Waimate Road Board.

Opunake Times, Volume IV, Issue 187, 19 June 1896, Page 3

Waimate Road Board.

A special meeting of the Board was held on Wednesday to consider Mr Hurley’s report and recommendations with reference to the above accounts, which had been almost since the formation of the Board in a very unsatisfactory condition. There were present—Messrs McCarthy (chairman), Pearce, Blennerhasaett, Watson, Wilkie, and Palmer. This shows that the overexpenditure had in March, 1893, amounted to £ISOO and that this amount had been taken from roads which now appeared by the ledger to be in credit, but unfortu- . nately had no cash except £3O at the bank to show for their £1682 credits. The following table shows the position of the wards :

Ward 4 is now merged into the county, so that the recommendations only dealt with the other three wards The report suggested that the three

wards running north and south shoni l for the purpose of this adjustment be divided by the railway re erve, aa the respective interests centre around the Eitham road on the n'rtb and t ; e Sk..et and South roads on the south, and wherever possible that the apparent credits in blocks remote from these main roads should be used for the liquidation of the debts, subject to the condition that the money must accrue from the same road aud subdivision as the debt is in, and that the settlers resident on the part of the road showing a credit really use the portion in debt to a considerable extent. After applying the D.P. 1893 credits as far as they will go in this way, there will still be a number of roads left in debt, and it is proposed that the debts on these should be reduced by applying a portion of the available balance of rates yearly for two years, provided that not more than half the rates be taken each year. These moneys to be paid to the credit of a separate bank account and distributed rateably amongst every road in the district showiug a credit in the ledger. In this way each subdivision would have as a whole to repay to the various roads, from which it has been borrowing, half the amount of its indebtedness during the first year and the balance during the second year, but as a very substantial set off it is provided that all the creditor roads within each of those riding will receive back again out of the money so piid a pro rata allotment on account. The d.p. balance from ward 4 when received or allowed for will also be placed to their credit. This arrangement will interfere to some extent for two years with the expenditure recmtly proposed to be made on the district roads out of rates. It was further recommended that in future no transfers be allowed in the Board’s books from one account to another except by cheque, to be passed by the Board in the usual way ; that no d.p. accounts be allowed to become overdrawn ; that no alterations be made in the present adjustment except after notice of motion; That the Land Board be asked to approve the adjustment agreed upon, and that the clerk be instructed to carry out the recommendations agreed upon, and to make an annual report on the conditions of the accounts in process of liquidation. After a discussion lasting over two hours, it was proposed by Mr Blennerhassett and carried unanimously that the report and recommendations be adopted and that the clerk, with Mr Hurley, take the necessary steps to give effect to the proposals contained. Mr Datson said he was satisfied that the proposals would result in simplyfying the working of the accounts, although to make the alterations a lot of time would have to be given by him to the matter. After the credit accounts, for which the Board held funds, had been taken into a fresh ledger anyone would be able to tell at a glance the state of any block on any road.—Star.

R’ds in debt. R’ds in credit. £ s. d. £ s.. d. Ward 1 . .. 145 8 7 840 14 9 Ward 2 . .. 290 15 8 313 13 5 Ward 3 . .. 402 10 7 320 7 5 Ward 4 . .. 728 1 7 558 0 8 £1560 16 0 £1532 16 3