Heathcote Road District.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4990, 1 May 1884, Page 2

Heathcote Road District.

4ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting of the ratepayers of the Heathcote Road District, to receive the statement of accounts, was held at the Road Board office at noon to-day. About a dozen ratepayers were present, and Mr G. Dryden occupied the chair. The annual statement of accounts and balance-sheet, audited by the Provincial District Auditor, were laid before the meeting. They showed the receipts for the year to have been £2436 2s, including general rates, 1883, .£1793 14s 4d, and overdraft at Union Bank of Australia, .£126 8s lOd. The expenses were: — Expenditure on wards, .£1061 17s ; office expenses, £217 10s Gd, and general charges, repayment of last year's overdraft, &c, .£1157 14s Gd ; total £2436 2s. The liabilities were £369 18s 3d, and the assets £530 5s 9d. Mr Attwood thought it wa3 not just to pay the foreman's wages by a percentage on the amount of rates collected in each ward, as the services of the foreman were required much more in some wards than others, though the former paid less rates. The salary should be apportioned to each ward according to the amount of work done therein. He complained that the Bromley ward paid more than its fair share. It had paid £36 towards the general expenses, and the value of work done within it was only £24. Mr Kirk said that it was a difficult thing to apportion the foreman's salary with exact fairness. The Chairman pointed out that there was a sum of £44 to the credit of the j Bromley Ward, while the other wards | were overdrawn. Messr3 It. Allan and Moore observed j that the wards were to a certain extent j dependent on one another, so that work done in one was frequently for the benofit of others. ! Mr Allan thought that the present system should be adhered to, though it ■ would be satisfactory if a record of the j foreman's time was kept, so that if thei*e ', were auj great discrepancy in tho amount ' of time given to the wards, the matter j could be considered at a future meeting. i It was agreed that this should be done. In answer Lo Mr Attwood, the Clerk i stated that an estimate of the cost of works , to be constructed during the year had been | prepared. The Board had power to strike j a separate rate in each ward, if they chose. On the motion of Mr Allan, seconded by : Mr Attwood, the statement of accounts and balance-sheet were adopted. The meeting then terminated with a | vote of thanks to the Chairman.