WAITOA HIGHWAY DISTRICT. Annual Meeting of Ratepayers.

Waikato Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1568, 22 July 1882, Page 2

WAITOA HIGHWA Y DISTRICT. Annual Meeting of Ratepayers.

The annual meeting of the ratepayers of the Waitoa Highway District was held in the schoolhouse, Morrinsville, on tho 15th in&t., in accordance with advertisement. Although the day was very wet. there were thirty-five ratepayers present in person, and seventeen were represented by pioxy. Mr W. A. Murray, who was called to the chair, read the advertisement convening the meeting, and then called for the animal report of the outgoing board, which was read by Mr W. P. Chepmoll, chairman of the board, who, speaking of the main Thames- Waikato road, said :— The maintenance of this road lias become a matter of great difficulty, owing to the increase of traffic consequent on the opening of the goldfield at Te Avolia/ : and this extra traffic coming at a time when the demand for road works in other parts of • the district is increasing, whilst our revenue has been diminished through the action of Parliament in reducing the subsidies, has been a heavy burden on the already crippled resources of the board. Last winter the board managed to keep the road passable by keeping a party of men constantly employed in patching up the worst places ; but owing to the heavy rains of this winter following an unusually wet summer, it has fallen into so bad a condition as to be almost impassable. Between the Waitoa and Waihou rivers a good deal of work has been done, at a cost of £266 9s. Between the Waitoa and Piako rivers fascines have been laid down in the worst places, at a cost of £19 12s, and a contract is in progress for deepening a part of the road ditch, which will cost about £60. The contract for building the five bridges between Morriii<>viUe and the confiscation boundary is nearly completed, the contract price of which amounts to £307 10s. A culvert was also put in near the Rocks, and other improvements made at a cost of £8. In addition to the abovementioned expenditure on the main road, the cost of repairs necessary for keeping the road open along the whole line, including a cutting near Morrinsville, amounted to £84 16s lid. Some repairs and improvements have been effected on the road between Morrinsville and Turnbulls, at a cost of £11 0s 61. Repairs and improvements have been made on the gorge road from TurnbuH's to the confiscation-line at a cost of £28 6s 6d. On the branch road to Cambridge, through Maungakawa, repairs have been made at a cost of £16 Bs. A considerable amount of work was also done on the same road by the manager of the Maungakawa station, including the building of two heart of kauri bridges. Repairs and improvements have been made on the Richmond road at a cost of £39. From the Upper Waitoa bridge to Morrinsville, through Maungatapu, repairs have been made at a cost of £10 6s 2d. On the Matamata and Orongomairoa roads, repairs and improvements have been made at a cost of £17 6s, exclusive of material. A new road has been opened up from the Ngutumanga boundary road to Te Puninga, through the properties of Messrs Parr and Mellon and Larkworthy, to connect the roads made by- the Auckland Agricultural Company, at a cost (including bridges over the Waitoa and Piranui) of £320, of which sum the Auckland Agricultural Company contribute £128. A sum of £24 os has been spent in making some small improvements on roads in the deferred payment block, and a contract is in progress for opening the road as far as the northern boundary of that block, for which a sum of £216 has been appropriated out of the £400 grant promised by Grovernmont for roads in the Aroha block. A road is being made through the Aroha swamp towards the lower Waitoa, which will cost about £220, of which £114 will come'out of the Government grant. The settlers on the lower Waitoa have undertaken to 'make about forty chains of this road further down at their own expense, which will make the whole line passable to the lower Waitoa flat. The receipts for the year ending 31st March, 1882, amounted to £1,833 17s Id, made up as follows : — Balance in hand' on Ist Ap*ril, 1881, £210 17s ; rates, £767 13a 4d ; gevernment subsidy, £513 Is 6d ; county subsidy, £294 17s 3d ; subscriptions, £16 8s ; deposits on contracts, £31 ; total, £1833 17s Id. The expenditure for the same period amounted to £877 0s Id, made up as , follows :— New roads, £254 8s ,4d ; bridges, £40 18s 7d; repairs, &c, £380 3s lid ; purchase of materials, &c, £.37 13s 6d ; salaries (including Engineer's commission), £76 5s 9d; travelling expenses, £6 15s ; collection of rates, £21 11s; sundries (including legal expenses), £15 17s 6d ; advertising, £14 16s 6d; deposits returned, £29 j total, £877 0s Id ; leaving a balance in hand amounting , to £956 7s. Between the 31st March and the 30th June the sum of £93 0s 6d was received, which, added to the £956 17s, made the revenue for thatf period £1049 f 17s 6d." The expenditure for the same period was £827* Is 4d, leaving a balance in hand • on the 30th June amounting t0' £222 165,2<L 11 Election of ? Officers. -rThe following gentlemen" were duly proposed- and 'seconded as members of the new; ; board : 'MessnrWi'P, Chepmell, F. D.,R.:Smale, Si Seddonj 'J.'ATurnbullj^C.-rGkmld, 3 J., Horrell,, J. Rowe, T. Rowe, T. SfcEionaM; MfiBBra v Gubbm8 r jmd^ iipp^mted'Bcnitiheer^ithe.ybtewas'Jaken

Rowe 56, J; Horrell32, T. Rowe, 26, T. McDonald 9.— The first five were dulyelected. Messrs A. W. Gubbins and J. Hunt were appointed auditors. Fence-viewers were not appointed, as the act which required their appointment by ratepayers at their annual meetings has been repealed by the Fencing Act, 1881. A motion was carried in favour of dividing the highway district. After passing a vote of thanks to the outgoing board, and to the chairman" of the meeting, tne business terminated. — [Own Correspondent ]