RATEPAYERS ANNUAL MEETINGS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11642, 2 May 1901, Page 3

RATEPAYERS ANNUAL MEETINGS.

AJRCHHILL. ; .'•' The annual meeting of ratepayers in the Archhill Road Board district was held in the Newton West school last night. Mr. J. Jenkin (chairman of the Board) presided, and there was a fair attendance. The secretary (Mr. John Franklin) read the balancesheet, as follows:—Receipts: Balance at April 1, 1900, £85 5s 3d; general rates, 1900 and 1901, £309 13s, previous year's, £10 13s; additional ten per cent, on rates, £1 Is 8d; Government subsidy, 1899 and 1900, £154- 5s 6d; advance on subsidy, ISOO and 1901, £112 10s; publican's license, £25; dog registration, £19; share of expenses under section 118 of the Road Board Act, from interest and sinking fund account, £22; miscellaneous refunds, 10s: total, £739 18s sd. Expenditure: Administration expenses, £77 2s 2d: charitable aid, £83 2s 9d; public works, £426 12s 4d; fire brigade expenses, £29 6s Id; miscellaneous, £3 12s 6d; audit fee, £4-; balance in bank at March 31, 1901, £116 2s 7d: total, £739 18s sd.' The waterworks account showed a credit balance of £70 2s 9d; the interest and sinking fund account a credit balance of £84- 17s 7d. Tho statement of assets and liabilities showed a credit balance of £216 5s 6d. The Chairman briefly reviewed tho accounts. They would, he said,' notico that the balanceswere satisfactory, leaving enough for the incoming Board to start the next year upon. There was only an amount of a little over £2 owing for rates, and this showed the district was fairly prosperous. Their account with the Grey Lynn Borough for the maintenance of the Great North Road was no doubt large (£135 had been paid during the year), but that was due to the fact that the payment included two previous years, the amounts for which had, as they knew, been in dispute. Tho balance-sheet was then adopted. The Chairman proceeded to review the work done by the Board during the year. The interest on their water had, ho said, been reduced from 5 per cent, to 4j per cent., resulting in an annual saving to the ratepayers of £9. In November last insurance rates were also reduced. The result of litigation between the Board and the Grey Lynn Borough Council had resulted in the sustaining of the Board's contention that they should . pay no more than one-third of the cost of maintenance of the Great North Road. Their relations with Grey Lynn were now satisfactory With regard to the gully drainage, he was of the opinion that they would never succeed in getting Government assistance beyond the loan. Tho gully was getting worse, and tho Eden Terrace district were now calling tenders to drain into it as well as the city. There wore seven local bodies interested, and those were agreeable to join in a scheme of gully drainage, but he anticipated difficulty in apportioning the proportion of contributions. He thought the matter should bo gone on with, however, and the proportions fixed by a magistrate, as allowed by the Act. An effectual scheme had been drawn up by Mr. Boylan, which would cost £12,000, and that to the Archhill ratepayers, on a basis of a one-seventh share, meant £61 per year, which a rate of l d would cover. They had had a larger scheme before them, which would, on the same basis, require, a 4d rate, but he thought that the smaller scheme would be efficient. This matter, and th» improvement of the Great North Road (in which he hoped the incoming Board would assist tho AvondsJe Board and Grey Lynn Council), together with their own drainage scheme, which would have to come soon, and the cost of which would bo covered by a rate of l-jkl, would necessitate them borrowing, in order to carry out the large programme before them, and he would advocate borrowing on the longest terms it might be possible to obtain, so that future ratepayers might pay their share. The matters referred to by the chairman were discussed, the general opinion being favourable to the schemes of drainage. It was unanimously resolved, on the motion of Mr. J. Ewan, seconded by Mr. T. Ussher, " That it be an instruction to the incoming Board to take steps as early as possible to have another poll of tho ratepayers taken upqn the proposal to borrow a sum sufficient to cover a scheme for the drainage of tho district." A vote, of thanks to the outgoing Board and chairman for their three years' service, moved by Mr. Thompson, and seconded by Mr. Gentle, was carried unanimously. The proceedings then terminated, MOUNT WELLINGTON. The annual meeting of the Mount Wellington Road Board was held yesterday afternoon at the Ellerslie Hotel. Mr. Andrew S. Thompson occupied the chair, and there was a good attendance of ratepayers, including Messrs. Lindsay Cooke, J. Somerfield, Warded, Captain Mitchell, A. Kay, and Arch. Stewart. The Chairman read the balance-sheet, which was adopted, on the motion of Mr. Treadgold. The receipts for the year ending March 31 last amounted to £1154 4s lOd, which included a balance from last year of £391 12s sd. Tho Government subsidy amounted to £218 17s lid, and the rates collected for tho year £404 4s Id. Fees collected amounted to £103 16s 3d. The expenditure amounted to £752 4s lid, which included cost of administration, £73 14s 4d : contribution to Charitable Aid Board, £83 7s Id; public works, viz., maintenance and read and bridge construction, £577 6s. A credit balance was thus shown of £401 19s lid. Captain Mitchell drew attention to the position of certain ratepayers to the Board, whose frontages were on that portion of the Great South Road under the jurisdiction of the One-tree Hill Road Board, although their properties were within the Mount Wellington district, and their inability to get the road repaired. The, Chairman 'promised that the matter should be dealt with by the incoming Board. The question of the encroachment by the railway authorities of some 17ft on the roadway, and the danger caused by the obstruction, was brought tip. Mr. Carter said the Government had been asked to move the railway platform so that the trains could run on each side of it, but the reply was that the Government had more important matters to attend to. A reply had been sent that nothing was moro important than the preservation of life, and that the danger to residents passing to and from the station was very great-. Several accidents had already occurred at the spot. On Mr. Treadgold's motion it was resolved to ask the incoming Board to take steps to request the Railway Department to move the railway points and cowcatcher sufficiently back to leave the public road clear. Mr. Ferguson brought up the question of tarring and sanding the footpaths in the district. The Chairman said the expenditure on the roads left no margin for this work to bo done There were 27£ miles of roadways in tho district- to be maintained, and the total rates were only £404, plus half this amount for tho Government subsidy, and out of these amounts the charitable aid and contributions to out-districts were very heavy. It was the duty of the ratepayers to convene a special meeting, in order to obtain a poll as to whether a special rate should be struck for the purpose. The question of lighting the principal thoroughfare by gas lamps was also discussed, and it was resolved to bring the matter under the notice of the incoming Board. Votes of thanks were accorded to the chairman and to Mr. Lindsay Cooko and the outgoing Board for their services.