KIWITEA COUNTY

Feilding Star, Volume 5, Issue 1032, 17 February 1927, Page 6

KIWITEA COUNTY

MEETING. OF COUNCIL BUSINESS DOSE YESTERDAY' 'fhe monthly meeting of. the Kiwitea Count}’. Council was hold at Kimbolton, yesterday, Cr L. T, McLean ]>residing. There were also present Crs. J. A. T. Brown, AV. Hair, AV. P.-' Shaw, F', O. Stack, N. V. Shaxinon, D, L. You.uger, J. H, Williamson, T.' D, Wood, and the clerk, Mr AA r . L. Hesseltine. CORRESPONDENCE From the clerk, Ttangitikei County 'Council advising. -tiia.tj the matter of, replacing the two. 'old woodenspans of the Vinegar Hill Bridge is receiving attention.—-Beceived, The clerk stated that,' fu communication with, the Bangitkei county offices, lie found that "the plans and specifiications would; Hid taken in hand shortly. • --.!••/ ■ From the Valuation Department, notifying payment, of '75 per' centof sudsidy op General rates for the current year amounting to £‘1605. — Received. From'the Public AVorks . Department,' notifying payment of subsidy on the Nos. 52 and 53 Main. Highways amounting to £254 9s lid, — Received. " ’ From. Mqssrs Craighead and' Jones requesting permission, to erect another petrol bowser on the edge of tlie footpath fronting their premises, in' Kimbolfcon.- —Granted, - The .chairman’s action in the-matter was endorsed. From the Stock inspector Feildmg, advising that the matter of noxious weeds’ oil tlie r,oads in the County will receievd his attention. —Received From the Medical Officer of Health forwarding circular re combating influenza. —Left on the table.

From the Clerk, Kaira.nga County Council, forwarding statement of allocation of . heayy traffic Ucops e . fees for the half year ended cO/9/2b, together with a- cheque lo value of £419 9s Cd being this Council's prolK>rt,ion of such fees.—-Beceived, The chairman remarked tlnit the ..council’s share on, the new basis of allocation was most satisfactory. From Ml J. Gordon Eliott, M.P., advising that lie has forwarded a copy of the resolution passed by hhe Council re abolition of. preference to unionists on tu the Acting-Prime Minister, The writer further stated that he a will solidly support the Government if a move is made in tlie direoiion desired by the Council. —Received. ; MATTERS IN GENERAL I ( >\ connection -with the application of iE,’ : G. Biflinghumt, Ruahine, the council, granted, materials/lor roofing a shed on its property occupied bv him, Tim, action qf the chairman in cancelling the metalling contract between the council and Air Halford and refunding the deposit on game was endorsed on tlm motion of Crs. Younger and Williamson.

With the progress being m;ule bv the Power Board, in reticulating ibo R«Wi waliin district the council decided that the electric light to iflstalled at the..roadman's: cottage at the township. It was also desohed to make application for the mediation of three street Or Wood Wa: act on beliall of the councils in these matters, Crs Williamson and Younger were appoin led to' sjgh ’the rate book for the year 1926-27. 1 In, reply to* Mr. "McOhijiiess, the council decided to pay os per week, without prejudice, for the rent of liirf cottage at, Hjnau. Crs McLean and Wood.—Thurti li. o..,loggers .he. granted a progress payment am account of his contract for the. Conspicuous road.—Carried. UVM ISSION .OK HATES\ ASKED A ll application 'received from the chairman of the Cheltenham Mall Commit toe (Mr H. W. Wood) asking tor the remission, of rates on the hall property, tor the next financial year. The "U'ritqr pointed' out that for some time the hall had not been satisfactory and there was a debt on it of £lBOl The building itself wafj dilapidated and needed repairing-. Some tim'e ago the committee, of which. Iu; was chairman, had been elected tq make- jyU abort to wipe off the debt and effect/ repairs-. The trustees: of the ball bad generoush assisted jn tins: direction and it was felt that a consideration from the council would place the hall committee op a good footing. ‘_ r The council, ail the , mothyt ol Cr&. Younger and Williamson,■•decided to reply to Mr Wood stating that under the provisions of. the Katng Act it lia.d no power to remit rates on the ball property.. , -I'KN.DER. On tli e motion of Crs Stack and Sbaw l the action, of the chairman and Cr. Younger in accepting the tender of Messrs Drink water and Candy for, .widening and metalling

