DEFAULTING RATEPAYERS.

Marlborough Express, Volume XII, Issue 962, 10 October 1877, Page 6

DEFAULTING RATEPAYERS.

The following list of defaulting ratepayers was read :— J. L. Adams 128 6d, Allison's Executors 11s Bd, W. Anderson Is Bd, Henry Cates 3s 4d, Ganney and Price £2 10s, Godfreys Trustees

3s 4d, A. Heagie ss, M. E. Kelly Is Bd, R. Kiernan £2 10s, H. Symons 15s lOd, Trust and Loan Co £2 18s 4d, Geo. Whitney 163 Bd, A. Weisenhavern £2 ISs 4d, C. B. Withers £1 ss, and unknown ratepayers £8 6s lid. It was resolved, on the motion of Mr Avery, seconded by Mr Ward— That all arrears of rates be aued for forthwith. . gorse. E. Kiernan wrote;, acknowledging the 'receipt of the Secretary's! letter, . re the grubbing of gorse, and stated that as he had no gorse hedge on his property, he declined any responsibility. , In reply to a question, the Inspector stated that although no harm was. being done to the roads at "present, ultimately the spreading of; j gorse must do considerable injury. I : ■'•'■ ' It was resolved, on the motion of the Chair-, man, .seconded by Mr Ward — That Mr Barker be written to, and his attention called to the clause relating to gorse m the Public Works Act, 1876, and that the Inspector be authorised to cause all gorse on the Wairau Valley Road to be grubbed up. It was resolved on the motion of Mr Williams, seconded by.MrMoNßO— That Mr Hairlc be paid the cost of grubbiug up the gorse on the road opposite his property. TENDERS. The Chairman stated that on the previous Monday he and Mr Ward had enlarged the time for receiving tenders, and now it entirely depended with the Board whether they would confirm what had been done. Mr Ward said that the point which had influenced him m extending the time was that the Inspector had not shown the work until the Saturday. It was hardly fair to the ratepayers that such a short time should be given, and he could not 6ee that any evil result would follow to the tenderers by extending the time. Mr Avery thought it was necessary that tenderers should have proper time allowed. Mr Williams moved— That all tenders received subsequent to the time first advertised be not received. Mr Monro seconded the motion. The Chairman pointed out that a number of Tenders endorsed Oct. 2 were received prior' to the time of meeting. Mr Williams said that what Mr Adams called a meeting he (Mr Williams) did not consider a meeting at all. Mr Ward said the question was whether a possible injury to tenderers was to be considered m preference to the interests of the ratepayers. Mr Williams said they must act m fairness to the contractors, and had they been allowed to amend their tenders the case would have been different. The motion was then put and carried on a division, Messrs Williams, Monro, and Avery voting with the ayes, and the Chairman and Mr Ward with the noes. Mr Ward moved— That the whole of the tenders be rejected and fresh tenders called. Mr Avery seconded the motion, which was carried on a division, Messrs Ward, Avery, and the Chairman voting with the Ayes, and Messrs Williams and Monro with the Noes. Mr Monro remarked that this was the proper way to encourage contractors to be m time with their tenders. The Chairman said that the consequence of the Board's action would be that the ratepayers would have to pay more for the work. It was a pity the members did not attend on the previous Monday. Mr Williams said that if the Chairman was going to make a matter of feeling of it, he would say that he had attended meetings more regularly than the Chairman. In reply to the Chairman, the Secretary said that m the Minute Book which had been burned there was a resolution, that m the {absence of a quorum the meeting should stand adjourned for a fortnight. The Chairman questioned if they were a meeting at all. Mr Avery concurred. Mr Williams said a special meeting should have been called: The meeting closed abruptly, Mr Ward remarking " Everything you have done to-day is nothing," and the Chairman after having passed his pen through the minutes, which had been confirmed, leaving the room.