THE LOWER WAIRAU RIVER BOARD.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXVII, Issue 2, 3 January 1891, Page 2

THE LOWER WAIRAU RIVER BOARD.

TO THE EDITOR. Sib, — As we are now upon the eve of a River Board election it may be somewhat interesting to know how the present Board have attended to the works m hand. It appears from the minutes that no less than 53 meetings have been held, of which 18 have lapsed for want of a quorum. Tha following are the number of times upon which the members as named have attended when a meeting has beon held : — Mr Bytheli 32, Mr Carr 26, Mr Litchfield 33, Mr Redwood 23, Mr Renfrew 11, and his successor Mr McArtney 15. A further feature which should attract some attention is the amount of money voted by the Board dqring the two years ending 31st March 1890 :— For public works £2Q2 Is Bd, and/for management £328 16s 7d, whilst for interest a sum of £97 83 3d has been expended. /Ratepayera would do well to consider why these two last items are so exceptionally high. If the assets on the 31st March, 1839, had been collected then without delay there is no reason why the whole of this sum of £97 8s 3d for interest should not have been saved, for we find that whilst the overdraft on that date was £1164 4s lOd, that the assets were £1061 63 10s. It also appears that since that date and the 31st March, 1890, the Board has rated us for a further sum of £1400, whilst just recently they have rated us fora further Bum of £7<)o. Perhaps the present Board can show as whence the works are that these rates are required for? — I am, &c. DOUGIIAS DOBSON.