Otautau Ratepayer's Meeting.

Otautau Standard and Wallace County Chronicle, Volume 1, Issue VIII, 21 June 1905, Page 2

Otautau Ratepayer's Meeting.

i he loan; proposals Approved. A meeting of ratepayers, convened by the Otautau i Town Board, was held m the 1 own Hall, Otautau, on Friday evening j last, to considers proposal to raise a loan of £600, fo;* the purpose of carrying out the various public works, as advertised for several weeks m the Otautau Standard. Mr X, Matheson (chairman of the Town Board) presided, and was supported on the; platform by Messrs Swhan, Kelly; Scatter, and Officer (members o( the Town Board) and Mr John Fisher Among the small number of ratepayers present were -Dr Baird, . and Messrs P. Acheson, Gunn, Di mock, King, Holt, T. Dyer, J. Baker, Joyce, Joseph Swap, and W. McGarvie. The Chairman, m opening the meeting, expressed his surprise at seeing so few ratepayers present, and said he could only take it as an indication that the proposal of the Town Board to raise a loan of £600, for necessary works, was approved of. The matter hud been placed before the ratepayers already, and it was therefore unnecessary for him to explain the proposal further. He then called upon the clerk to read the notice convening the meeting and the schedule of proposed which was done. • Mr Joseph Swap said he was not opposed to the, proposal to raise a loan, but he noticed that while the amou.it of the proposed loan was stated at -9600, the schedule ot works amounted to £ 927, aid he thought this should be explained, .before any motion was put to the meeting. The Chairman : It will be t'iree years before this money can be obtained. It can only be given at the rate of £200 a year, and surely the Town Board vyill be ab!e to provide the rest of the money required, Mr Swap : That is quite r'ghl Mr Chairman, and no doubt the rates would provide the balance of the money, but the schedule gives the amount ot work to be done at -8900 and the loan is only for £600. The Chairman : It is for yon to say whether you; approve of the proposal or not. So much is to be borrowed and the remainder made up by the ratepayers. Mr Swap; Jt "would be fetter if you explained what works you proposed doing out of the lo'-n and what out of the ratepayers' money. The Chairman said he thought the matter wis fully expl lined m the notice which the clerk had read As to the works proposed for the Main Street, it was really illegal for the Board to spend a penny on the street. However, it would be for the ratepayers to decide whether it could be done or not. ./ Ihe Clerk drew attention to the fact that the notice published read that the 16»|i \ya| for the purpose of carrying out thejworks mentioned m the schedule, or as much thereof as the loin would pay for. Mr Swap*.:- Oil I That's all right, The- Chain-pup explained that a rate would have to be struck m connection wirlv the loan, but although struck, jt need not be collected. The Clerk satd the Act provided that "vynen a special rate is maie over the whole of any legal subdivision of a district as security for a loan, the annual .charge m respect of the loan may be paid out of any separate rate made over the whole of the same subdivision and m auy such case it shall not be necessary to collectable special rate." Dr Baird: Is it usual for the anjouittofth.; schedule of works to

be m excess of the amount of the loan? The Chairman : It is not usual, but the town will be m a position to : niake up the balance. Jt is m the; powsr 9* the ratepayers to excise any of the items. Dr Baird thought the loan proposa 1 would be more popular with* the ratepayers if they knew exactly what works the £600 would be spent upon. The Chairman said the members of the Board would have to be trusted to see that the money was % properly spent and if the ratepayers had no faith m the Board, they should not put them there. Dr Baird said he had faith that the Town Board would expend -the,jnoney on necessary works, but thepoint was that they did not- know 1 . , exactly on what works the £600. would be spent. > The Chairman" did not see the , necessity for Dr Biird's remark, ithe had faith that the Board would: spend the money on necessary work?. Mr Swap then moved the follow* ing motion : "That the Town Boardi be authorised to raise a loan of £600 t m three instalments of £200 per ari» num, to carry out the works em-< bodied m the schedule submitted to this meeting, so far as the loan wil provide." He thought the Boa d had done the right thirij* m proposing to raise the loan, because there we* c important works required to be do c that could, never be a-corcolishcd without it if they waited ten yea rs^ As to the schedule' they would _imr* ply have to leave it to the discretion: of the Board to decide how tl c money was to be spent. Mr King, m seconding the motiorj expressed the opinion that the Bond had taken a very wise step and on& which would keep them m the recollection of the ratepayers. . There being no amendment, the motion was put and earned unan> mously. Dr Baird then moved '• That the poll of ratepayers, to determine whether the loan is approved or not, take place on -Friday, £oth June, 1905" This was seconded by Mr P» Acheson and carried. ■ t . With reference to the objection raised m an eailier part of the meeting as to the amount of the schedule being m excess of the amount of the loan, the clerk explained that it was better so, because the Act providedthat if, on completion of the works i for which any loan was obtained,. it was found all the money lent was' , not required for the purpose for ! which it was borrowed, then the money not so required would have | to be refunded to the Treasury. ' This concluded the business and. the meeting terminated.