a portion of Ilayne’s lj.ne at/ 7s .lljd per chain and 4sHid per chain respectively. was eonfitriied. COUNTY FINANCES. The fallowing s.utisi’actory_ statement of the hank balances to date was tabled by the treasurer (Mr Hesseltine) :—County fuiid, account (cr). £3501 18s 7d; Conspicuous road special loan, account (cr.) £lB6 12s 6; Employees accumulated special loan account (cr.) £353 15s 0; Kimbolton cemetery account (cr.) £24 9s 7d; Land i’und account (cr.) £4 6s 9d; Land fund account no. 2 (cr.) £343 17s 6d; Waituna cemetery account (cr.) £4 13s 2d. Ci'. Younger: Thci financial position of this county is excellently placed. I do not think this council has known it' to bo better.

The chairman concurred, Cr. Shaw expressing the. hope that the position would be the same next year. In connection with the rates the treasurer submitted a further statement disclosing that there were outstanding to date the sum of £989 lid general rates and £216 3s 4d. special,; Yates in all £1205 13s 3d. The total general rates struck amounted to £llOO5 11s 3d., of which £lOOl6 Is 4d. had been received. Special rates totalling £2419 3s 9d. had been struck and £2203 0s sd. collected. At the February meeting collected. At the February meeting of the council last year the total general and'special rates outstanding amounted to approximately £750. At the close of the •' financial year

1926 the council had outstanding £l9O 4s 3d. (General) and £45 12s 3d (special) and of these: £159 3s lOd and £43 8s 3d respectively had been paid to date. There were now outstanding from last* year £33 4s sd. general and •special rates. Arising from the latter statement consideration was given to the advisability or otherwise of ■ extending the time for thei enforcement of the 10 per cent penalty on those rates outstanding after the date already fixed by the council.' As, disclosed by the fact that over £I2OO general and special rates were still outstanding it was evident' that money was scare with the farmers. The chairman: Speaking to this matter J might say that 1 know several farmers who are hot at the moment in a position to pay their rates. I think we should wait until they have received more returns. By imposing the 10 per cent penalty so soon wo will be imposing an additional hardship on those who are up against it.’. • GY. Hair remarked that Ike council had a eredit balance and would not be needing the money so •urgently. The council was not paying interest on a big overdraft «»»<* he thought, the state of the finances in such a position as to allow for the: extension suggested. Cr. AYilliamson raised strong ohjeetion to an extension of time, pointing out how unfair it would be to those farmers who had already paid at a, big sacrifice to avoid incurring tlie penalty. Personally, ho knew of many ratepayers who had borrowed money «t high rates of interest so that they might pay. A Councillor suggested that the; extension ho agreed to and “kept quiet.” He did not think it would be wise to publish it bub that those whose rates' were outstanding should be circularised and notified that in their case the penalty would not be imposed until they were in a position to pay.

Or. Williamson: The uni Her would get about and this council would bo accused of under hand methods. I will not bo a party to that suggestion. II this council decides on an extension then let it bo known in the usual way. Cr. Younger pointed out that many farmers still hold stock and' wool, which had not yet boon sold, and wore in an unfortunate position as regards their rates. Cr. McLean proposed that the time lor the enforcement of the It) per cent penalty on unpaid rates bo extended to March 11, The motion was seconded and carded Cr. Williamson being . the only dissentient. Cr. Williamson asked that his name be recorded against the, motion. It was intimated that this was the first occasion in the memory of those councillors present that such an action has been taken.