RANGIAOHIA OUT A HIGHWAY DISTRICT.

Waikato Times, Volume XVII, Issue 1417, 2 August 1881, Page 3

RANGIAOHIA OUT A HIGH WA Y DISTRICT.

The annual meeting of the ratcpaycis of the above district was held in the Public Hall, Te Awamutu, at 3 p.m. on Saturday. For some time there was a difficulty in obtaining a chaii man tostait with, for the gentlemen who were at first seveially proposed declined the onerous position. At length Mr J. 11. M.indeno kindly responded to the wish of the ratepayers, and occupied, the Ghai|, when, he called upon Mr Walton, the Chairman of the outgoing Board, to read the

Annual Report, which ran as follows : —"As full reports ot the business transacted at the monthly meetings of the Board have generally been given in the local papers, it is unnecessary to give more than a general summary. As you are aware, the station road has been completed by Government at a cost of £300. It would not, however, have been done but for the persistent efforts of the Board. The Board has also, during the year, got the two bushes (applied for by its predecessors) gazetted as permanent reserves, and has also secured eight acres of land close to Lake Ngaroto for a recreation ground; also a small reserve behind Sibley's land for a cemetery, and the top of the hill near Mr A. Y. Macdonalds farm for a plantation. Several applications to have f/oadq closed have been received ; but before aiiy^hing is done, it should be asQei taiijed what jtoads, are required to be closed throughout the district, and have them dealt with in one batch so as to save expense. For sevejal years some of the OJjfvupo ratepayers have wished to be joined to the Pukakura district, and the Colonial Secretary having taken the matter in hand, it has been suggested that the three Boards —Rangiaohia, Mangapiko, and Pukekura —should meet and devise some plan for a readjustment of boundaries which may have been rendered necessary by the lapse of time and the construction of the railway. That question, and also the one as to closing of roads, will have to be dealt with by the' nejy Board. Full particulars for their guidance a.{3 to any matter with which we have dealt, ot?' patti'aUy }f l}\ be found m the minute book. Novy, as to the accounts, by .[which it appears that £612 10s 7d has been dealt with by us j such however is not tho fact, as £106 8s 7d was expended by our predecessors, and vouchers for that amount were handed to us., further debts amounting to £19 5a 7d had also, $q be 'discharged., so that £$8(* 16? $d qnly has, b.een afqar cUsnqsal, and after deducting £123 l^s lOd, the yalue gf £he jna,teriaf h} bafld, i cash, in., hand, cost of surveyii^bush reserves^ advertising, $i)d gbst of collection of rates, the balauco, £303 Us 3d, left for

works, has been expended in the five subdistricts, viz. : Ohaupo, £76 6s 2d ; Te Awamutu, £75 19s Id ; Kihikihi, "£75 4s lid ; Te Rahu, £73 19s Id ; Rangiaohia, £62 2a 4d. The principal items of expenditure are for cuttings,- bridges, culverts, &c, what may be called durable works rather 'than for mere re-formation of natural road surface, which is often of questionable benefit. As far as possible kauri timber has been used for bridges, and 12-inch pipes for culverts. Every debt has been paid, and on the 30th June there was a cash balance of £21 16s Bd." Mr Rutherford wished to be informed about the Do£ Tax fund. — Mr Walton replied that ifc Wris included in what he had read out as received from the County Council. — Mr Potts asked for information as to the sub-districts in which the Ntfaroto Station was accounted for. — Mr Walton's reply seemed unsatisfactory. — Mr Monorieff :— Why does not Mr Walton anawer the question prope-ly, and not try to evade it ?— Mr Walton : — The line for the Ohaupo district is drawn at the cross roads. — Mr Weal : — What are the bush reserves for? — Mr Walton: — Mr Tole said they are , for the benefit of the di«tiiofc, but under certain condition^ of the Board which the settler who wanted timber therefrom was to comply with.— As no further questions were a^ked, Mr Sloane proposed and Mr A. Ramsay seconded, " That the accounts as read be passed," which was unanimously agreed to.

Election of Trustees. The undernamed gentlemen wore proposed and seconded as trustees for the five tub-districts as follow*. —:Mi Moncri3fl,Kihikihi; Mr Walton, TeAwnmutii; Mr Sloaue. Te Awamntu ; Mr Junta Ramsay, Eaugiaohia ;Mr Wra. Taylor, Uhaupo ; Mr Geo. Churehes,Te R.ihu. As there were two aspirants, Messrs Walton nnd bloane, for the honour of representing the same locality the Chairman thought of deciding the matter by d show of hands, but the meeting not njneeing to the mode of proeedme, pieferred that the n.imes of tlie two candidaten should be written ou the Mine sheet of paper, that the ratepayer-* pie'-ent could, under the «.u{,ervi-ion of scrutineeis, have their votes leojrded under that of their l.ivoutite. The le-ult of this was that Sloanej leceived 52 and Walton 22 votes. The Chairman therefore deelnred Mr Slohtig duly elected, tho remaining four having been previously so declared. Tho meeting then proceeded and elected Mr Walton and SergeantMaior Carley auditors, and Messrs Beitram and William Bond fenceviewers. A rate of ninepence in the £ for the current year was decided on. Mr George Flood pioposed a vote of thanks to the outgoing Board for the clear statement of accounts rendeied, which was carried by acclamation. A vote of thanks was also tendered to the efficient chairman of the meeting.

Deputation. At this stage a deputation of the MangajnUo Board, consisting of Messrs Ligeitwood, Scott, and Maunder, signified their business, and desiied a hearing on account of a long standing alleged claim of some £25 due by the Rangiaoiua Board since 1874, for joint share of a bridge erected on bound.uy near Lake Ngaroto. —Mi Ligertwood explained that the bridge was elected before his time in the district, but that he had reason to believe the claim in question was a just and honourable one. — Mr Maunder al&o addressed the meeting on the same subject, putting the matter at is-ue before the ratepayers, and .stating the many applications he, as societaly of the Board, had made from time to time for its adjustment, which was borne out by Mr John Scott. — Messrs Thompson and Sloane replied on behalf of the Rangiaohia District, arguing that the deputation had no grounds m hatover to rest their claim on. in which Mr Potts, ot Te Awamutu, quite agieed. —Mr Ligertwood said something to the effect that he " thought the Rangiaohia Trustees were gentlemen," whereupon Mr Johns opened sharply on the last speaker, and so closed the deputation and fjnisl]e<l the meeting, New BoardL At the first meeting of the newly elected trustees, Mr Sloane was elected chairman.