WAIREWA COUNTY. RATEPAYERS MEETING.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume LVI, Issue 5988, 24 April 1935, Page 1

WAIREWA COUNTY. RATEPAYERS MEETING.

(From Ciiir correspondent). A ; .meet inig of ratepayers of the Waire'w'a County was hekll in the Triangle Hal'l, Lilttlie River on Wednesday, Aipri'U 17 l:h : . Mr H. ,L. Leiw'th■waiilte presided l andl there were about 30 ratepayers present. IMr J. V. (Chapman l cut-Hue el the slate of the finances of the (Council sho'wing that 'the ov.e'rd'raft at present was <a 'l'i'tf e 1 wen £'2000' with about £160 ©f rates oulslanding'. IMr 'Dudley Ri'ehards spoke on the finances' of the County pointing out that t'he rates levied' a't present were not sufficient to meet the outgoings. He stated that there must be a day

i 'of reckoning isoon, f«l the longer it was left the worse alt wtiuld be. Ho also stated tbat some tiW2'lve mi..\ni'.ihs ! agio the 'ratepayers ot£ the Kinlcch j Riding had a meeting re the question of loam -and 'the .riding accounts ; and drew up a suggestion whereby , the Kml'ochi Riding ratepayers were prepared .to meet en; agreed portitoni ! of their lOaibilities after /which* if agreed to, the- whole of the County 'could be worked together. Thi;,s was 'referred l to the 'Council! .and a reply risfeed for; but. no reply was fiorth- ( coming from tfar.it day to this. <M.'r J. (X Cctoip, chairman of the county council'. explained! that the rate had .'been kept lo'w through the financial di'fficiultles caused' by the depression. He considered' that there was no need to worry about the finances. Enquiries were made as to the prospects ;clf improved l communication! with Chnistcburch, and Mr jCo'cp! seiiid that he understood) that both the Hafewell/ County and the Springs l County were arranging to have the road tar-sealed', as far as SMicytukatiara. He hoped ultimately that the Waireiwa, Ooiu.niciii would jbe in -tsie iposilfc : .oni 'to complete tins- read if sraffi'ci'enifc Ihelip were (given by the Highways Board'. ...:. The question' of letting out Laike. Forsy th was .alls'o naiised and Mir poop explained that the council was. waitu'nig for a report on the subject. ■Mr J. O. Coop promised; that he would fee tbat the Kinlbch' settlers received their rep.ly before the present couinc.ili went out .of office, iMr 'Montgomery s'pioke' saying that he 'had been, .requisitioned bv a number of ratepayers to stand for election of the council. He stated that he was quite prepared to do What he cciuld to straighten, things out. as be quite realized tbat the finances l were not what they should, be. H'eiwever, he was leaving for China for a three months holljd'ay in July and he wiould 'like some expression of opinion from the ratepayers as to what they considered should l be. done. IMr 9. S. Barclay sp'rhs briefly and said that the .Council were not paying a decent wage and that the. wages should he increased'., He advocated thi* rppoinitmeip.t of a working foreman at a good wage-; or better still! a srbry which. vrovMi ercurage agood man to rn i'nterrst in h\s wo; k. Several oueslions were ashed Find answered. 'It was stated that lh'3 . total ('o u .t rf the County woo'd he .SGmc'wheie between SI2OO and .01300. A vote c.f thanks to the Councillors who attended' and to the Chairman ternvnated the meeting.