CASTLEPOINT ROAD DISTRICT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2289, 7 May 1886, Page 2

CASTLEPOINT ROAD DISTRICT.

ANNUAL MEETING OF RATE-

PAYERS.

• The above meeting was held at tho Road Board Office, Tinui, on Saturday about twenty-five ratepayers, exclusive of the members of the Board, being present. Mr T.- Mackay, Chairman of the Board, presided, Ho said the object of the meeting was to place before the ratopay ors the position of the Board as regardß finances, and the work, performed during the past twelve month, It would bo seen by the statement of account which he would lay .before the meeting that the Board was in a good condition, the balance »f assets over liabilities bein» £478 0a 3d.

The following statements were then read;—

Balance sheet for the year ended 31st March, 1880 :—Recoiptß—Credit balance, £313 2s; rates, Ac, including Government subsidy of £lß7los, an'd £4l 16b 2d refunded by County for overseers salary, £1265 l«s 104; total, £1578 18s lOd. Expondituro—New works, £157 6s: repairs &c, £634 19s 6d; plant and tools, £2? 17s; salaries Ac, £253 lis lOd; printing and advertising, £9 3s 2d ; deposits returned, £ls 18s; total, £1095 14s lid. Balance carried forward, £483 4s 4d. Assets, £913135; liabilities, £435 12s 9d, Expended on roads during tho year ,«—Akitoo river road, £l5O 8s; Adams' peak, £5 6s 9d; Aohanga to Woodlands, £O4 15b;, Blairlogie, £143 4s lid;' Black Hill, £lB 0s 6d; main roads, £l5B 19s Id; Manawa, £25 10s ; Makirikiri, £5 ss; MaUikunato Pakowai, £4l 13s 6d; Post Office, Tinui, to Miller's, £33; Tinui Valley road, £B6 Ids 7d; Urifci, L 37 2a 6d,; fWhakornro, L 6 9s 6d; Whareama fords, L 5 Is 6d • total, 17812s lOd.

■ The Chairman said hie,would be happy to answer any question in explanation of the accounts presented, Mr P. Mnunsell: What is tho amount of-the liability, and is it provided for? The Chairman: It amounts co £435 12a Bd, which is all provided for, the money being m tho bank, and each subdivision has been debitted with its share. The accounts presented wero then approved by the meeting, Tho Chairman said the next question to diacuas, was the amount of rate that should be levied during the next yeaK and before going into tho question, he should liko to make a fW remarks relative to the working expense* of the Road Board and Oounoil, A great deal of misapprehension and ignorance existed pn this point, and wild assertions were made regarding the enormous expenße in salaries. The Board wore paying their clerk £9O per annum, and tho overseer £150; about half of tho lattor's salary, however, waß paid by the County, leaving the amount actually paid its officors £165, say 11 per cent on tho amount of money handled by the Board, The County had done its work cheaper still, the'rate being about 8 per cent, Mr Groves was surprised to hear tho amount was so small, he thought the salaries amounted to about £3OO per annum,

Mr F. Maunsell had heard the cost was 38 per cent, The Chairman: It wbb stated so in a letter published in one of the papers, and it had been often said t]|at tho salaries, took up 20 per cent of the Board's income. He was aurptised at ratepayers belinying such statements; it was a pity that people wHo grumbled so much did not take a turn in carrying out local government, they would then be in i position to appreciate the situation. The books of both the County, and Road Board were open fonngpoction, and it was the fault of tho rapepayera if thoy did not make themselves acquainted with the facts. He believed the Wairarapa East County anc 1 this Board were.worked as cheaply as any local bodies under similar oircumstaiw in the colony. Mr R. Langdon son: Thero has been extravagance in the County in tho past, and work was undertaken at tho wrong season, for instance the Tinui bridge. The Chairman denied this and said it wag correct thatftlarßostaff was omployed. A great deal of work was done for the Government, and the estimates that had to be .prepared' for works under the Roads and Bridges Construction Act necessitated a number of extra hands. And if advantacre had not been taken of this Act there would have been no metal on the Mungapakeha, or new bridges in tho district. Plans, had to be prepared for works up to about £30,000 in order that we might get £9OOO or £IO,OOO. The plans were still of value. With respect to the Tinui bridge boing repaired in winter that could be explained. The bridge was damaged by flood, and application was made accordingly to the Government for aid to rebuild it under the Roads and Bridges Construction; After a long delay, an engineer was Sent up, the application was refused, and the County had to undertake the worts late in the season. Mr J, 3. Langdon W not how} the

