WAIHEMO COUNTY COUNCIL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2883, 23 June 1909, Page 24

WAIHEMO COUNTY COUNCIL.

The ordinary meeting- of t/he Waihemo County Council, held at Palmerston on Saturday, was attended by the chairman [Mr D. M. Philip). Crs J. Rose, H. O'Neill, W. Sutherland. F. M'Callum, G. Cla.rk, r. M'Lay, and H. Kayley. An apology ivas received ironi Cr J. O'Cornell. CORRESPONDENCE. The Mackenzie County Council wrote 'tatinjj, that that body was approaching- j Lho Government with a view to havino: I '" fourths " of rents of pastoral runs paid j Dyer to the local bodies for the constru- | tion and maintenance of roa.ds gi\in<r iccess thereto, and asked the Waihemo I Council to co-operate by -urging the ! Member of Parliament to support an j lmendment to the Land Act to give effect :o the proposal. It was* pointed out that >wing to pastoral lease lands beinig lated >n a rental basis, and not on theii capital ialue in many cases the rates were exceed- , ngly low and quite insufficient to provide , ifficienfc roading facilities. — The suggestion. , ,va3 areneraHy approved, and the request :omplied with. The Distric-fc-Railwav Engineer (Mr H. Vlacandrew) wrote acknowledging receipt )f the council's request that settlers in he neighbourhood of Goodwood should lave permission to make use of the railvay footbridge at Goodwood Station, and tated that as such a permit would carry j pith it the right to trespass on the railway j me he regretted he could not see his way ' o comply with the request. He was sure he council -would recognise the inadvisibility of issuing «, permit, as to do so could practically :nake the bridge and tho aihvay line a publio right-of-way. — Re■eived * j The_ Palmorston School Committee wrote . hankina; the council for the use of the

County Council room for holding meetings, and requesting a, continuance of the feu our. — Request complied with. The Secretary of the N-sw Zealand Counties' Association wroto forwarding forms for filling in re the ■desirability or otherwise of establishing a united fund for local authorities' superannuation pm-poses. - — Tho Chairman said he thought the information should be supplied, and expressed approval of a general superannuation for local bodies' employees. — It *vaa decided to supply the information asked for. Allan M'lnto&h wrote asking- that t?he provisions in sec-lion 117 of " The Public Works Act, 1905." should not annly to tb" road known as tho Shag Point Mine road, co that a transfer might be made to Him from Mr Ja.mes Allen of part of section 20, block 111, Moeraki Survey district. The road in question it was stated is half a chain wide. — The request was complied with. William Connolly, of Hyde, wrote e3lling attention to the un^-atis factor v condition of the gates on the road leading tnrough J. Mathewson's run, Hi.ghlay district, and into Mr Donaldson's battery on the writer's run. He understood the road referred to was a county road.— To I>g informed that the council is not responsible for the gates referred to. GENEBAI.. The tender of Willram Todd W metal on Moonlight road at 6s per yard was accepted. Accounts amounting to £393 6s 2d were pnssed for payment. Tl-? Ranger for the county (Mr W. H. , Bunting) wrote forwarding his resignation, j which was accepted, and it was resolved to advertise for applications for the position. •. It was resolved that one of the county workmen be employed one day eaoh week to mix and distribute poison for small i b-rds. j The chairman and the county clerk were ■ appointed to confer with Messrs DonaldI son Bros, to fix a date for a conference. FIN4XCE. The annual estimate of receipts *ra? expand itm-e for the year ending March 31, 1910, was laid on the rable as follows:— • Revenue- General rate of Jd in the pound on capital value (£538,000). £1681 ss; outstanding rates, say. £10 15s : balance Government subsidy, £125 ; eoldfields revenue. £J00: licenses — publicans, dogs, eic, £105 (this amount last year was £200) : land fund. £70 : Government .tyrants — balance March 31. 1909. £350: Tungsten Mine road. £150:— total. £2592. Expenditure: Salaries, £305 ss: travelling expenses, £80: n ir.ling, etc., £45; destruction nf t'Hs, £50; interest, on loan and ove.rdr.aft, £150; Hospital and Charitable Aid Boards, £5~00 : Government grant Tungsten Mine road, £150: balance for maintenance of roads, , £3311 Lss:— total. £2552. The County Clerk retwrtec! the coridition of the different ridini accounts as folloirs after accounts passed that day were naid:— Blue Mountain (debit), £14 2^ 9 d : Afpa-dowbank (credit). £36 6? 7d : Bnsh'ev (debit). £82 13s 2d ; Goodwood M^bi+l £177 Ps 10d: Dunb«uk (credit). £?54 19s s<-l: Green V a ]] &v (fehit). £346 2s 3d; Mne'ves /credit), £502 8s 2d. Or J. Ross, referring to tha finances, eaid

