CAMBRIDGE HIGHWAY DISTRICT ANNUAL MEETING.

Waikato Times, Volume XIII, Issue 1103, 19 July 1879, Page 2

CAMBRIDGE HIGHWAY DISTRICT ANNUAL MEETING.

The following are I lie report and balance sheet brought forward at Wednesday's meeting, an d adopted by the ratepayers : —

Report, of the Camhrbujr District JLi ; ,JnVm/ Jtetm!, for the Riticpin/crs, id the ■ AiiimfflJlcef itit/, ldf/i J/i/i /t IS7O. Me Ciiathman and Gentlemen, Th.3 is the third time you have done' mo th c honor of permitting mo to comi^bcfor o you m my present capacity. In laying thu report of tho proceedings of the Trustees, for the last year, before you, there never was a greater need of an explanation of circumstances • When the present Board of Trustees took office the Board was nominally mi n debt £129 7s:od, but actually had a credit of £150 standing to the Jedit of it Cambndgc-Piako Road. That road wa° then as is now m a state of proinW The > Board thought to simplify matters putting the money all W ono Sun? the Board being responsible for any liabilities incurred on that road. The Board was desirous of getting all works as forward as possible, m the early S of the year With that object ifvev they gave the Bank personal .security for such monies as they «omddewd they St require fall they could collect souTof the rates. They invited tenders for the various works required to be done, when on y 0 " tender was received, m several in£ice S aaa m some mam none at all, and tS

that wore received, were from 20 to 25 per cent, higher for the same work than last year, and wo arc sorry to have to say that, m every instaneo, except one, the contractors tried to do, and did do the Board, m some shape or way. The Board had tho greatest difficulty m getting the contractors to perform their contrncts m accordanco "wi^ tne ir tonder (possibly the shoo may pinch some, but, if it dont, they need not put it on). The Board have succeeded hi getting that part of tho main road, from Mr John Martyn's prato to Mr Leslie's, all formed and gravelled, and have the assurance to teay (fearless of contradiction) that itjsrho best three miles of road m Wuikato. The whole of the main road between Cambridge and Hamilton has now been gravelled, with the exception of that short distance along the flat, m front of Mr Leslie's, which has been properly formed, and is of such a nature as to not require gravelling 1 . Tho hill at Mr Leslie's is not m the conditiou wo could like to have had it, but the money we had at our disposal would not warrant us m doing more than wo havo done to it. The Waikato County Council voted £50, specially to improve tho hill, but the Engisioer reported that sum would only half do the work, consequently, we could not touch it, for the twofold reason of the want of means > and being so late m the season ere th° money was granted, but, no doubt, th© money will bo forthcoming for the New Board.

Wo regret that a small portion of the main road, m front of Mr Arnold's, is not m as good a condition as it ought to be, and must have repairs at once. The Narrows Bridge work was another matter of considerable magnitude that was pitch-forked onto your Trustees, whioh proved to be a very expensive, piece of work ; although, through the kindness of Mr A. Graham arranging with a lot of Maoris, it only cost one-half *oi the amount of the tenders invited and received, <

The next most important matter which I must refer to, is this vexed matter of Cambridge-Piako road— it Was the principsil thing which induced at least two of tho present Trustees to take office this last year, to try, if possible, to get the work completed which they had begun ; but I am sorry to say we have signally failed m accomplishing that object. We have been quite unable to get the contractor to complete his contract, and the amount of water jiow m the drains proliibits his completing the work. The Trustees regret, exceedingly, tho non- completion of this work, and the annoyance it must naturally be to the new Board, considering that the portion of the work uncomplete is the most of a mile into another district. The Board have only paid the contractor £100 out of £300, which was the amount of the contract. What this Board has considered to recommend to the new Board, would be for them to hand the portion of the road over to the Board to which it legitmately belongs, and hand them the money that will be due when the contract is completed, or say £100 ; and the £150 hourly expected, which the Hon. John Sheehan, the Native Minister, promised, when last at Cambridge, to assist m completing that portion of the road which passes through the Maori land. There arc still two small pieces of swump on the road to go through, although there is a good passable riding road round those parts at present until fenced m. The present Board have done their very utmost to make and keep m a passable condition every road m the district whenever requested. I also regret that there is some oversight somewhere regarding the certificate of register of the closed roads through Messrs Fanthnm's and Clark's properties not having been received. I sent tho necessary papers and plans away to the Registry Office about the middle of last October, and have recei ved no reply. The other papers about the other stopped road •have all been sent, and no doubt but they will come all right m time. With those explanations, the Secretary will now read yon the abstract of acconnts, and the book containing all the items of receipts and expenditure are there for any ratepayer who wishes to peruse it, and I will be most happy to answer any questions regarding anything I may have neglected or may not havo been understood. Abstract of Meevipts ami Expenditure of Cambridge District Highway Board, for the gear 1878-1879. EEOEIPTS. £ s. d. To Rates Collected .. .. 270 3 0 First and Second Instalment of Government Subsidy .. .. 386 011 F. D. Receipts . . . . 300 7 G Interest on F.D.R. three months . . . . 3 7 6 Waikato County Council 450 0 0 Cambridge and Piako Road 300 0 0 Sale of two posts to P.O. 12 0 Cash received for roads stopped .. .. 72 14 0 Deposits for stopping roads . . . . . . 5 0 0 Refund from Tamahcro Board 5 0 0 Refund from Eirikiriroa Board 6 0 0 Dr. Balance .. .. 167 111 Total £1972 18 4 RECEIPTS. £ s. d. By Dr. Balance at end of last year .. .. 129 7 5 Road Formation .. 634 16 5 Gravelling Roads .. 571 17 4 Repairs of Roads . . 239 14 9 Sundry Expenditure .. 100 12 10 Engineer's Expenses of Surveying . . . . IQ6 3 0 Valuer's Salary . . . . 6 0 0 Secretary's Salary .. 10 0 0 Bridges and Culverts . . 230 1 8 Advertising .. .. 30 13 6 Collecting Rates . . 13 12 6 Total £1,972 18 4 We hereby certify that we have examined the books and vouchers of the Cambridge District Highway Board, for the year ending June 30, 1879, and found them correct. Signed : James HaLly, Auditor. H. M. D. Peaesox, Acting Auditor.