HOROWHENUA COUNTY COUNCIL

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 421, 12 June 1922, Page 2

HOROWHENUA COUNTY COUNCIL

MONTHLY MEETING. I lu! monthly mooting' of tho Horowheima Comity Council was hold at Covin on Saturday. when there wore present: Crs. G A. iMonk (chairman), A. R. Knox’ 11. Barber! E. d. Ryder, S, A. Broudbelt. C. 1. llarlcnc?s, ,J. McLeavey and 11. G. Bryant, 1-TNANCIAL, Accounts amounting to £2528 15s 4d were passed for payment. Iho State Advances Oflice, Wellington, mole staling that when the necessary formalities were completed, the council’s appli'■ation lor the precedent consent of the Governor-General m respect of an antecedent liability loan for £9OOO would receive attention. h also advised that, tho sinn of £3OO had been remitted as the full ml wince on the Mnlmroa West water race extension loan.—Received.

(n connection witii the proposed loan of £9OOO, tho chairman said investigations had been made in Wellington on behalf of the council, tic thought he could safely state that he had obtained the loan mi most utl\anlageous terms, lie had arranged with the bank to get the money at per cent. I he loan would be paid oil in IQ years, since it was advanced in 10 debentures of £9OO each, the iitst one would fall due on .March 1, 1923,. and once paid oil' interest would not be due on that sum. He thought it (putcy in order that the loan should be repaid in 10 years, because the money which it had been raised to pay off had in the first place been expended on machinery, which would not last forever and would need to he renewed. Ur was aware of the fact that 61 per cent. was-.a high rale to pay, hut there had been no other course open. At all events, a proposal which had been insistently put forward, that liie council should take a loan a I a flat mortgage rale, had been turned down at the very outset, and although tho bank had been somewhat dubious about lending ibe money out on the debenture system, this method had finally been agreed upon. Jt was a privilege which many other local bodies did not enjoy. The majority

oi those bodies which had secured loans wore paying interest on the total sum over the whole period of the loan.

(V. Ryder's opinion was that the interest charge was big, but another councillor said that ihi‘ terms seemed to he very creditable to the chairman. On a flat, rate mortgage, tltev Would pav £65 in every hundred in 10 years. Or. Ryder thought that public bodies ought to lie able to gel money at a cheaper rale than 51 per rent. 'Hit 1 chairman said the fault was that the Government allowed public bodies to pay Midi a. rate of interest. If a, limit of 6 per cent, were made, those with money to lend might be glad to get even that amount. tV, Barber: The capital might go elsewhere. 'I here are other countries in need i f money beside New Zealand. The chairman said local bodies might not have hud to pay so high a rate of interest at the present day if a precedent had not been established. A local body had once been allowed to pay as much as 7 per cent. This had reacted upon all bodies. The nrcessiry formal motions in respect of the loan and the striking of a small rale were then passed, HEALTH MATTERS. '1 ho \\ elhiigion Education Board wrote, with reference io a proposal to establish immure works within about four chains of a recently acquired school silt' til Boron tawluio, and the Department of Health, writing ni this connection, asked the council to hold in abeyance the matter of granting the permission sought.—The- letters were received ’1 ho assistant medical cflioer of health forwarded recommendations that notice be served on a county resident calling on him to remove alleged nuisances in the shape of pig runs, etc., and to prevent pollution of a stream and exterminate rats,—Notice io be served, GENERAL. Mr James Burl ion. Shannon, wrote

slut in;.’, that i In? Tokomarn Valley pack track required atieniion. lie was prepared to keep it open for horse iraflic at an animal remuneration of £25. or at the usual daily rates. —Referred to engineer jincl conn* < illors tor the riding, The eliuirmnn slated 11nn the, writer of the letter was a deserving .'nan. On returning front active service he had immediately paid his rates. The Wellington Automobile Club wrote asking that a dir: cl ion signboard he erected at Manr.kau. at the new deviation, crossing i lie railway Hne.—Requcst to bo given effect to. 'J'hc Waimea County Council forwarded a circular asking support of a motion that the lyre tax be equitably allocated between all counties and road boards, and made available during the current year for road maintenance purposes.—The motion was supported. The Timani Borough Council forwarded it circular asking support of a motion that; electric power boards be decided henceforth on a poll of ratepayers and not on the present system of a petition of one-fourth of the ratepayers. —Received. The executive committee of the '■new Counties’ Association wrote enquiring for an expression of the council’s views on the, provisions of the Local Bodies’ Finance Act. 1921. and asking that any suggusteu

amei'idnient.s be forwarded.—Received. ENGINEER'S REPORT. The engineer pur W. A. Anderson) reported pater aim) that since mo last meeting' very little or inierest had been none. Tne work generally rnrotigiiout ttie county hud been earned out m a very satisfactory ! maimer. U lie plant had been wonting eon- ; liiiuuusiy and a lair amount ot gravel Had

been put otu, especially in the \\ irokino Hiding, ihe greater amount having been carted on to me main road between Levin and ftnanuoii, and adjacent to tac ihaicara creamery at a cost pnciudmg crusmng) of , its Id per cubic yard. A start was also ; i made with light maintenance on the Levin- , i'oxtou road, cue soutnern end ot tne .toko- j ! mam Riding and tne mam roads in tne ■ t Haiti Uicung. 'Lite roller snutild linish work on the .viain road, Hiakara, some time during next week and would tneu proceed to trie .Main toad, U eraroa settlement, and from mere to the Levin-i' , oxion road.—Adopted.