Meeting of Parawai Ratepayers.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3427, 16 December 1879, Page 2

Meeting of Parawai Ratepayers.

A meeting of the ratepayers of the Parawai district was held in the Schoolroom, Parawai, last erening, for the purpose of considering the proposals offered at the meeting of the County Council.

Mr W. Carpenter occupied the chair, and there was a good attendance of ratepayers.

The Chairman read the offer of the County Council made to the annual meeting of ratepayers. It was as follows: —" That it be notified to the ratepayers of Parawai that if they determine their district should remain as a Highway Board, the County Council will guarantee the following yearly payments for expenditure :—l. The rates collected and the Government subsidies thereon, less quota of expenses. 2. A fair proportion of the Gorernment rotes and grants which may be made for general County road works. The rerenue thus Guaranteed to be controlled by the Highway Board, and the works to be executed under the supervision of the County Engineer." He said at the annual meeting of the ratepayers it had been resolved to postpone the consideration of the matter to a future meeting. He would simply repeat his' remarks at the annual meeting—he was of opinion that under the circumstances it would be preferable to merge into the County than remain as at present. If they accepted the proposals of the County they would hare no reason to regret it. He now resided in the Borough and did not see that they could maintain the roads of Parawai as they could not keep their own in repair. The District Board had requested him to apply to the County Clerk for a return showing the amount of rates collected and the expenditure in the riding for one year. The Clerk probably misunderstood him .and had supplied a return for the two yean, which, shewed their total rates and subsidies had been £666 3s. while, the expenditure in Parawai had been £613 4s including their share of the Kauaeranga Bridge. The reason that no money had been available for general purposes was because Parawai had had no special rotes. There was, however, a desire on the part of the Council to do ample justice to Parawai.

In reply to a question by a ratepayer, the Chairman laid the offer would hold pood, as long as Parawai remained a Highway Board. ,

In reply to another qaeation, the Chair* man said, in addition to the £10,009, the amount of the pumping securities, the County expected to be £4000 in credit shortly. They would ha?e noticed that £6000 was passed on account of waterraces in the Assembly the other night. This amount wonld shortly be placed to their credit. \ . . '""

Mr Bead said that he considered the action of the County in the matter of the Water Supply most disgraceful. He thought the money they got from the Government should be handed to the Water Committee. It was not at all creditable to them.

A ratepayer thought the money should have been given to Parawai.

Mr Hume asked the Chairman as their representative if there was no ulterior object in getting Parawai to agree to these propositions. , The Chairman said'he knew of none. In reply to Mr Hume, the Chairman said that the only County salary it was proposed to increase was that of the the County Clerk and Treasurer. The total travelling expenses last year were £•100. i

Mr Osborne said that they were told the County had had to expend from £20,000 to £30,000 per annum, so he thought he would not be far wrong in stating that during past two years £54,000 had been spent. Parawai was one-tenth of the whole County, and according to the County's own figures they had spent in Parawai the paltry sum of £600.

The Chairman ascribed it to the special votes. Money voted for special works to other ridings could only be spent on them.

In reply to Mr Stillwell, the Chairman said the surveyor's travelling expenses had been £19 10s during last year, i Mr Head quoted an instance where the County Chairman had drawn £3 3s for one day—one guinea each from three local bodies.

Mr Hume said that they were simply aiked to join a rotten concern that some of its own members admitted would not work. He wished to know why they had treated Parawai so disgracefully during the past two years. Mr Head said he thought the proposals very fair if they could really get the money and hare the expenditure of the money themselves. He did not believe in having an engineer for a small place like Parawai. After some further discussion, Mr Vernon moved that the meeting accept the offer of the County Council, provided the proposition re the engineer be omitted. Mr Bead seconded. Mr Hume moved that tke proposition!

of the County Council be left to the Board. Mr Strange seconded. Mr Hogg spoke in support of the resolution.

The Chairman asked them to consider the latter part of motion re the board expending its own money. The mover and seconder said they were not inclined to modify it.

Mr Hume altered his amendment so that it read that they accept the first and second propositions of the County Council. ■*. Mr Hogg seconded.

After some quibbling about the wording of the amendment, and a good deal of irrelevant discussion, the amendment was put and carried.

It was resolved to forward the motion to the Chairman of the County Council. A vote of thanks to the chairman, proposed by Mr Hogg, terminated the proceedings.