TEMPLETON.

Thiordinarv monthly meeting 6f thie place at -Jiwd Office, Yaldhurst, on , ' Bailey, Maainness, Holmes and SavUl. Th£ business teaneacted dSrtoK the month with reference to weeising tenders, &c, which was apS? Correspondence was then teadFrom the Waimakarirl Bvver Board, stating that a resolution had been passed Iteiking rites on all properties «"*""*. withinthe boundaries of class 1 »*••"»£ fourths of a penny ia the £, and on ail proLrty comprised\viUun the boundaries of class 2 threo-sixty-fpurchs of a ponn> in the £. Besohecl—That the matter stand over untUthegeneral rat* wasstruck-iTOm the Treasury, stating that the sum of £58 13s. lOd haci been placed to this Board s credit at the Bank, being amount of subsidy payable under the Act. Erom tue Seiwyn County Council, stating that this Board's contribution to the fUDde of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Boards amounts to £176 lls Od. Resolved—That die same be taken out of any funds available which the Council may have etanduig to Board's credit. Instructions were given for w,ork in putting in culverts opposite Mr O'Brien's house and ftt corner of Lunn a road to be carried out. With reference to the culvert proposed to be substituted by the Kicearton Board for the present one at tho Riccarton Church corner, the Clerk to write to the Surveyor to the ■Riccarton Board stating that this Board w williug to pay half the cost of pipes required exclusive of labor. A footbridce was also ordered to be erected over the open crossing by Jetfs* corner. The I tuattei- of the the school road, Rircartoii, was iigain uiscussed, aud it was 'decided to ciury out the work in acj. cordauee with the plan and specification I prepared, as Rev. C. Bowcn had kindly given his consexit to a ditch being made along part of-hi» froiitajje on the school rotid. The Clerk infoiiJteii the Board that no tender had. been forthcoming for forming James and part of Ryan's roads in answer to advertisements, and it was remarked that it was to a certain extent satisfactory to think that contractors shou d be so busy ac not not to require the work. Information had been lodged with the police which led to the conviction of several persons who had been rioting on the footpaths, and fined accordingly, and the Board hoped that it would be a, warning to any others in the habit of committing a similar offence. The nomination day for the proposal of members to represent Nos. a, '6, and 4 wards was fixed for last Thursday, and as Messrs G. ,D. Marsh, G. F. Carpenter, and S. Bailey, were the only candidates nominated, the Returning Officer had advertised aud declared those gentlemeu to bo duly elected members for the future Board to represent their respective wards. Other routine business having been transacted and the pay si!>• amounting to £28 5s 4d adopted aiui the meeting adjourned.

The annual meeting of ratepayers of thi s district took place at the Road Board office' Yaldhurst. on Tuesday, May Ist, at twelve o'clock noon. MrG.-i\ Carpenter, Chairman of the Road Board, presided, and asked the Clerk to read the Board's report of their proceedings for the past year, which went fully into detail of all moneys expended during thut period, and notified all roads'which had received special attention, as well as drawing the ratepayers' attention to any extraordinary works executed. Reference was made to the loss sustained by.the resignation as ClerkoE Mr John Taylor, whoseengagementtermiuated at the commencement of the year. Mr Taylor had been connected with the Board for over twenty years, having been a member from its earliest days, aud both as Chairman and Clurk had always performed the duties allotted to him in such an able and conscientious; manner as to win for him the respect and goodwill of the whole district, and general regret at his leaving. The balance-sheet of receipts and expenditure was then read, the receipts being— Balance in Bank on March 31st, 1887, £a) 96 4s Bd, and the income from rates collected and other sources, including-Govern-ment subsidy, &c, £1083 163 sd, making a total of 23182 Os Bd. The expenditure of the Board for the same period amounted to £166817s 2d (which includes payment to the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board funds of £142 3s), leaving the balance of £1513 3s 6d credited to the several sobdivisions as follows:—No. 1 Ward, £13 8s 9d; No. 2 Ward, £6 Os 8d; No. 3 Ward, £432 OsM; No. 4 Ward, £599 6s lid; No. 5 Ward, £462 Os Sd. The Chairman, in a few brief remarks, stated that although they would notice that the balance at the bank was smaller than at a similar period last year, fetill he thought they had every reason to be satisfied with their financial condition, as .works of a permanent character -had '■ been carried out entailing ; large outlay * and would, *fc any race, be reasonably expected to last for a considerable time." He 'further said that as the report fully dealt with almost every question, there was but little for him to add, but before resuming his spatjhe w6'uld like to point out to the ratepayers the very large item which would appear in next year's;payments, viz., the .amount due from this district for charitable-pur-poses. The contribution due for the ensuing year of £17611s 6d was more than £30 in excess of the amount paid last year, aud seemed to be steadily on the increase, and he would beg to point out what a serious item this was:to take out'of the rates, or other funds, due, to the. Board, Mucli' discussion followed upon this sub-j joot, and the Chairman answered Several questions upon this and-other matters. MrG. D. Marsh then rooV'ed, and. Mr Hepworth seconded,',itbe following resolution jrrA' That this meeting has very great pleasure in adopting .and pa«siag the balance-sheet of accounts a"nd report of the Board's proceedings- for the 'past year." Carried unaniinpusjy. Mr ;W. ActonAdams, in moving a vote of confidence in the Board, and thanking them ou behalf oihis, fcilQw-ratepayers for their services during the past ycac, stated that the fact of so much money having been expended in the%-rdadsinall parts of the district proved .to-him that the district was well looked after, and every endeavour made to satisfy all. The resolution was seconded by Mr Hepwprth, and carried unanimously, ana the meeting dissolved.