OPUNAKE.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 8534, 26 July 1889, Page 2

OPUNAKE.

[FBOM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT. I

Jdne 24. — A meeting of ratepayers was held in the Town Hall to discuss County matters. Mr John Newman, Chairman oE ihe Town Board, occupied the chsir, and having explained the objtot for which they had been call.d together, asked Mr Stevensoa to addrws the meeting. Mr Stavensoa said he had not much information to give them, but that Mr Price, the Chairman of the County Counoil, would do so.

Mr Gane asked Mr Stevenson if he had any scheme, or could propound a scheme, to raise funds to put the County roads in repair.

Mr Stevenson said he had not; bu,t the Chairman had.

Mr Price then explained the financial stute of this County Riding. He said money could be borrowed under the Local Bodies Act. The revenue of the riding was:— Rates, fd in the £, £632 9s 3d ; pub. licenses, £50; Deferred Payment thirds, £50; dog tax, £10. Total, £742 98 31. The riding accounts had been kept since last March. Contracts had been let and contractors put on a certain quantity of gravel, besides keeping the roads in repair. If ia funds extra gravel at schedule price would be put on. The Hiniama bridge would cost £260. £100 will have to be addtd to liabilities for extra repairs. According to the Counties Act, 1886, the ridings were independent of each other, and either riding could provide for a special works rate. It would take £6000 to put the Parihaka Riding in good repair — that was, putting broken metal on the roads and repairing the bridges. They could borrow at 5 per cent, from the Government, including interest and sinking fund, for 26 yearß. It would lake £300 interest, &0., on the £6000 par annum. Tollg-ates had brought in £1090 per year (or a-21, £26, and £44 per month) for the last two years they were up. [Mr Moore : Was the revenue raised in this riding expended here?] There was no ParihaKa Riding; it wbb the Omata ; and all the money spent on the South Road was debited as such. In those days the Chairman naß the man ia authority. Mr Moore could get all the information he wanted. Omata bad had expanded £482, more than it* share, when Parihaka was a port of it. The native lands would mot pay a special rate; natives did not pay rates. Mr John McGregor asked the cause of the roads collapsing so suddenly. Mr Stevenson said it was owing to the flax mills tbac the roads were cut up. There were teams of bullocks always on the road going to and from Parihaka, which paid nothing. He had made a contract with a native to supply him with flax. He did not think he was & ratepayer.

Mr McGregor called the attention of Mr Stevenson to some statements made at the last meeting of the County Council.

Mr Moore said that for two years scarcely a man in this riding was on the South Road, or rather at Stony River. Were they to pay rateß and get nothing ? He thought the Counoil failed to give them au equal division of the rates. Mr Prioe said there had been an expenditure on tha bridges which seemed to have been overlooked. The Counoil is paying the Bank 7$ per cent, on its overdraft.

Mr Gane asked if there was any valid reason for not adopting the riding system before last March, as the amendment became law on the Ist day of November, 1885.

Mr Prioe said no, but he was unaware of such an Act.

A great many questions were -asked and answered, when the discussion turned to toll gates.

Mr Ching said he thought thot toll gate keepers could nap stones at the gates.

MrMiddleton proposed, "That £6000 be raised to metal the entire road with broken stone, the stone crusher being in the district."

Mr Ching moved as amendment, " That toll gates be erected in the Parihaka riding."

Mr Gane moved a further amendment, " That in the opinion of this meeting the County Council be requested to proclaim Parihaka Riding a special riding, und cause a poll to be taken to raise the sum of £6000 under the Loan to Local Bodies Act for metalling the County road and rebuilding bridees; also that the toll gate system be adopted in the same riding, thereby raising revenne fron? that source to assist in paying the interest and sinking fund on the £6000."

This was seoonded by Mr Blair Anderson.

Mr Gane, in speaking to the amendment, said that the interest and sinking fund would be £300 per annum; the revenue from general rate was £630 approximately, leaving other reveaue ont, such as licenses. The Chairman had estimated toll gates to bring in nett £600 per annum; making a total of £1230. Taking £300 for the loan, and leaving £930 at fd rate. Therefore if a Jcl rate was more than necessary, the Council could strike a less rate on the land. If settlers paid the gate «b well as a rate, it would be a email rate, so that those who ÜBed the road most would pay for it. It was quite clear that the natives would not pay rates, but the natives would contribute largely by the gate system. Eventually when the native land was in the same position as European, and could be taxed £d or fd in the £, the gates could be abolished, but until then let those who used thn roads most pay most.

There was a majority for Mr Ching'e amendment, and it wob carried.

A vote of thanks to tbe Chairman, and also to Mr Price, was then passed.

It was suggested that the cost of the hall be defrayed out of travelling expenses.