MOUNT ROSKILL ROAD BOARD.

Auckland Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 107, 7 May 1887, Page 5

MOUNT ROSKILL ROAD BOARD.

The animal meeting was held in the school. room last night. Mr Carr took the chair, and after reading the clauses of tho Act re'fcrring to this meeting, produced and read the annual report, the chief points of which were the following : —The ever increasing contribution to the Hospital and charitable aid is assuming kucli proportions a.s to shortly swallow up a large portion of the rates, as may be seen by noting that in IS^'s the amount charged against this district was £22 12s lid, in JSSO it was £(37 18* Sd, and in ISS7, £V) 5 Bs, this amount being one-fourth of all the rates. The amount of rates for the past year was £;i(il Is, and the subsidy equal in amount,makes the income .€722 2s, which is k little increased by dog collars, etc. Against this are debts of about i2UO, a bank overdraft of £00, and contributions towards the YVhau Bridge. There will bo a heavy charge against tho Board, by the large expenditure required on the Onehunga Road. There is a debt due to tho Mount Albert Board of £11 10s ; also one which is thought to be unjustly claimed by the Borough of Onehunga. Again, referring to the \\ bail Bridge, the expenditure would have willingly-beenmade had the previous proposals been adhered to, that those contributing1 should have a voice in the expenditure, but it now appears that tho right to control the expenditure is denied. The tolls which had resulted from the payment of 3d per load going youth, and part of the tolls going through Mount Eden, wore not what might have bedn expected, and during the last few weeks the toll of scoria going South liad been increased to Is, but the Board had found a diih'culty in collecting it. The difficulty of taking over this district's portion of the Onehunga Road had caused this Board to ask the Governor to exercise his power, as provided by the Act, and apportion the part of this district, the result of which was that he had deputed the Resident Magistrate to inquire into the dispute (?) — which docs not exist—between the Mount Roskill Board and the One Tree Hill Board, and had appointed a day for the hearing of the case. During tho past year the disputed property at 1 tills borough had been secured by a Supreme Court case to the district, and it was hoped that shortly it would bo placed, with some other reserves, under the Domain Board, when it could be dealt with. The Chairman said that a meeting of the chairmen of a number of Boards had decided to erect tolls on the Onehunga Road. Nothing has been done, and my impression now is that the gentlemen moving in the matter had no intention to do more than try and bounce mon.y out of the Government. At tho same time I think we had a just claim to have the road put into good condition. In speaking of borrowing, he said : — " The ratepayers were called together twice on this question, and authorised the Board to proceed. Two or three of the ratepayers consistently voted against it. Outside the mectihg lie was urged to proceed, and regretted that they did not attend the meeting to express their views on it, so as to prevent tho poll being taken and thus have saved tho expense. He said that he, as an advocate of local self-government, could never wish to run counter to the wishes of the ratepayers. The expenditure shows some payments from last year; they were : Car-lisle-street, i' 39 2s 3d ; Boyd's, £118 Is lOd ; Sit. Albert West, £113 3s-3d ; Pali and Donovan, rt*7-A 7s ; Frosts, £& 18s ; Wavorley, £4f> 13s 2d ;• Kingsdale, :£2<iGs ; Three Kings, £23210s 5d ; Royal Oak, £87 Is 3d ; School Road, £1 16s; Tanner, Us; Mt. Rosl:jll, £00 Is ; total expenditure : £838 ]0s 2d, The treasurer, in a very humorous speech which prefaced his bal-ance-sheet and the auditor's report, narrated his interviews with the provincial auditor. His balance-sheet was as follows : Receipts: Balance in bank March 3lst, £122 17s Id ; cash from Government, £72 Ss 7d; rates, £301 Is; dog tax, £14 2s; discount, Is i)d ; tolls, £0 12s ; balascs due to bank, £07 03 lOd. Expenditure : Carting gravel, £351 IGs (id ; spreading and labour, £101 3s Gd ; carting metal, £28 ils ; advertising, .£lO 10s; contract (Boyd and May's), £u4 (is ; contracts, Throe Kings, i' 32 3s 9d ; rofund to Treasurer, £5 3s 3d ; commission on rates, £18 Is ; commission on dog collars, £2 7s ; election Road Board fees, £1 17s 0d ; on account of proposed loan, £1 ; making rate book, £1 ; correctingroll, £1 ; compiling ratepayers' roll, 10s Gd ; compiling ditto for loan, 10s Gd ; timber and nails, Osj Local Guide, 11s Gd; License Act, 3s ; election advertisement and Re turning Officer, £1 0s Gd; interest, £5 13s; cheque book, 4s 2d; drain pipes, 18s Gd; stationery and stamps, 13s sd; notice of infectious diseases, fte. Charitable Aid, £22 12s lid ; notice boards and writing, tl 14s ()d. A vote of thanks was passed to the outgoing committee, and the same to Mr Carr, as the retiring chairman, after approving of the report and balance-sheet. —[A CoKRissPOXDEXT.]