MANGAPAPA TOWN BOARD

Gisborne Times, Volume XLV, Issue 4012, 19 August 1915, Page 7

MANGAPAPA TOWN BOARD

REVIEW OF FIRST FINANCIAL YEAR.

MEMBERS GIVE ACCOUNT OF THEIR STEWARDSHIP,

VOTE OF THANKS RECORDED

w The ratepayers of the Mangapaj o- Town District are either very well sa 10 . istied with the manner in which the ie representatives on the Board are a ill ministering their affairs, or the got ie people of that locality do not take >r keen interest in local politics. The: :o were only about 30 persons present i ie St. John's Hall last night, when il u members of the Board gave an a o count of their stewardship from tl >t inception of the Board on May ! c- 1914, until the end of the first final i- cial year, on March 31 last. Tl io members of the Board present wore >, Messrs. W. J. McCliskie (chairman 1. G. Matthews, E. Grundy, W. Hay, . n Waisli, and H. E. Hill (clerk), a The chairman, after dealing wit 1- the steps taken to form the Boarc said that when the Board: was forme the town district had a population < s 950 and contained 197 houses, whil I- to-day the population had increase e to 1200 and! the number of houses ha .. gone up to 250. The area of the t:nv t district was 940 acres, the cupiti r value being £251,956. The Ho.-pita s ’ church, and school property, howevei were exempt, and this cut as much a , £59,163 off tht> capital value, leuvin, 1 the rateable value at £192,763. Th . actual loss the Board 1 sustained one. i year on account of exemptions am I (united to £369. When the Board Inn 5 started they had found that the cul verts iii the town district were in i >■ very bad state, and they bad bad b s be renewed at considorabie expense i A great deal of attention had, he said K been g.i ven to the main road througl * Mangapapa, as much as -£3OO havin' r been spent. This was a large amount but a great deal of traffic took nlaci I on ibis road. They were in holies tba ’ they would get outside local bodies tc contribute something towards tin maintenance of the main road. Any- ’ how, they had improved the road anc the footpaths considerably. Ho .noticed! that the cyclists appreciated tbf improvements to the footpaths, af they were using them pretty freely. (Laughter.) However, cyclists used the footpaths at their ou r n risks. A voice: Have you got a policeman ? (Laughter.) / The Chairman: Oh, avo will get someone to act as policeman all right. Proceeding, Mr. McCliskie reviewed ther balance-sheet (already published), and - said the Board had been v ry blessed in its officers, who had s wed the Board and! the ratepayers well. Proceeding, the chairman said that the estimated revenue for 1914-15 on capital rateable value Avas £192.763, and other income was as folkxvs: General, rate at 1 l-8d in £ £IO7O 18s Id. special whole district rate of l-3d in £ £267 14s 6d. Government subsidy on rates collected £l5O, share County funds £3B6i licenses £10; t.tai, £3884 12s, 7d. The proposed expenditure was: Surfacemen £156, casual carting £SO, local gravel £l6, maintenance gravel £SO, culvert limb r £SO, tools £ls, street lamps £llO, caretaker and incidental £2O, uoav bridge (engineering) £250, sundry. maintenance £7l, general charges £859, special charges £237; total, £IBB4. The general charges were made up as follows:—Purchase of section £285, building £l3O, gas and furnishings £35, fencing £ls, clerk’s salary £IOO. election expenses £6O, advertising £2O, stationery* £ls, printing by-laws £l4, rates uncollected £3O, insurance £ls, health inspector £lO, interest on overdraft £55, rent of school £5, legal expenses £SO, sundry items £2O. . The special charges were: Interest on loans £207, hospital Lvy £3O. The Board’s staff consisted of a clerk, engineer, two roadmen, and a sanitary contractor. Matters were now in good running order, and the Board hoped that the next- vear would show good results for money i xpended 1 . The income which it was anticipated will be available for the current year for general purposes is: Genera' rate £1225 10s 7d # sanitary fees £250. Government subsidy £l5O, outstanding rates from 1914-15 £100; total, £1725 30s 7d. For special_ purposes: Special general rate £274 l"6s 6d, special Mangapapa rate £2O 14s 2d. Mr. Matthews said that the rates were practically the same this year as they Avere last year, with the exception that a little, extra had to be put on for Hospital levy. The rates Avere practically the same now as when they Avere a part of the County. Mr. K. Oaks agked ivliy the item for £SO 15s lid for tools and plant did not appear in the list of assets? The Clerk stated that lie had the item down, but the Government Auditor had said that it was such a .small item that it Avas not. worth putting doAvn at the present time. Mr. Oaks said that he felt inclined to criticise the Government Auditor. If the tools and plant did not appear as assets there would bo no record of them ax- all in their books., and they would be apt to lose sight of the items. If he Avere auditor lie would not pass such an omission. Chairman stated that the Gas Company had installed the gas at a total cost of £6 10s per lamp per annum. They liad six lamps, and no outlay whatever. The Gas Company paid for cleaning, breakages, and all maintenance. Mr. Hall asked if the Board' hod obtained an estimate of the cost or obtaining six electric lights. The Chairman said that the Borough Council could not supply them with the light.. Mr. Duncan alleged that there was »i structural defect in tho concrete in the iioav bridge at the end of Clifford Street. • ‘The Chairman said he did not think that this Avas a structural defect. Mr. Duncan declared that it was. "Is the engineer here?” he asked. Mr. Grundy: The meeting is open to discuss any vote of censure on the engineer. Mr, Oaks said 1 he considered that tho. members of the Board had. administered the affairs of the district ably and economically Avhilo they held office. Tho balance-sheet showed 1 that during the short time they had been in office they had economically administered the funds. Many improvements had been effected throughout the toAvh district,'and the Beard had assets valued at upwards of £BOO. He considered the members of the Board had served tlie ratepayers avoll. Mr. Duncan : Hear, hear. Mr. Holmes asked what was. the contract price of the concrete bridge. Tho Chairman: £570. Mr. Holmes: And w r hat are the incidentals over and above the contract price ? ■ The Chairman: £SO. Mr, Grundy explained that it was tho intention of the Board! to go in for a, bridge loan., as they did not consider it fair to tax their revenue with tlie cost of bridges. Tho Chairman said that it was intended to provide for the bridges and sanitary depot in the one loan. Mr. Oaks said that the cost of the concrete culvert on Mangapapa. Valley roadl, £640, seemed an enormous price to pay for a structure Avhieh v/as not tho Avidth of .the roadway. If they went on at the same rate their revenue would not go very far. Tho Chairman said that the concrete bridge Avas there for all time, and Avould not require any -renewing. Timber was -very expensive, and required renewing. The cost of the bridge included the approaches and metalling. Mr. Matthews said 1 that the concrete culvert itself did not cost more than £SOO. , b Mr. Hay said that he Avasthc guilty party with regard to the concrete cul? -vert. He had opposed the building of a Avooden ■ bridge there, and had had

