GERALDINE ROAD BOARD.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2741, 5 January 1882, Page 2

GERALDINE ROAD BOARD.

At the annual meeting of ratepayers of the Geraldine Koad District on Tuesday the chairman, Mr Postlethwaite, read the following report of the Board’s work during the past year : Gentlemen, I have again the pleasure of laying before you a report of the Board’s work daring the year 1881. Since we last met the Board has let 62 contracts, of which 54 have been completed and the remaining 8 are nearly completed. These contracts consist of 21 miles 12 chains of roads shingled, 11 miles 44 chains of roads formed, 4 traffic bridges, and six largo culverts built, 4 miles 10 chains of fencing erected, and 63 acres of reserves planted with forest trees. During the year , the Board petitioned to have the immigration cottages handed over to them as they were going rapidly to decay, The request was granted, and the Board has had them repaired, painted, and securely fenced from the road ; they are now let to good tenants and produce an annual income. “ Finance. —Under this heading, I think, it may not be amiss to point out to the ratepayers that, through tho policy of past years, the Board has been enabled to carry on its works without striking a rate either for the past or the opening year ; such being the case a rate would be a useless hardship to place upon the ratepaying community of this district. The Board has been charged with ‘ hoarding ’ its funds ; this point cannot bo too keenly scrutinised by those who will sooner or later have to maintain by rate the great extent of roads opened out in tho Geraldine district. It perhaps may be satisfactory to show what has been expended during tho past four years. The sum amounts to £38,652, or an average of £8663, Can this be called ‘ hoarding ’ V Had this largo sum to come out of the country in the shape of rates, it would have represented u rate of 9a in the £,

Now, out of this large sum expended it has not been all capital, but nearly a quaiter lias been interest received upon our capital during the past four years—viz,, £9565 15s Bd, or equivalent to a Is rate for'ten years. ■" It will be for you, gentlemen, to say when considering this report whether our policy has been a wise one, and whether you consider the expenditure snfficient. You will notice further on in the report that our expenditure of this year does not come up to quite what it has done in other years. There are two reasons for this. Firstly, owing to many of the bridges and culverts being replaced by more permanent structures during the three previous years, therefore not sc much material, such as cement, timber, &c., baa been required ; and secondly, that the work tendered for has been at a very low rate. This is much to be deplored, because when work is taken at too low a rate, it has a tendency to lead contractors to shirk the work, and this sometimes leads to a misunderstanding or unpleasantness between the overseer to the Board and the contractor when the former is expected to, and does on all occasions, call upon the latter to complete work according to specifications. In speaking of expenditure I may point out that whenever Jan application has been made for work to be done by the Board, the members have always given it their earnest consideration, and if found necessary, the work has been done; but on one or two occasions the Board felt it was not warranted in spending such large sums as were asked for to accomplish so little good to the district at large. “ Ward System.—Daring the last sitting.of the Board a requisition was presented by Mr W. S. Maslin, asking us to take steps to have the Hoad Board District divided into wards. The annual meeting being so near, we thought it advisable that the subject should be referred to the ratepayers for their decision ; so now gentlemen, it will be for you to discuss and decide wbat steps shall be taken in , the matter.

“ Board’s Account.—The Board commenced the year with a credit balance of £31,672 6s Id, and its receipts have been as follows.;—From Government, £13,9s 8d; rates, nil; interest on fixed deposits, £1630 ; from other sources, £203 7s Id; total, with balance in hand, £31,37113s Id ; grand total, £33,21810s lOd. Expenditure has been as follows: —Kakahu ward, £706;2s 4d ; Pleasant Valley, &c., £942 18s 9d ; Woodbury and Orari, £874 Is ; Geraldine, £582 Is 3d ; Geraldine road and Orari reserve, £684 10s 5d ; officers’ salaries, £330; cement, timber, iron, &c. £1531 4s 2d ; sundries, £161; total, £sßll 17s lid ; thus leaving a balance of £27,406 12s lid to the credit of the Road Board.”

The report was adopted. Resolutions were passed by the meeting recommending the Board to divide the district into wards, first calling a public meeting to discuss the matter, and that it was advisable to conduct the election of members under the Local Elections Act. Messrs W. U. Slack and F. R. Flatman were re elected members of the Board. Votes of thanks to the officers ef the Board, Messrs Shiers and Sherratt, were proposed by Mr Postleth waite and carried, and the meeting.terminated.