PAHIATUA

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIV, Issue 111, 10 April 1934, Page 8

PAHIATUA

PAHIATUA, April 9

The Pahiatua County Council met on Saturday, Cr A. W. Bisset being in the chair. A deputation from the Pahiatua branch of the Returned Soldiers’ Association comprising Mr Morton Lawson (president) and Dr H. j Paterson (a member of tho executive) 'waited upon the council requesting that it should grant tho R.S.A. the use of a reserve or piece of land for .the purpose of tree planting in order |to provide employment for returned men out of work. The council was . sympathetic to the request and agreed ,to sponsor the representations of the j R.S.A. to obtnin portion of the Alangatainoka river bed for tree planting, ilt was decided that the Lands and | Survey Department be approached to i grant a lease to this body. The area ' proposed is of seven acres below the | town traffic bridge on the Mangamutu side adjoining Mr Sowry’s property. The Lands and Survey Department had offered tin's area to the council at a small rental and tho council is to endeavour to secure it for the association ion a long lease. The consulting engii neers, Alessrs Seaton, Sladden and jPavitt, reported on the Alangaramajiama stream bridge: Fair progress had | boen made on the bridge and approaches. Pile driving had been comI pleted and both abutments and wings j concreted to the underside of girder j level. It was decided that the heavy ; traffic weights be limited to four tons I per vehicle. “The financial position of j the council has shown a slight decline jin the cash balance at the end of this financial year compared with the period for the year ended Alarch 31, 1933, the decline amounting to £986 8s 6d,” said tho report of the treasurer. “The decline, however, was quite anticipated in that reserves held have been drawn upon for the purpose for which they were raised. The cash balance to the credit of tho county fund account for the period under review is £2625 2s lid, plus cash in hand Is Id, making a total of £2625 4s, as against a credit balance of £1441 17s Id for the corresponding period of last year, an increase of £llß3 6s lid. This increase is accounted for by expenditure of the sum of £1467 2s 6d from the No. 2 account and the corresponding decrease in the cash balance of this account. Tho amount of £3822 16s 5d is now available with the bank at current account before the necessity arises of making application to overdraw against the anticipated current year’s revenue. It should he understood, however, that in budgeting for the requirements of 1934-35, of this sum £1197 13s 6d represents moneys held for specific purposes. Interest on overdraft for the year 193334 amounted to £2 7s as against £1 0s 6cl for the previous year, an increase of LI Cs 6d. Total rates outstanding for the period ended Alarch 31, 1934, are £699 Os 3d as against £1464 17s 5d for the previous year. The percentage of rates collected for the year 1933-34 is equivalent to 95.8 per cent, as against 88.4 per cent, for 1932-33, ami 94.2 per cent, for 1931-32.” After some discussion it was decided to apply to the Valuation Department for a revaluation of the whole of the county, to be effective from April 1, 1935. It was reported by the clerk that one property of 1893 acres had been re-valued. “The proposed reduction in the rateable unimproved value in this caso is equivalent to 44 per cent.” said the clerk. “The capital value per acre will be reduced from £lO I7s Od to £6 16s 8d and the unimproved value per acre from £6 10s 6d to £3 14s. The rates basing calculations on last year’s rates, 1933-34, will be reduced from £6B 17s 8d to £39 8s lid, a reduction of £29 8s 9d. After discussing this matter with the county chairman and acting under his instructiosn, objection, which was required to be submitted by the 4th inst., was lodged to the proposed new valuation on the ground that such a proposal will unduly interfere with local taxation. It can easily be visualised that if such a proposal becomes a reality, the whole basis of local taxation will be upset and chaos, will result.”

The official opening of the Pahiatua Golf Club’s 1934 season took place on Saturday afternoon when over 40 attended to participate in a mixed Canadian foursome. The competition was won by G. G. Nelson and Aliss V. Rutherford with a score of 46—10—36. Three pairs tied for second with nett 38: F. Anderson and Aliss Anderson, J. Shekleton and Aliss R. Shekleton and P. R, Boagey and Airs C. Walker. All's Eddie provided afternoon tea. A pairs tournament took place on the bowling green on Saturday afternoon, 16 players taking part. The winners were: Skips, Petersen, P. Al. Walsh and W. Britland, with 3 games each out of 4 played. G. Russell secured most wins for the leads.

The men’s hockey club at Eketaliuna has decided to disband owing to insufficient support. Air and Airs W. Hall Watson have returned from a visit to Dunedin. Air D. Twomey, of Mangamutu, an old identity of the district, is an inmate of the Public Hospital. The many friends of Airs T. J. Lea, Alain Street, will be pleased to learn that she is making satisfactory progress after an operation which she had in a private hospital in Auckland last weok. Airs Ale-Sherry and Aliss Alary McSherry are visiting Wellington, where they are bidding farewell to Miss Bernadine McSherry, who is leaving for Australia on Tuesday.

The wedding was celebrated at St. Luke’s Church, Pio Pio, on Easter Saturday of Stella, eldest daughter of Mr and Mrs G. Fulcher, of Te Mapara, Main Trunk, and Henry Albert, younger son of the late Mr" and Mrs G. H. Styles, of Sedcole Street, Paliiatua. Rev. Mr Germaine officiated and the bride was given away by her father, Miss Madge Fulcher acting ns bridesmaid. Mr Harry Fulcher was best man.