Annual Meeting of Parawai Ratepayers.
The annual meeting of ratepayers of the I'arawai Highway district was held at the school-room last evening at 6.30. There were about 20 present.
On the motion of Mr Dean Mi* A. Hume was voted to the chair.'
The Chairman having the advertisement,.- called on the Chairman of the Board,., Mr Carpenter, to read the annual report which he did as follows:—In presenting the tenth annual report the Board has again the unwelcome task of recording that, during the
past year the district has not been in ft flourishing condition, owing to the same causes adverted to in the report last year. It mil be remembered that as a partial solution to the difficulties which attended the management of its affairs, an offer was submitted to the ratepayers from the County Council in July last by which an expenditure was guaranteed of rates collected, and subsidies received, and proportion of grants received from Government less quota of expenses. This was not accepted at the time, and for a considerable period little could be done by the Board beyond providing for repairs incident to ordinary wear and tear. However, at a meeting of ratepayers held December 18th, 1879, the offer of the County was accepted, and since that date the County haa paid through the Board the sum of £177 2s, which was expended upon work referred to in schedule A ; but this amount, it is but fair to remark, does not represent the whole expenditure by the County within the limits of the Parawai Biding ; for we find, on reference to the books in the ,County Council office, that, exclusive of a special grant of £350 on account of the Eauaeranga Valley road, and the above iiamed sum of £177 2s, a further sum of £228 17s 8d was expended by it upon various works and. .metalling main road. Jhe rat js collected by the County during the year amounted to £152 16s, the subsidy thereon being £152 16s, or a total of £305 12s received as against a total expenditure of £405 19s Bd. In addition to tho amount paid by the County the Board received from the Government in grants and subsidies £247 15b 3d ; from rates and subsidies £31143 lid; making a total amount of £279 10s 2d ; of this £247 15s 3d, was paid to the Bank of New Zealand in reduction of the overdraft, leaving at the disposal of the Board £30 4s 9d for office and miscellaneous expenditure. The Board hoped to be able to announce a furtherTeduction in the overdraft at the bank, which now stands at £345 4s 2d. A sum of money was promised by Mr Sbeehan when Native Minister, in aid of certain works, which were undertaken by the previous Board by means of advances, from the bank, The new Ministry repudiated the claims, but Mr Sheehan. has the papers with him at Wellington, and the' Board anticipates that information will shortly be received that the assistance he promised will be recognised as a legitimate liability by his successor in office. — In that case the money on arrival should be applied in reducing, the overdraft, in accordance with an arrangement made with the manager of the bank %hen the money was obtained.—Wm. Cakpbnte», Chairman." He moved the reception of the report and balance sheet, which was alsoread,
Mr Osborne seconded. Carried. Mr Carpenter then moved the ndoption which was seconded by Mr J. Hudson, and also carried.
! . Mr Carpenter said some doubts bad been ! expressed that this meeting could not i transact any of the business in the advertisement because not a»single person present had paid one penny of rates. He wished to. draw attention to the 10th section of the Act which enacted that persons who had not paid rates anterior ! to the 30th June rould not take part in [ the business of this meeting. Having ! read the clause he said that on the I assumption that there were no impediments, and that all the forms under the | Act had been complied, there could be no I doubt but that those present could proi deed 'with .the busineM; , When the i Board levied the rate, which was Id in I the £, there was no intention of collecting it—it being struck at the instance of Mr Vernon, a member of the Board, who Urged that it was necessary. Some members took a different view, but, however, the motion was carried, the Board unfortunately overlooking Clause 10. He gave as bis opinion that tbey could 1 vote, though the difficulty seemed to him | to be one of small moment as in their i present position the board was simply a Board of Works who made recommencla- | tions to the County Council. They | derived no revenue and could not perform I any of the functions they were empowered ! to perform. | Mr Dean said that it was absolutely ; necessary to strike a rate, the wording of < the Highway's Act being the Board shall strike a rate not may. He quoted section 39 bearing out his statement which he said set aside any power the Board might say tbey had to dispense with the striking ,ot a rate. The only alternative now .was to strike one under the Hating Act. The Chairman of the Board in his notice in the paper of January 16th, of the intention to strike a rate of Id in the £, said that the rate book would be open ou a certain date for inspection. That rate book had never been open, had never been signed, and in fact had never been in existence. The Act was very plain on that point. He moved, " That as no' rate was struck iast year, the ratepayers present proceed to elect a new board, fence viewers, auditors, and fix a rate."
In reply to a question Mr Dean said the ratepayers could fix the nature and amount of the rate, but the Board alone could make the rate. Mr Carpenter replied to Mr Dean, and then seconded the motion, which was carried. Mr Carpenter then mored that it bo an 1 instruction to the Board not to strike a rate exceeding 3d in the £. Mr Hausen seconded. Carried. On the motion of Mr Dean it was resolved that Messrs Hanson, J. Hudson, Carpenter, Marshall, and Osborne constitute the new Board. The fence viewers and auditors were re-elected without opposition. At this point Mr Dean pointed out that Mr Hume, being an auditor, and an officer of the Board could not legally preside at the meeting. This was Emitted, and Mr Marshall was voted to the Chair and the business again formally gone through to legalise the proceedings of the meeting.
Cr Carpenter said that it was his opinion that after they knew the decision of Parliament they should take some definite course, either by joining the Boiouph or the County, and he thought a resolution should be passed instructing the Board to call the ratepayers together should anything of importance crop up. He considered the County had acted very liberally to the Board, and tnat it was a pity the County's offer had not been accepted at first. , r
After some desultory conversation, the meeting adjourned with a vote of thanks to the chairman. , .
At the meeting of (he new Board Mr Carpenter was re-elected Chairman.
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/THS18800728.2.13
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Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3615, 28 July 1880, Page 2
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1,228Annual Meeting of Parawai Ratepayers. Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3615, 28 July 1880, Page 2
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