Strong Position of Kiwitea County

Manawatu Times, Volume LIX, Issue 7472, 24 May 1934, Page 3

Strong Position of Kiwitea County

CHAIRMAN’S ANNUAL REPORT YEAR CLOSES WITH' CREDIT BALANCE At the'annual meeting of the Kiwilea County Council yesterday the chairman, Or. L. ’l’. McLean, submitted a report covering the activities of the council over the past It! months. “Commencing the year with a. credit balance of £3177 in the county fund account, the council finished up with a credit ba.la.nco of £2S-1S I3s 4d, notwithstanding the fact that the Government withheld payment of the advance subsidy on general rates, amounting to about £SOO,” he said. “A separate rate of 3-lbths of Id in the £ was levied to provide the council’s contribution towards tlie upkeep and maintenance of the Palmerston North Hospital. In former years the lovy was paid out of the general accoifat. Notwithstanding a reduction of over 25 per cent, in rateable values as a result of a revaluation of the comity, this gcncral and hospital rates combined did not exceed the general rate levied in the various ridings during the year ended 33/3/33. Of course our position is not as good as it looks as we have to find £(500 for Iho To Awa bridge and also our shore of the Ilarrcs bridge. “The outstanding subsidy on genera! rates, due from the Government, will about cover these items,’’ said the county clerk, Mr. \Y. L. Hesseltine. Cr. McLean then dealt with the finances ns follow: — Receipts.—General rates .1033-31, £l3Ol 14s 2d; arrears, £1452 JSs 2d; special rates .1933-34, £-300 I4s II; arrears, £S2S Jss 4d; hospital rates 1033-31, £lß9l 10s lOd; Electric Power Board rates, £220 12s Od; Government subsidy on rates (balance 1032-53), £4Ol 14s lOd; 10 per cent, on overdue rates, £ll3 53 lid; share heavy traffic license fees, £7ll Ss 7d; motor drivers’ license fees, £174 10s; dog tax, £l3l 11a (id; publicans’ and other license fees, £79 ss; rents of employees’ homes, etc., £203 10s; rents of roads and reserves, £l7B Ss; subsidy from Man Highways Board on account of maintenance work on main highways, £lB-17 J3s; refunds under the Motor Spirits Taxation Act, £l2O Is; Unemployment Board’s No. 5 scheme refunds, £387 17s 0d; subsidy Jamieson’s bridge, £IOO2 Is 2d; subsidy Harre’s bridge on account, £2OO 13s 4d; stamp duty on interest. £OO Gs; sundry refunds, £145 13s 4d,

Expenditure.—Road and bridge maintenance, £4248 Os Od; reconstruction Jamieson’s bridge, £LG92 0s Sd; reconstruction Havre’s bridge (on account), £400; interest and repayments of principal on loans, £3OBO os Od; sinking fund instalments, £IO2O 14s 7d; management, £2253 18s; Hospital Board levies, £2090 0s Od; repairs to plant and machinery, £397 0s lOd; fuel, etc., £395 (5s .lOd; repairs to employees’ home, £172 3s -id; No. 5 scheme relief works, £390 10s 3d; bank charges, £73 7s 2d; miscellaneous, £l3l 10s 7d.

Ridings and separate accounts.- —I am pleased to report that all the ridings show a credit balance, viz:—Cheltenham, £432 Ss 7d; Kiwitea, £303 17s 9d, Waituna, £431 4s Od; Ougo, £2OO 0s 7d; Kimbolton, £IOB 10s Sd; Peep-o’-Day, £224 0s 4d; Pakihikura, £428 3s; Itangiwahia, £2OS 0s; llautapu, £145 12s Od. The position of the separate and special fund accounts is as follow: lvimbolton cemetery, credit, £2B 0s Id; Kangiwahia cemetery, £7 0s lid; WaLtuna cemetery, credit, £l2 us lid; lvimbolton hall, credit, £27 17s Od; bind fund No. 2, credit, £127 14s 7d; employees’ accommodation loan, credit, £720 0s lid; heavy traffic license fees, ci-cdit, £2O 12s 3d; unemployment relief, debit, £8 18s Od; Waipuru road, credit, £2O 7s od; hospital, debit, £IOB 0s Sd; Eleeinc Power Board rates, credit, £0; interest, credit, £l4O 0s Sd; contractors’ deposits, £OO 13s Od. New works and improvements. —The work of reconstructing Jamieson’s bridge No. 377 main highway was completed early in the past year at a co*t of £IOO2 0s Sd. The work ->r reconstructing Harre’s bridge No. 377 main Highway is now in progress and should bs completed at, an early date. In <’ac:i case the Main Highways Board s share is two-thirds of the cost of the work. A timber bridge is in course of erection over Hie Mangakukcke stream m the Upper lvawhatau Valley, ami when completed should be a boon to the settlers interested. The work of widening and forming the Upper Titirangi road is well forward and when completed will give access to the Crown sections beyond Karewarewa. The To Awa bridge over the Oroua river at Coulter’s ford is in course of erection. The Foliangina County Council is the controlling body, this council contributing £OOO.

Main highways.—The llircc sections of main highways have been maintained and arc in good order with the exception of the No. 52 between Cheltenham and Kimbolton. This section of highway lias suffered considerably on account of the exceptional log carting which took place during the summer months. The abnormally dry season did not improve matters and the road surface suffered considerably'. Tho bulk of the heavy traffic passed over this portion of the highway. It would appear that tho only solution of the problem is to tar-seal the road. In January last the council decided to approach the Highways Board for a subsidy towards tho work, and an application has since been made lo have the section from Cheltenham to Coulter’s line, Kiwitea, carried out during the current financial year.

Other roads.—These roads throughout tho county have been well maintained and aro in good order. A number of old wooden culverts have been renewed with concrete pipes and improvements effected (o dangerous and narrow bends.

Plant and machinery.—All the council’s road-making machinery has been

in commission during the greater part of the year. Tho machinery and plant have been kept in good order by the council’s mechanic.

Metal tallies. — During (lie year under review the following quantities of maintenance metal were placed on roads in the county:—On No. 52 main highway 3172 cubic yards, No. 53 main highway 441 cubic yards, No. 377 main highway 1050 cubic yards. Roads other than main highways, 3350, making a total of 5052 cubic yards. Employees’ homes. —The contract for repairs and painting the Pakihikura, Bandon Block and Upper lvawhatau cottages and the upkeep on the 11 houses amounted to £172 3s 4d.

Outstanding rates. —During the year tho council collected the sum of £I9SI J3s Od iii outstanding rates, as well as £ll3 os lid by way of the 10 per cent, penalty. The outstandings at the end of the year amounted to £1875 15s Sd, as compared with £3305 5s 3d on 33/3/1933. The outstandings are made up as follow: 1933-34, £753 3s 3ld; arrears of previous years, £1122 ,11s 9d. Concluding, Cr. McLean tendered his sincere thanks to councillors for their support during the year and to The staff for their hearty co-operation. He also desired lo record his thanks to the Press.