Geraldine Road District.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 4998, 4 May 1889, Page 2

Geraldine Road District.

ANNUAL MEETING OF EATEPATEES.

The annual meeting of ratepayers in the Geraldine Eoad District was held in the Bead Board’s office, yesterday afternoon. Mr W. Potletliwaite, chairman of the board.presided. Tho chairman read the following report of the board:—

“ Gentlemen. —Your board has great pleasure in meeting the ratepayers on this occasion to render an account of the past year's proceedings, which have been financially to a certain extent a success as the balance sheet will show, At the same time your board feels it a duty to point out to the ratepayers the absolute necessity of keeping a tight hand on tho purse stringß,so that a heavy burden may not be thrown upon them when the fixed deposits come to an end. In dealing with finance you will observe, when that part of the report is reached, that with all the economy Jwhich your board has been allowed to exorcise the credit balance of last year has been drawn upon to the extent of £326 4s Id, and at this part of the report it is desirable you should take note of the fact that the amount of interest accruing from fixed deposits is no less a sum than £SOB 15s, equal to more than one farthing rate. Now in addition to this it must be borne in mind that last year your receipts showed a sum from liabilities of £353 14s Id, whereas this year’s balance sheet shows only a subsidy from the County Council of the sum of £3l 5s 6d. Then again last year you re* ceivod for interest on fixed deposits, £63117s 5d *and this year only £SOB 15s. Owing to tho board having to encroach on your capital to tho extent of £826 4s Id, which would have almost represented one halfpenny rate if the expenditure had had to be drawn entirely from rates, so that had your Board not in past years economised your funds you would have had to pay a rate of 2d instead of £d as has been the case this last year. All these facts cannot be too forcibly impressed not only on the minds of the ratepayers but also on those who are candidates for the coming election. In regard to the collection of rates, the board has through the careful management of its officer been placed in a most satisfactory position,as with the exception of three email ratepayers, who have been excused on the ground of poverty, there are only two others, against one of whom the board has obtained judgment of court, and the other, the greatest defaulter, the board to say, is the Government, who neglected to pay the rates on Crown Lands during the financial year, in order, we have a right to assume, to swell their much vaunted surplus of this year. And here it may not be amiss to point out that through an Act passed last session, the amount of rate due from Crown Lands was reduced to one half, and next year it will be one quarter, so that on all hands the ratepayers will have to trust to their own efforts to raise sufficient funds to carry on needful works, let alone works of luxury. Now during the financial year all the receipts as set forth in the balance sheet amount to £1779 18s 4d, and the expenditure to £2606 2s sd, leaving as stated early in the report a deficit of £826 4s, leaving the bank deposit at £9584 5e Id. As it has been the custom in tho report to show the amount expended in each district your board has de-. cidcd to abide by that custom on this occasion It is as followsWaitohi Downs and Jxiikahu, £158; Pleasant and Gapes’ Valleys, #lßl j Wcqdbury aqd Upper

13s; Belfield and Eangitata, £l9lloa ; Orari Village settlement and Geraldine Elat, £205. These figures need no comment from your Board, as it can easily be seen that the expenditure has been fair and equitable in the various districts. During the year there have been thirty-five contracts let, all of which have been turned out to the entire satisfaction of your board. As the country is now almost opened up most of the contracts let have been for repairing, diverting two or three roads, which have proved most advantageous to the districts. In conclusion your board desires to place on record their appreciation of the valuable services rendered by their officer, Mr Shiers, who has displayed the same amount of energy and good judgment which has characterised his services in bygone years.

“W. POSTLBTHWAITE, “ Chairman.”

In moving the adoption of the report Mr Postlethwaite expressed regret at the small attendance of ratepayers ; it showed that little interest was taken in the work performed by the board. Mr C. G. Tripp, in seconding the motion/ spoke highly of the services rendered by their overseer, Mr W. Shiers. Mr Wells asked what about the request he sent into the board in regard to removing gates from a certain road. The chairman said it was a matter to be dealt with by the board itself. _ He should apply to the new board, this being a private and not a public affair. ' Mr Reiman concurred in the remarks of the chairman in regard to retrenchment, and thought they could retrench on the overseer’s salary. He was a thoroughly good man, but could they afford so high a salary ? The chairman defended the overseer’s salary being maintained, and was followed in the same strain by Mr Tripp, and other members of the board.

The overseer said that Mr Kelman seemed to think ho had nothing to do. If he only called in the office he could show him what the work of the office was, and ho would then be convinced that he knew nothing about it.

Mr Holland still continuing, Mr Bayley challenged him to propose a resolution at the present meeting in regard to lowering the overseer’s salary. Mr Kelman would be proud to do so if there had been a large meeting of the ratepayers instead of so small a one. Mr Kelland pointed out that the overseer had also to act as clerk to the board, which took him more than half his time.

Mr Shiers here produced a valuation roll for the district which had been sent from MrSperrey for him to collect rales from, and showed the large number of mistakes therein which took him quite a fortnight to correct, for which he got nothing. Mr McShane said that when he was elected a member of the board he thought that the overseer’s salary could be reduced, but when he saw the large amount of work he had to do, he quite altered his mind. Mr Kelman here desired to withdraw his remarks.

Mr Tripp spoke eulogistically of the manner in which the chairmanship of the Board had been conducted by Mr Postlethwaite, and was sorry he had determined not to offer himself for re-election.

Mr Flatman had much pleasure in seconding the vote of thanks, and spoke at some length on Mr Postlethwaite’s manner of conducting the board’s business. Mr Slack endorsed the remarks made by the purpoeer and seconder. Mr Postlethwaite thanked Messrs Tripp and Flatman for the flattering manner in which they bad spoken of him. A hearty vote of thanks to Mr Shiers, the board’s overseer and clerk, was proposed by Mr Postlethwaite, seconded by Mr Kelman, and carried unanimously.