AVON RIDING.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18182, 19 September 1924, Page 14

AVON RIDING.

A QUESTION Of RATES. A meeting of ratepayers of the Avon riding of the Waimairi County was held last night for- the purpose of protesting against the alleged, excessive rates imposed by the Council. However, after hearing explanations by Mr ,G. Cowper, clerk of" the county, and Mr J, 'Seymour 4 chairman of the Council, those present were apparently satisfied that' tne rates imposed were justified. A hearty vote of was pa*uxl to Messrs Cowper and Seyinour, the .iiover expressing the opuuon that their • explanations Ibi3l sat-ished those proThe chair was occqjiiod by Mr J. Wilson, chairman of the Bunvood Progressive Association, the meeting benio- held under the auspices ot that body. There was a good- attendance. The chairman' said that the members of the Burwood Progressive Association thought that the rateoi which the Waimairi County Council had struck "in connexion with tne •Avon riding for the corning year was too high. During the last two years the riaing had paid off a debt or £I6OO, and he did not think that the expenditure in the riding for the P°ni" ing year would -amount to. £?Jw. Therefore it was thought best to call a public meeting ftnd ask representatives of the Council to explain how .it was proposed to spend the money during the coming year. A. previous chairman of ■ tih© Council had assured tlieiii that as • soon as the Avon riding got out of debt and paid off its- overdraft the rate would be reduced. Mr Cowper said that the reason for the rate of 2d being struck wa& to provide euffirient money for the coming year. It was not . correct to say that Avon had paid off £IGOO in the last two years. As a matter of fact, Avon had taken since 1920 to. pay off this amount. In 1920 and before that the general rate in. the .Avon riding was Id. This penny ra'te produced £7&5. less than half the debit balance of the riding and not'sufficient to carry on the year's work. Therefore the rate had been increased. The 2d rate at present was estimated to "produce j£1756, but even this was., not sufficient to carry on the works in the riding, "F or the coming year the revenue from all sources in the Avon Riding was estimated at £2107, whilst the estimated expenditure was £2206. Some of the main estimates of expenditure for the coming year were Metal £300; wages £250; reconstruction of Shirley road £200; tarring, sanding and screening footpaths £120; Avon's proportion towards main highways construction £428. The cost of main highways construction was a heavy item of expenditure for the Council, and. on account of it the rate had been increased in every riding in the County except Avon. Avon had a 2d rate, and this was thought to be sufficient, but after all a rate of 2d was not excessive. Several counties in-the North Island were rated up to the full amount, namely 3d.-The cost of administration in the Waimairi County was considerably below the average.

The chairman said that last year the Avon TiitJiTicr paid its ■tray, liiid also had paid ofr_an overdraft of £750. This year there wis the additional expenditure of £428 in connexion with main highways construction but, even so, there should be at least a balance of £2OO at the end of the year. In view of this He thought the ratepayers of Avon could expect some reduction in their rates.

Mr Cowper said that extra escpenditure apart from the cost of main highways construction would absorb about £'2oo.

Mr H. Paterson, representative of the Afvon Riding on the Waimairi Council, sa,id that when he went on to the Council about eighteen months ago he was informed that Avon had a debit balance of £I6OO. This fact had been ■mentioned several times at Council meetings and had appeared in the newspapers. It had never been contradicted. If he hid known that two years a?o the overdraft was only some £BOO a lot of trouble would have been saved. Mr Seymour said that ho thought that when the money had been spent or. the main highways and these roads put in order the ratepayers would be satisfied that it was well epent. Machinery was needed for the work, but unfortunately at the present time money could not be raised by loan, and the

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Council had to get it out of xates. He could assure them that, the Couneil always tried to do i:-3 level best and it did not strike higher rates than were absolutely necessary. The. chairman said lie thought .the meeting had done a lot of good, and he was of opinion that each Riding ebouid have annual meetings of a similar description. A hearty vote of thanks was passed to Messrs Cowper and Seymour.