Churph, Mis--1 sibn Society, £20; grant: authorfse'd by Hon. Native Minister^ £200 ; ofSce and furniture, £10-tolls, &c, £2 10s; total, £268 2s'.' Inabilities,:--By overdraft at ■Bank Kew 3s, jy."S I \ TljieJ Chairman pointed out thit a fare roaefs hadbeen;jparticula^yjW|3:jl jtreaiedv but he might inform'them tliaf the sums spent on these reads had been grants from tho Native Minister to be specially ex pended on these particu Ur works. Mr Alexander Hume askeld the Chairman what steps he took wjhen he represented to the County the state of the main road. j The Chairman said he had placed a notice of motion on the notice! book,, asking for a sum of £200, for their bye-' roads, and also that the surveyor be instructed to prepare a report on the state of the main road, the, Board of Works to act on that report.. He told them that if he could preverit.it, hot one penny of rates should be spent on main roads or any part of the County until they get the main roud placid iuja state of repair. Mr Head: Does the whole County revenue of rates, subsidies, etc.,; go for office expense's. ; j The Chairman said Mere Had been no money to spend for general purposes.■„.,., ■■" In reply to Mr Tifcartf, the Chkirrrisn said that he was aware a portion .of- Grey street was native land. . '' f ! Mr Hume moved, and Mr Qsboi :e seconded that the .report he^adopul. Carried. , ' ."'" '\ " ; ! The following gentlemen were then duly proposed and seconded as members of the Board:—Messrs James Marshall, W. Carpenter, John Osbonie,; Jo] q Read, J. E. Hansen and H. Yernon. Me3srs 'lizard and Day were appointed'; scrutineers. .... ; Mr Hogg asked would he be in order ,to propose a resolution that no Board be elected. He thought' it would be {better for them to let the whole thing lapse. The Chairman, said the amencliaeat could not be admitted now. i

V! Mr' Hogg said he would not press his amendment.

Mr Adlam said it was time to blot "Paiawai Board out altogether and merge into the Borough or County. He moved an amendment to the effect that no board be elected. The Chairman, rule 1 the amendment out of order, and the voting was proceded with, a number of proxies being exercised. ■ . : ' At the expiration of about hajf an hoaf the Chairman declared the following to be the result of the poll:— Hanseri, £j ; Carpenter, 34; Eead, 34; Verriod, CO; Osborne 29; Marshall, 26. He declared the first fire gentlemen to be duly elected Me, Parawai Highway Board foi- tUe the ensuing year. . , < Messrs Hulme and Wilkinson were re-elected auditors and Messrs Buckley and Stilwell fenceriewers.

The Chairman said that having disposed of the ordinary .business, they were now about to step into debatable ground. He held a letter in his hand from the Chairman of the County Council contain-

ing resolution which had been unaa^| mously carried by the County Couuc^H The resolution contained in the letter Wj^H as follows:—" That it be notified to tIM ratepayers of Parawai that if they dete^f mine their district remain as a Highws^H Board, the County Council will guarant^H the following yearly payments for expe^H diture :—l. The rates collected and thß Government subsidies thereon, less quo^H of the Government votes and grants whic^f may be made for general County roa^B works. The revenue thus guaranteed be controlled by the Highway Board, aoH the woflrs to,be executed under thesupej^| vision of the County Engineer." H^| offered to answer auyqtieifioDS pni^H him on the matter. ' The letter was received on the motio^f of^Mr Hume seconded by MrDavies. Mr Hume then stated hera|Sprehende^| that, so long, as the Parawti Highwa^f District. remained.. in existence, ia^M Thames County Counoil were now boun^f to abide by and carry out their resolutions^B and asked Mr Oarpeuter as the represenH tatiye of Parawai on that Board, th^H object of that Council in sending soc^| resolutions; " The Chairman in reply state 3 the resoH lutions were forwarded wiih a view t^M prevent _ the Parawai district taking awH further' tneasure ■•* SagainW joining t^S Thames Borough.. . . [_ _ Mr Vernon moved that tfeioffer conH < veyed ia the letter be accepted, H Mr Read seconded. He thought thaH if faith, was kept with,them iL would meeß wHat they had beea wishing lor the ptsH 12 months. H ACtQf^Mme; desultory conversation l(fl Hume moved an amendment to the efieoH that the offer be declined. He said thifl was a kind of dernier retort on the part o^| the 'County. Council; twice to prevent them from joining thß Borpugl?; nojr that.'tkere was a chance oH the counter-petition against the distrioH joining the-Borough being upset, thejH stepped in and threw a sop to tbe Board/H u\li*. G. ' W., WUkiosoa wked if M l offer had been made by nit Borough. "V The Chairman said "no." H I Mr .Onyon »eoon)d#d ] tii^reiolutionß He said the County only knew of thfl petition ifiyei weeks' ago, and they sefl about getting up a counter petition. ■ i: Mr; si Hucaef said that tfkßb salariefl alone of the County took up the wholfl 'Of!thd'Wte«'vy;s/M[jt>' -voJfl v,\ t The Chairman pointed out that thfl Co'udty wonld oWaifl £2 foriaei iubiidj ifl Parawai joined the County. H Mr Oiborno moved a%rtlier amenctl ment^to.the^effect that the Council bfl thanked for their offer. ■ In answer to a question the ChairaiaaH said he was informed that tHe counte^B petition that went down-«onlained safflfl cient names., to upset the petition in favoiH of joining the- Borough! i£Le|ilso heartH thatr some- peesonf-.Jiad signed-* paper taH the effect that .they had signed thaH counter petition under tin erroneous infl pression, but' he migljt say that wbetlud these Had' signed? it wrongly•orJightly, ifl would still upset<th« pttitioti to join the! Borough. . or , ■ ■ Mr. Onyon withdrew, Jiig nm favorpf Mr Osboiae's. ,;„.«/) I The amendment wai Ilinii ih;ij[iiililiiiiiiM unanimously. ( f ; •..-;• : T | Mr Hogg moved s vote ai Shanks tol the but-goiog board wbiok wai oarriedl with applause, i-• "■- / ••<■ -i'ml ■ The Chairman end Mr HanMeSretaraedl thanks for their reelection."'vn3