Annual Meeting of Parawai Ratepayers.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3909, 9 July 1881, Page 2

Annual Meeting of Parawai Ratepayers.

The annual meeting o£ the Parawai ratepayers was held last evening in the Parawai school-house. There was a fair attendance, though fie roads were in an almost impassable state, owing to the heavy rain yesterday. It was proposed by Mr Carpenter, and seconded by Mr Dean, that Mr Bead take the chair. The motion was cerried unanimously.

Mr Carpenter, Chairman of the Board, then read the annual report and balance sheet of the Parawai Highway Board, of which the following is a summary:—The Board could not congratulate the ratepayers upon any improvement in the position or prospects of the district as the outcome of last year's experience. This was principally owing to causes which had materially retarded their progress in the past, viz., the operation of the Counties Act, 1876", combined with the actiou taken re merging ; and so long as there was a want of unanimity on the part of ratepayers, the progress of the district would be retarded. The Board had retrained from striking a rate iv addition to that levied by. the County, deeming it wiser to endeavour to carry into effect the proposals of the County Council with reference to the expenditure by that body, of au equitable proportion of Cocuty revenue upon works opproved or recommended |>y the Board. The

Board had submitted a list of necessary works to the Council, and they would have been completed had a petition not been sent to the Governor praying for the merging of the district into the Borough. The Council had, however, after receipt of information that the petition was informal, paid for the carrying out of several works. A statement of expenditure incurred by the Council in conformity with recommendations made by the Board was attached, from which it would be spen that the expenditure had been largely in excess of receipts. The financial position of the Board was unsatisfactory, the bank overdraft to date being £368 11s. It was anticipated, however, that a sum of £200 would be received from Government, which would be applied to the reduction of the overdraft. The money in question had been promised by Mr Sheehan when Native Ninister, and it was very probable his successor would order it to be paid. An application had been sent to the Borough Council for payment of promised contributions amounting to £12 10s. The Board has been advised tbat the County Council had appropriated £200 for expenditure in the district for the period ending March 31st, 1882, as a fair proportion of County revenue. This calculation had, however, been made without reference to subsidies or special grants. .Referring to the valuation roll ordered by Mr Kenrick, 8.M., the Board desired it to be understood that that was not rendered necessity through an oversight, but was in consequence of the conviction forced upon the miuds ot members that the petition sent to the Governor would have resulted in the district becoming part of the Borough, and consequently expenditure in that direction would be unnecessary. The statement of the receipts and expenditure for the year ending 30th June 1881, showed that the former had been £56 16s fid, and the latter a like amount. The liabiltties were set down at £426 7s od, and the assets (including £200 expected from Government) at £222 10s. The statement of receipts and expenditure by the County Council for the year ending 30th June showed that £576 os had been expended, and £275 5s received in excess of expenditure over receipts of £301. The report was received. In reply to a question, Mr Carpenter said the works mentioned in schedule B of the report had been done, and those in schedule A were to be done. Mr Dean then asked whether the works in question were to be done if the County Council had to refund the rates received by them during the last three

years. Mr Carpenter thought it was hardly fair to ask the County Council to refund the money, as they had already spent more than they had received. Mr Dean asked whether Mr Carpenter was aware that it had been proved that the Hutt (Wellington) County Council had not been able to rate a highway district within its boundaries. Mr Carpenter advised the ratepayers not to raise the question with regard to the Thames County Council, for the simple reason that the Government were determined to settle the question of local government this session, and whatever they (the Government) did, it was sure to Ife beneficial to the Highway Board. Mr Dean said the only advantage Government intended to give them as yet would be the power to rate native lands in the district. Mr Allom asked Mr Carpenter to explain schedule B in the report, and in reply Mr Carpenter said he had made it up to show the ratepayers what the Council had dove for the district,' The Chairman asked Mr Carpenter if the properties of Messrs Walker and McCowatt were in the Parawai Highway district, and Mr Stevens said they were not.

