ROAD DISTRICTS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXXIII, Issue 15923, 8 May 1912, Page 7

ROAD DISTRICTS.

ANNUAL MEETINGS OE RATEs PAYERS. I MOUNT PEEL. > The annual meeting of the ratepayers of the Mount Peel road district wa; held on Monday. Mr G. J. Deiniistoun presided. The annual report stated that during the year all matter, in connection with the separation o. the Opulia district had been settled. On April 1, 1911, the credit balance was £2530 Os lid. Receipts, including rates and fines, £651 Is lid, and subsidies £352 16s 7cl, totalled £3754 10s Id. The expenditure, including the Opuha share of the funds £lsOl 16s Id, share of subsidy £193 3s 3d, and roads £228 16s 3d, totalled £2409 17_s lOd, leaving a credit balance of £1345 Is 3d. The assets included a balance to credit of land fund £563 Os 9d, balance to credit of general fund £782 Os 6d, and freehold land £IOOO, material £56, a total of £2401 Is 3d. The new roll showed a ratable value of £331,164. Some 55,000 acres of the Mount Peel and the whole of the Four Peaks Estate having been resumed by the Government and leased in small grazing runs, roading would be required. With regard to Mount Peel, the Government would allow fourths of the rents, equal to £337 10s, for roading purposes. An application for a similar grant for the i'our Peaks roads nad not yet been answered. The. rates had all been paid with tho exception of two shillings. The foreman, Mr s*. Cooling, had'carried out his duties in a very satisfactory manner, and tho clerk, Mr Temper, also deserved the thanks of the Board for the manner in which lie had carried out his duties. The report was adopted. Tile chairman said the new Local Government. Bill proposed to abolish all local bodies except the County Councils. Tt appeared to him, too, that the cost of education would be a charge on the new local bodies, and would increase their rates very much. The voting power would be very largely in the hands oPi those who paid no rates, and naturally they would want as much expenditure as possible. He moved that the meeting should request the member for the district to oppose the Bill in its present form. Colonel Mackenzie, who seconded the motion, said that tlio local bodies had done a great deal of good, and with a big Council local affairs could not be seen to as they were at present. The motion was carried. A petition was received signed by six ratepayers, asking for the removal of a gate on a road at Tripp Settlement near the properties of Mr Thomas and Mr Leonard. It was agreed to give notice to those interested that the gate myist t>9 removed according to law.