matters were'not made public enough. v' ; There should be more means of making . -;! Uio raWpayors aware of what wenV on. The reports in thepaperßwero i,o(r-suf.' '■>' ficient, ■■.'..' •,;■' '•:■; ;'■ -. ; .■•.- .-■. -..-■ " The. Chairman: You 'don't surely ei-pertyourreprosentativestocallthe-rate-; : : payers together;eveiy;weok, and explain their doings. - Personally,: he was pre- : ' spared to at any ratepayers the- -' fullest information. Ho could„only aaj'., the reports in tho papers>*J^<Q^uU t and' , generally very correct. '•'-.. I atives of the Press attended the meeting! ,; ,; of the Council and ofton came the next",! morning to correct their reports'from the ( minutes and data procurable''from the ,| clerk; fle feared some ratepayers mem«\ ( ories were, at fault. He felt sure if this"--, files of the paper wero turned up, .refer- -.:' N | ence would be found to the Tinui bridge repairs. ' Before .going into the question of the amount of. rate the Board.would levy for the inext. year, it .■ would, ho thought,, be adyiaablo to give the meeting some idea of the position of the Riding, and the County taxation it r l would be liable .for. This would enable ' ratepayers to see tho .'whole, amount of theirburdehs. '■'The onginoer's!estimate ■ ':' for maintenance of main roads within the Riding was '£1697, 85... He had gone ' through the figures with Mr Bremner, and failed to see that any reduction could be made in any of.'th'e -various items. The ■ proportions for each road wero as follows: '■,< '-f —Kauiningi to Tii)ui, LG('5 5s :Jsnui to . Whakataki; L4o2y ;i l4s';. AVhalataki to Wairoata. L 298 laV'-vl "jl\ Mr Wha-, : kataki to Waitiiata Bftc|ite'is' not a fair/, proportion to the rates collected from the ',.- coaßt properties. -J My.pw'n rates amount to more than the sum allowed. '.*'.;-', -- The Chairman:: There isan '"injustice but the coastj sottlers, were' liable to pay a portion' of the expehg,e"'of the whole road from to Waiinatn. He woujd. Suggest that a new Riding be formed," comprising Nos. 8 and ' ; 7 Bub-divisvonsi < .'• Mr Bellies thoughttho coast settlers badly .treated. A great deal of work wanted doing on the Waimata hil', .'•■• .">■ Tho Chairman : Nd:doubta great deal' of works require to be dono in that direction. But what I'oadwaß to suffer if the Waimata section received more; money ? '•' Would Mr Bellis consent to have L2OO taken from the Castlepoint section, o? should it be tak'en'from theMurigapakeh»' orTirauinea? , ,'i .' A voice: Take it from'the whole lot. ' The Chairman rlf that was done then, an extra rate would have to be put on the" . Riding to keep' roads! in.repair. If every -'.' ratepayer had his own 'rates expended on"'■• his own property no good wprk%ju]d be' done, it would be a- Byshj^^Sching. bk? holes hear and there.- the minority would Buffer for .the oonefitof'. the majority. " : .; '".'."..* '". Mr J. Groves: For years.we paid rates at Tinui, and had to travel in the mud while good roads wore being made in Wairarapa, now the settlers near Tenui are getting a little metal others grumble. Pooplo in the back district must wait their turn in the way others ' have done, . _ The Chairman: To roturn to the posi- ; tion of the Couifty. Besides the LL597 for road requirementsV a debt of L 552/ existed, one half of which the Council 1 had decided this Riding aliould liquidate' during the coming twelve; months. This would bring the amount: up to L 182 3; " other sums would havo to be added, for instance share of general expenses, con- ' tribution of about Lso' due to Alfredton on account of Manawa bridge, and interest on loan.of L 25.000. In all the amount required by tho Riding would not ■:' beleßßtthan L2OOO for the year. Hoi was this sum to be raised? Tho now valuation of the district camo to L 462,052 exclusive of Crown Lands., At |d in the pound, the probable 'reyeuue would, including Crown lands„.yield sum WOO short of estimated requirements, ,and the law would ijcMyowjoore than a Jd rate tobe ;■ solution seemed to.be to'ask thfßoad . Board to assist by providing the L4OO. I Their clerk, Mv MeHutcheon, estimated the revenue of the Board would be about i LI3OO from all sources, provided aJd rate i was levied. If the distriot roads were given L4oo— Mr McHutcheon: (L4OO would not be sufficient. '