. Mr Carpenter acknowledged hid mistake and struck out the items referred to. Mr Dean then drew Mr Carpenter's attention to the fact that he had not included Parawai's share in the small water race, wliich amounted to about £1000, in the receipts by the County for Parawai. Mr Carpenter held that the Highway Board had received a full equivalent for the rates gathered, and, besides, he considered the Board had. on condition that their overdraft was paid, disposed of to the

Borough Council whatever interest i

had in the race. They must take into account that they had lost three months by the petition, and must therefore only count for nine months' expenditure. A ratepayer: "Did the Council only collect rates for nine months ? " (Laughter )

Mr Hume said he could not see when the item £107 had been spent on the Kauaeranga Valley road. Mr Carpenter called Mr Peat, who proved that every penny of the money had been spent. Mr Hume said he was mnch surprised when this statement was put before him for signature, as he knew nothing previously of it, and thought the accounts should b« audited by the members of the Highway Board. Mr Osborne conlended that this meefciDg bad only to do with the receipts and expenditure of the Parawai Highway Board, and not of the County Council. He objected to the statement of the Couuly Council's receipts and expenditure being coutjeuted with the report of the Highway Board. It the money speDt by the County Council had been spent by the Highway Board, the roads would be in a much better state than they were at present. (Hear, hear.)

Mr Carpenter explained that the statement vraa merely to show what was done with the mouey collected by the Council from the Parawai Highway District, and the works done were all done on the recommendation of a committee of the Parawai Highway Board. Mr Dean objected to Mr Carpenter suppressing the fact that more than the amount stated had been subscribed by the Mount Sea road residents towards the cost of the road.

Mr Carpenter explained that Mr Dean's statements were true, but they referred to a previous transaction. In answer to a question, he said that the work of carting the gravel to the Mount Sea road had been done by contract.

Mr Hume thought all works in the Highway District should be done by contract, and the Chairman upheld the suggestion.

Mr Hopkins thought a footpath should be made from the Parawai bridge to Mr Stillwell's, as it was badly wanted.

The Chairman thought it was too expensive, owing to the hill continually slipping on to the road.

Mr Hopkins tbeu seconded the adoption of the report. Mr Deau proposed as au ameadroent, " That the report n not satisfactory to

this meeting." He did so on the grounds that the report did not contain the whole of the receipts by the County Council on behalf of the Parawai Highway District. Mr Carpenter explained the matter to Mr Dean. The Chairman asked whether he was to take the report as from the Board or from the Chairman only. Mr Carpenter said it came from the Board, and had been agreed to at a meeting of the Board. Mr Allom proposed that Mr Carpenter take schedule B. from the report and lay it on the table as comibg from himself.— This was agreed to. s The report as amended was then adopted. Mr Carpenter moved, and Mr Allom seconded, that the balance sheet be adopted. • Mr Dean proposed that the balance sheet be considered unsatisfactory, inasmuch ns they would have to strike a rate of 2s in the £1 to clear off the back debt.

Mr Carpenter said there was no need to do so, as either the Borough or the County would be willing to wipe it off if Parawai merged into either of them. He said Mr Sheehan had .promised a grant of £200 to the Board when Native Minister, and he had no doubt they would receive it. The Borough Council also owed the Board £10, and if they acted honorably they would pay it. He thought it would be much better for Parawai to remain a Highway District. The statement of receipts and expenditure was then adopted. The election of a Board for the ensuing year was then proceeded with. Mr Crick proposed Messrs Osborne, Hume, Gillespie, Marshall, and Hansen.

Mr Carpenter was nominated, but with the consent of the proposer withdrew, and there being no other gentlemen honiiuated, these were declared duly elected. Messrs G. T. Wilkinson and Carpenter were elected auditors, and Messrs Stillwell and J. Buckley wer«r appointed fence viewers for the ensuing year. Mr Carpenter moved—" That it is not expedient for the Parawai ratepayers to take any steps in altering the present condition of the district until the question of local self-government be settled by the Government." ' He said the petitions which were constantly going round greatly retarded the progress, of the district.

Some discussion then took place on the question, but nothing definite was done.

A vote of thanks to the Chairman brought the meeting to a close.