WAIKOHU COUNTY RATES

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19336, 28 May 1937, Page 12

WAIKOHU COUNTY RATES

RIDING ABOLITION EFFECT SOME CURIOUS FEATURES YACITATION OBJECTIONS (Her it Id Correspondent.) Considerable time was taken up at Wednesday’s meeting of the Waikoliu County Council in consideration of the estimates for the current year. There will be a marked change in the incidence of the rates owing to the abolition of the ridings and to the revaluation of the country. Some curious features are to be noted: For instance, one area of about 34,000 acres lias a total rateable value of £75,000; this area is all hill country and used exclusively for raising sheep and cattle. The rateable value of the whole of the Motu riding, comprising 04,000 acres, including several hundred acres of valuable flats and much dairying country, has a total rateable value of something over £86,000. The anomaly is explained to some extent by the fact that in making the valuations allowance is made for special rates, that is, a reduction in values was made in the case of properties which had been loaded with loans for road improvements. On many properties in the Motu riding the special rates are considerably in excess of the general rate, while in the first case mentioned the special rates are very small. Alterations in tlie Estimates The estimates for the year 1937-3 S were considered in detail and adopted provisionally. The clerk, Mr. J. G. Appleton, stated that as there were about 100 objections to the new valuations to be dealt -with the rate in the £ which would be required could not be fixed in the meantime. Unless the objections led to very considerable reductions the rate should not exceed 4id in the £. The following alterations were made in the estimates submitted: —Fitzgerald’s road metalling reduced from £250 to £166. Additional: Mangahamia road, metalling £100; Waitangi road, forming and metalling £SO. The last two items were required for subsidising grants for which application would be made. Applications for Grants The district engineer, Mr. O. G. Thornton, wrote stating that applications for Treasury grants should be submitted in the Usual form as soon as possible.—lt was decided to make the following applications, arranged

Tenders Dealt With Tenders were dealt with as follows: Laying culvert and filling on the Rere highway, one tender, Messrs. Cooper and Davies, £420 10s, accepted; metalling Rakauroa-Tahora and Kornnga highway, one tender, Mr. J. King, £1067 2s 6d, accepted; metalling Whatatutu highway, no tender; metalling Kanakanaia highway, two tenders, the chairman and engineer were authorised to confer ivith the lowest tenderer to see if a satisfactory arrangement could be made; cleaning drains, Waihora road, two tenders, Mr. F. Stanley, 2s per chain, accepted; cleaning Pitcher’s drain, two tenders, Mr. T. Hyde, 5s per chain, accepted. - The report of the noxious weeds inspector was adopted. Accounts amounting to £2925 were passed for payment.

in order of urgency:— Grant. Oncl. Wharekopae to Tahora £ £ metalling 1350 450 Wharekopae to Mutuera metalling 1500 500 Waikohu to Motu via Whakarau, metalling, on account 2000 1000 kanakanaia, metalling .. 400 200 Fitzgerald's rd., metailing 333 10(3 Wharekopae, bridge replacement 100 100 Waitangirun, bridge 200 replacement 200Tarndale, metalling 150 150 Tarndale, planting slips Taumata, metalling 50 50 200 100 Scott’s road, metalling .. 100 50 Mangahamia, metalling .. 200 100 Waitangi, metalling 100 50