NEWCASTLE ROAD BOARD.— ANNUAL MEETING OF RATEPAYERS.

Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1850, 15 May 1884, Page 2

NEWCASTLE ROAD BOARD.— ANNUAL MEETING OF RA TEPA YERS.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, — The annual meeting of ratepayers of the above district was held in the Whatawhata school-room on Saturday, the 10th inst. Although I was not present myself, I learned from enquiry that, like many other p.irts of the Waikato, very few ratepayers attended. The accounts, balancesheet and auditor's report being road and laid before the meeting for inspection, those present expressed themselves fully satisfied as to their correctness. The balance-sheet showed that the board's liabilities on the 31bt of March last were about £170 in e\cess of the assets. This is a large sum for the board to have still to wipe off. But this Inrge debt may be accounted for to some evtent by the defalcations of about £ISO in the accounts of the late secretary at the time he bade hU adieu. Prom another question which cropped up at the meeting, it would appear that a small number of ratepayers are anxious to take advantage of the borrowing system under the Roads and Bridges Contraction Act, and aro urging on the board to get plans and specifications prepared for £000 for works to be forwarded to the Government, which would mean £15 to start with, for the expense of preparing plans and estimates, whether the loan be got or not. If this movement be canied out ifc will have the effect of increasing the present debt of the board to over £1100. I would therefore ask my fellow ratepayers, Are we to remain silent while a few interested parties by an ingenious move are endeavouring t<» uige the board to incur this largo and unnecessary expense? From what I can learn from those who arc supposed to know, the present annual income of the board by way of rates is about £100. Nearly £(>0 of this amount would have to be paid <iway yearly for 15 years to pay back loan and expenses attending same if the above proposal to borrow be carried out, and about £100 only would then remain at the disposal of the board to pay all expenses attending its administration, as well «is to pay off the present £470 debt. Will the originators of the borrowing scheme answer the question, How is the difficulty to ba got over if we are to borrow, and will the ct editors of the board to whom the £470 i\ now due be likely to be sacish'ed to remain out of their money for the next 15 yeiUN.'" The b><ud owes me a small amount for some time, and I am certainly not inclined to allow it to pass beyond the time allowed by the Statute of Limitations. — I am, &c, A Ratepayer. Newcastle, May 12th, 1884.