the county was' 'the ' most expensive of an" south of Vno Waitaki lo administer. Thi was duo to the small area, and not to th< administration, and it seemed to him. tha co.mc effort was necessary to increase th< area. Their clerk and engineer were th< poorest paid of any 6uch officials, and al itoe works wero ooonomieally carried out He represented a riding the valuation o which entitled' it to an additional member or to subdivision, but there was no us< under existing conditions clamouring foi another riding. For all counties south o. the Wiiitaki the annual expenditure ant cost of management were as follows: — Waitaki (expenditure £10,3*0), 12.1 pci cent ; Waihemo (£2335). 26.9; Waikouait (£3031), 19; Taieri (£10,793), 11.4; Bruc< (£8603), 11.4, Clutha (£9332), 10.8; Tiiapeka (£12,415), 11.6; Maniototo (£5949). 22.2; Vincent (£9124), 12.7; Lake (£4924). ; 20.7i Southland (£37,611], 7; Wailace (£13,694). 10.7. Cr Clark: A number of people hav< , always held that it was a mis/take to separate from Waikouaiti, and I -think steps should be taken to bring about amalgamation. Under amalgamation both comities would be administered more satisfactorily and more economically. - Th© County Clerk: Under amalgamation an engineer at '£500 per annum would require to be appointed, and he would require two inspectors under him. Cr Clark : Under present conditions 1 think we should have differential rating. Ridings that are in credit should not foe rated for ridings that are not in as good a , position. Goodwood and Green Valley were j entitled to be rated at, say, |d, and che oiher ridings at § of a" penny, as at preeent. He moved in that direction. The motion lapsed for want of a seconder. Or O'Xeill thought in the present financial position of the county a rate of a penny in the pound should be struck. The present indebtedness was about £1200, and they were going- back financially year after }-ear. If a. penny rate was paid for a couple of years, the finances would get into a satisfactory position, and they could then revert to lower rating again. We* are ono of the I lowest-rated counties in the Dominion, but the ratepayers' money is being paid away year after year in interest to the hank, and the bank interest and charges, if spent in maintenace, would be a considerable advantage. He gave notice to move that the rate be one penny in the pound, and did so because if they went on as they were now doing they would coon reach the limit of the ba-nk overdraft. . Cr Bayley seconded the motion. Cr Ross thought from f of a penny to one penny was too big a iump, and favoured Jd. It rented a good deal with members themselves to keep the finances in a healthful condition, and they could do muoh by restricting their demands for works that were not urgently necessary. Cr M'Lay : If it is impossible to carry on with a |d rate, we must increase it. I will support Jd, bufc will not support Id. The Chairman : Damage by the flood has something to do with our preeent position. We ako losa £75 by licenses. Cr Rn«i : I gi\e notice to move that the rate bo %&.

Cr M'CaHum seconded the amendment. Cr Sutherland favoured the penny rate. On boiiig put, the motion was lost by thrca votes to loin-, the chairman refraining fi'oni exercising either hw deliberative or casting vote. Cr O'Neill then moved, and Cr Bayley seconded, as a furtKer amendment, that notice be griven to make the ra.to j of a penny in the pound, the mover stating that month after month the inspector's reports showed that works should be done which could not bo done. If they gave the inspector more money to work on he could do much needful work. Those ratepayers of the county who understood tho financial position were all in favour of increased rating. The sum of £60 per annum of tho ratepayers 1 money , was being paid away in interest.

The amendment was lost, and the motiom for a %d rate was adopted. inspector's report." r • The Inspector (Mr George Cruickshank) , reported as follows: —

Macraes Riding.—T he metal contract is finished, and the roads aro in good order. The. Main road* from Dunback ,is in good order. — Approved Dunback Riding.— The suspension bridge lias been repaired', so as to allow the safe crossing of 'sheep. On the Stoneburn road there aro some bad parts at the river. Mr W. Sutherland, of Stoneburn, gave the use of two and three-horse team 3, and from' 4o tv> 50 lineal chains of road were formed and re-formed. The steep pinch at Elston's farm has been repaired, tho Borough Council pay half cost.— Approved. Blue Mountain Riding. — Culverts have been repaired, and some repairs have to be effected at Buchanan's crossing, as well as some nv'll planks to fix. Tiie damage by, last winter's flood will take 12 months to repair, the improvements made being of a, permanent kind. — Approved. GJoodwood Hiding-. —Mr M'Callum'e road has been metaUod, and this will assist traffic for 11 chains. Some gravel has been put on, the Maim, road, but crushed metal is best. — Approved. |