to fight hard on the Board! to get the culvert. They had got a very good permanent job, which on tho whole was far better value than a Avooden bridge would have been. Mr. (Talcs asked if they d'id not think it Avould be advisable for the Board to approach the Borough Council and offer to snbskliiso that body to supply them Avith water. Ho pointed out that tho Borough. Council, was considering augmentation of the toAvn Avatqr supply, and the present was an opportune time to approach them on the subject.

Tlio Chairman said that if some Such arrangement could bo come to it Avould be a very good, thing. . Mr. Hall asked if the Board considered it could, in the face of requirements carry on with the present rate?

The Chairman replied that, with a loan lor bridges and sanitation, the present rate ivonlcl be ample. Mr. Holmes asked if the Board had o\ r er considered rating on any other system than on the capital value. The Chairman replied that they had not considered any. other system. Mr. Holmes asked if it would l not be better instead of going in for a loan to consider the advisability of broadening tbe system of rating. The Chairman: Altering tho system of rating wo.uk! not .give the Board any more revenue.

Mr. Cedes said that the question of altering the system of rating rested entirely Avith the ratepayers of the town, district. It was certain that a change would be made, and when itdid come lie for one would work enthusiastically to have a change. • On. tho motion of Mr. Oaks, seconded by Air. J. Jfc. Redstone, a- hearty vote of thanks avas passed to the' Board, and tho staff for the manner in. which they had carried on the affairs of the Board. Air. Hall said the Board were to 1 o commended for adopting the principle of meeting tho ratepayers, and giving them a eliaijeo to become acquainted with tho Avorking of the Board. Tho Chairman said the staff were a; much to be thanked as the members of tho Board for any good, work that may have been done.

Air. Grundy said that 'they had an excellent chairman in Mr. McCliskie, who Avas working in the interests of the Board early and late. The motion of thanks was carried unanimously.