MASTERTON ROAD BOARD.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1677, 5 May 1884, Page 2

MASTERTON ROAD BOARD.

Fecial meeting.

A special , meeting of the Board was held to day. Present—Messrs Meredith (chairman), Chamberlain, and Beetham,, Tho following ' rates were struck in conformity with the notice l previously, given(l) A general rate of Ji in the £ for tho year 1884-5, and (2) a special rate of §rds o i ; a penny in the £ on certain properties to repay £305 15s 2d,'borrowed under the Roads and Bridges Act for the Masterton-Glad-stone road, and (3) a special rats of one-fourteenth of a penny in the £ to repay £l4lß 15s lid for the Alfredton district road. ,

ANNUAL MEETING. . . The annual meeting was then held,. Mr Meredith (in the chair), and about a dozen ratepayers being present. . ■ The Chairman said he considered tho object of the .meeting was to give the ' ratepayers an opportunity of challenging any of the proceedings of the Board during the past year or to elicit | any information they might require. The Act was not vevy explicit as to the proceedings at the annual meeting,: and lie presumed that the procedure, was very much in the hands of the ratepayers. He considered the Government had hamporod the local bodies a good deal by throwing expenses on them such as advertising, which did not go into road work, The Board were quite prepared to give any explanation of the balance sheet which might be required. The Secretary the.n read the balance sheet for the past year. The Chairman explained that only the representative of ono remote ward was allowed travelling expenses, and this chargo was debited against tho ward in question. Another . charge which bore heavily upon them was a continuous overdraft, occasioned by a delay in progress payment through the Public Works Engineer delaying when called upon to inspect works that were ready to bo passed. They had made repeated complaints: to the Government on his dilatoriness, and the Board bad appointed a deputation to wait on the Government to urge the question on the attention of the authorities. Their debtor balance had very frequently exceeded a thousand pounds. The general expenses of the Board were debited, pro rata, to the different wards and the Engineer's expenses to those wards which had received the benefit of bis services.

The Engineer then read his annual report to the ratepayers. . The Chairman pointed out that in many cases applications under the PiOads and Bridges Coastruction Act had been thrown out at the poll, after the Board had gono to a considerable expense in taking preliminary steps; Latterly the Board had insisted that tho promoters of such applications should guaarntee the Board against losses of such a character. He invited any ratepayer present to express an opinion on the balance sheet and the report aa read.

Mr R, Have proposed that the report as read be adopted. Mr E, E. Cbamborkin seconded the motion, which was'carried unanimously.

Mr Holmes asked with reference to the £4OO to be recovered from the County how the Board proposed to divide it

The Chairman said this point had not as yet been discussed. The money had not yot beon recoived, but probably this question would ,be dealt with at the next meeting of the Board.