Annual Meeting of Ratspayers.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1701, 6 May 1886, Page 2

Annual Meeting of Ratspayers.

CONTINUATION OF REPORT FOB FINANCIAL YEVIt, 1835-86. If the usual system o£ bringing to accouut every outstanding: rats, due and unpaid to date, bad been followed a much more favorable balance sheet would havfl been presented to you, but the Board preterrel the wiser coursa of bringing to account only so much of the outstanding rates as, m their judgment, appearel likely to bo realised. In the case of sections down to " owner" only, of which there are many, the Board has been put to much trouble and expense m getting them handed over to the Public Trustee to deal with, and the Act appeared to give the Public Trustee ample power to lease or sell and to pay the rates due out of the proceeds. There is, however, this serious drawback, tha* betoro doing anything, the Board is called called upon to guarantee payment of costs upon each individual case. This m the majority of cases, means about as many pounds as there are shillings to recover, and .which the section, when leased or sold /would not cover. For the financial year 1885-6, inelud. ing works now m hand, there have been let by contract, completed, or m hand, and chargeable against the general account, the clearing of 98 chains of road, the formation of 402 chains, the metalling of 499 chains, the clearing of 709 chains of drain, and the building of 5 bridges. Out ot. main roads grants, 20 chains of metalling and 48 chains of formation. Out of district roads grants, 413 chains ©f metalling, 110 chains of forma- | tion and metalline', 24 chains of formation only, and 3 bridges. Out of defsrred'payment thirds, 127 chains of formation, 88 chains of metalling* and 2 bridges. Out of special grants, the doubling the pram area of the Kairanga Main Drain for a length of 180 chains, and sundry works at Awahuri Bridge. A schedule of these works is annexed. Notably m the case of the special grants for the Kairanga Main Drain and the grants for Awahuri Bridge, the personal efforts and influence of the Chairman have been the main factors m obtaining those grants from Government. Negotiations are now pending between the Board, through the Chairman, and the Government for a grant m aid towards mettalling.that portion of the Foxton Road, running past Native lands, at Ngawhakorau Bend. A small Act is being prepared to enablo a transfer to be made from the Manchester to the Manawatu Road Board, of that portion of th»> Manchester Block through which the Fitzherbeit Gorge road will pass. This .is being obtained through the instrumentality of the Chairman .* , Overtures have been commenced by tins Board, m conjunction with the Pahiatua Road Board, to the Government, fort he Durpose of obtaining direct communication between the two districts. Certain outstanding claims against the Manawatu County Council, re Awahuri Bridge, are being amicably settled. Notwithstanding the fact that the Board did not impose a second rate on the ratepayers for the past year, m lieu of the county rate, the total indebtedness of the Board at the termination of the financial year was not m excess of the amourit at previous similar periods. The action of ihe Board however, m not imposing the second rate, does not appear to have met with the approval of a section of the ratepayers. Schedule op Works. General Account, Contracts under, Main Roads :■?— '- Foxton Road — Metalling, 40 chains ; drainage, 555. Rangitikei Road— Drainage, 154 chains. Bulls to the Gorge— Metalling, 22 „ Bunnythorpe-Kairanga — do 64 „ Fitzhorbert, East do 77 „ Fitzherbert, West do 51 „ formation, 22 : District Roads : — No. 1 Line, Kairanga— Formation, 55 chains; clearing 36 chains Richardson's Road— do 23 „ Cle.vely'B Road — do- 20 „ Robert's Road — do 15 „ Jackeytown RoadMetalling and Formation, 28 chains. Henderson's Line — do, do, 7 „ Stace's Road— do do, 30 „ Milson's Road — Formation, 50 eh., metalling, 34 chains. Newbury Road— do, 79, do, 20 -„, Karere-Kairanga — Metalling 25 „ Waldegrave Road — do 52 „ Skerman's Road — do - 10 „ Fitzherbert No. 4 Line— do 39 „ Fitzherbert Coomb's Road — Formation, 80 chains Fitzherbert Christienson's Road — Clearing, 62 chains. Deferred Payment Thirds : — Bunnythorpe-Kairanga Road — Metalling, 53 chains. Fitzherbert No. 4 Line — do, 25 „ Kairanga No. 1 Line — Form., 60 „ Kafi^nga No. 4 Line — do, 67£ „ Main Road Grants: — : Bulls to the Gorge — Metalling, 20 chains, Bunnythorpe - Palmergton — Formation, 48 chains District Roads Grants :— Middle Aorangi Road — , Metalling, 205 chains. Longburn-Kairanga— do, 208 „: Millerick's Road,' Fitzherbert — . . Formation and metalling, 110 chains. Karere Roads, No. I— do, do, 24 „ Soecial Grants : — Kairanga Main Drain— lßo chains .Awahuri Bridge — Bridge and Groins.