WAITAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 819, 27 November 1878, Page 2

WAITAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

The annual statutory meeting of the Council was held to-day at the County Chambers. There were present—The Hon. R. Campbell (Chairman), and Messrs. D. Sutherland, Duncan, Murcott, Todd, Johnston, W. Sutherland, Falconer, and Thomson. ■ The Clerk read the section of the Act fixing the date of the annual meeting. The Clerk read the half-yearly balance, as certified by the Auditor (Mr. H. Livingstone). This showed the total receipts for the half-year, with the balance of LI 5,351 5s 7d from lastdialf-year, to have amounted to L 19.590 -Is Id, the revenue being made up as follows :—Licenses, L 572 ; Ooverumcnt subsidies. L2GS9 : rates. L(i49 14s Sd : dog tax, bank interest, &c. LO3l (Is sd. The expenditure amounted to L49BS its -Id. leaving a balance of L 14,907 14s 9d.—The balancesheet was adopted, and ordered to be signed by the Chairman. The Chairman said that as this was probably tiie last meeting over which he might preside he would like to make a few remarks upon the financial condition of the Council. Two years ago they had commenced with an overdraft, and now they had a balance of LH>,7O7 4s (3d to their credit. The total rates collected during the year amounted to Ltinl 10s 3d, the amounts in the various ridings being—Ohau, L 33 10s .(id : Otematakan. L 27 Is Id ; Otekaike, L 54 Ids ; Awamoko. LBS His Id; Papakaio. LI 04 7s Sd ; Waiareka. LI4O 17s 10s: Kakanui. LIIU lCs lid : Otennno. Ltil 10s -Id : Mooraki, L3(i 13s lOd. 'With the exception of L 7 ISs 3d the whole of the rates in the County had be ai collected. The total rateable value of rise i'ouutv was L 1.77,911.77,911 3s (id. and the acreage 1.550,87$ acres. The Council had taken over during the year 19 miles of roads, makinir in all ii out 220 miles under its control: ami so far as his observations of the counfrv enabled him to speak the v/holo of the roads were in excellent condition. The total revenue for the year had been L 12.910 4s !>d, made up as follows : --Land revenue. L 397 18s Id : subsidv. l'J■..■>;)!> 17s 1 Id : rates. LO5l !0s 3d: doLT-iax, L 372 : gold revenue. Ll2l 7s Sd : license-, L 592 10s: bank interest. L(!4(i Is: and from other sources, L 39 19s lOd. Tlie expenditure fur the same period was L13,1)43 4s, showing that the County had expended L/ 32 19s 3d over its total revenue. The total land revenue received by tlie County to date had been from Canterbury. L2i,013 0s 9d ; and from Otago, L 1440 7s. But of the latter amount the Government had intimated that the Education Commissioners had made a claim of LG2S 7s 4d, and that this sum would be deducted from future payments. Of the amount expended during the year, roads and bridges reached L10.73S 15s 9d ; charitable aid. L 931 ISs lOd ; libraries, Ll2O ; salaries, L 935 10s 5d : and elections and valuations, L 257 Ss. Before sitting down, he desired to express to all Councillors who had assisted him his cordial thanks. No Chairman could have received greater assistance than he had received from the Council. The Council would now proceed to elect a Chairman for the ensuing year. Mr. Duncan said that he had no fault to find with the present Chairman, and he would therefore propose that he be reelected .

Mr. Murcott, in seconding the motion, said that from his position in the district, and his position as a member of the Upper House, the Chairman possessed great influence and could do a great amount of good for the county.

The motion was carried unanimorsly. The Hon. "R. Campbell, in thanking the members for again electing him as their Chairman, said that he had had no idea of offering himself for re-election. He felt that any member of the Council was equally as capable of filling the position as he was. He would at once state that at the end of the year he would place his resignation in their hands, and ask them to allow him to occupy a side seat at the table. He would once more thank them for the honor they had conferred upon him. The Chairman then proposed that the salaries of the Clerk and Inspector of Roads be LSO each, and spoke of the very large amount of work those officers had to perform.

The motion was .seconded by Mr. Todd. Mr. Murcott raised the question whether the Council hn.il the power to deal with the matter at the annual meeting, which was fixed by the Act for a specific purpose. He moved an amendment that consideration of the question should be postponed until the next ordinary meeting. This was seconded by Mr. Falconer, and carried after some discussion.

Several applications for the position of Ranger for the Papakaio district were opened, Mr. R. Smart being appointed ; and an offer from the Waitaki Road Board to contribute towards the Ranger's salary, pro* vided he were permitted to impound eattle straying on the district rqads, was accepted. Mr, Todd, having drawn the attention of the Council to the dangerous state of the road at the Teaneraki railway station, it was decided that the Clerk should wiite to the Government, asking that the protection wall at th-2 place mentioned might be extended. Th : Council then ro.-u.