The Chairman: Well, say LCOO, This would then leave 1400 to assist the County and L3OO for working expenses of the Board. It was the only way out-of the difficulty, , Mr R, Langdon son. would not object to this, if the County would undertake not to get into debt again; -\ The Chairman; The County could not undertake that. Floods* and unforsoen circumstances might arise and bring debt on the Council, but he could assure Mr Langdon the strictest economy would be practised. They had kept within the estimate laßt year or the debt would have been L9OO in place of L 552. Considerable discussion HALplace on this point, but no resolutSFwas put bofore the meeting. Mr F. Maunsell thought the Board should be left to decide what tho rate should be. \

The Chairman: Does any ratepayer wish to propose a resolution on the question of what the, rato should bov.-..v; > There being no response, the Chairman brought up tho question of handing the expenditure of Road Board fundi) to the County to expend. . "v , Mr R. Maunsell thought it. worth while, to give this matter consideration, He had supported the Chairman's resolution on this subject in the Council at last meeting. There was no wish to abolish the Board. It could still exist and act as' a Board of advice to the Council, having indicated where the money should b() expended on the varjoijs roads, Mr Langdon feared if the Oounoil.got thismonoy it,would be oxpcndod else? Where.

The Chairman: That cannot ho. By tho amended Counties Act money raised in a riding must bo expended for its benofit. ' There would bo no niisapprppnation in the wav feared. ' - '•' • .

Mr McHulchqn asked tho-Chairman if lie did not think-the Board®*! do the wqrk as. well. i) 8 the-Cnunty, arjPtould It not bo .belt to hand the Llb'OQ to the Board? ■' !'■ -y _ The Chairman: 1 think not,! My- ids is that the mam roads ihoQld.ty-undok the control of a large representative body. Mors impartial dealings would characterise the dealings of a "-large Uiaii a small bwly, the Binall body being led by small local industries. . ':.';•''" • A pood deal of disoussion -ensued, "but no. resolution was moved. ';•'• Mr Belliss thought the. overseer should' be a County official, and thp-ißoard pay for his services when they required him. The Chairman.; I see no objection to this. The salary haß to come'out of the ratepayers', pockets in any case. MrF, -Maunsell: hi, the ratepayers have to pay it, MrR, Maunsell would ask the. Chairman to explain the local government circular issued by the Council, -He feared that ratepayers might hot understand it. The Chairman: I shall have much pleasure in doing so. J Local Government was in a most unsatisfactory state', there .was no assured and stable financel";everything waa:in a contiqual state of Ichange, and roads had to be both made and maintained out of rates, which was' wrong irjA principle.. The oirculap the Council baS* Issued dealt with the whole queifcn. Id main object was to abolish eft oii.Wd, a U#T»*ws4

Witt Iq be hand to the local bodies under" , proper' restriction, and they were to be . allowed to bunw on tho security of this. tax.' Ho felt that unless local bodies were allowed to borrow, nllimpVovcnients on roadfl would ceaso. Tho cirailav futthor ■explained, tho mooting adjourned, after according the, Chairman a vote of thanks for his on tho various questions.'

(To the Editor.) Sra.-Many of our Wairariipa friends, Vfhon visiting Wollington with tho intontion of purchasing »t To Aro House here, have been puzzled by the ■clnso proximity of another draper's sluip, to know which was which. To prevent iniatnlcos wo hsvo had tho words "Te Aro flouso' painted in blaok letters on white ground on each of uur door-steps; If they' will only look for these, errors and loss may be prevented. '. Yours, &c, James Smith, 'l'e Aro'Houao.