WHEREAS on the fourth day of October, nineteen hundred and nineteen, the Whakatane County Council submitted to a poll of the ratepayers of the Matata, Rangitaiki, Tarawera, and Omataroa Ridings of the Whakatane County a proposal to borrow by way of special loan under the Local Bodies’ Loans Act, 1913, the sum of forty-nine thousand six hundred pounds, to be allocated in the manner set out in the said loan proposal amongst certain works in the said ridings: And whereas the area comprising the said four ridings has since been divided into five ridings by the creation of a new riding called the Galatea Riding: And whereas in the said loan proposal the sum of six thousand four hundred and eighty-two pounds was allocated for the purpose of improving and laying down permanent road in tar grouting from Whakatane Borough Boundary to Railway-station at Awakeri, and the sum of seven hundred pounds was allocated for the purpose of providing a bridge over Seccombe’s drain, and road formation and approaches: And whereas the said loan proposal was duly carried, and the said special loan (known as the Whakatane County Council, Matata, Tarawera, Rangitaiki, and Omataroa Ridings Loan of £49,600) was duly raised by the said Council: And whereas the works for which the said sum of six thousand four hundred and eighty-two pounds was allocated in the said loan proposal have not been commenced, and are not now proposed to be carried out by the said Council: And whereas the works for which the said sum of seven hundred pounds was allocated in the said loan proposal have been completed at a less cost than the amount of such allocation, leaving a balance of three hundred and forty-six pounds of such allocation unexpended: And whereas the said Council is now desirous of expending the said sums of six thousand four hundred and eighty-two pounds and three hundred and forty-six pounds in or towards other works in the said Matata, Rangitaiki, Tarawera, Omataroa, and Galatea Ridings of the said county: And whereas on the said fourth day of October, nineteen hundred and nineteen, the said Council submitted to a poll of the ratepayers of the Waimana, Taneatua, Opouriao, and Nukuhou Ridings of the said county a proposal to borrow by way of special loan under the Local Bodies’ Loans Act, 1913, the sum of thirty thousand four hundred pounds, to be allocated in the manner set out in the said proposal therefor amongst certain works in the said Waimana, Taneatua, Opouriao, and Nukuhou Ridings: And whereas in the proposal for the said special loan of thirty thousand four hundred pounds the sum of nine thousand pounds was allocated for the purpose of improving and laying down permanent road in tar grouting or concrete from the boundary of the Whakatane Borough to Ruatoki, and the sum of six hundred pounds was allocated for building bridges, widening and improving Awahou Road: And whereas the said proposal for the said special loan of thirty thousand four hundred pounds was duly carried, and the said special loan (known as the Whakatane County Council, Waimana, Taneatua, Opouriao, and Nukuhou Ridings Loan of £30,400) was duly raised by the said Council: And whereas the works for which the said sum of nine thousand pounds was allocated have not been commenced, and are not now proposed to be carried out by the said Council: And whereas the works for which the said sum of six hundred pounds was allocated as aforesaid have been completed at a less cost than the amount of such allocation, leaving a balance of three hundred and thirty-five pounds of such allocation unexpended: And whereas the said Council is now desirous of expending the said sums of nine thousand pounds and three hundred and thirty-five pounds in or towards other works throughout the whole of the said county: And whereas it is expedient that a special rate in respect of the last-mentioned sums of nine thousand pounds and three hundred and thirty-five pounds be levied over the whole of the said county: And whereas since the date of raising the said Whakatane County Council, Waimana, Taneatua, Opouriao, and Nukuhou Ridings Loan of £30,400 the ridings of Taneatua and Opouriao have provided the sinking-fund payments due from time to time on the said sums of nine thousand pounds and three hundred and thirty-five pounds, but have not received any benefit from such sums, and it is now expedient to repay to the Riding Accounts of the said Taneatua and Opouriao Ridings out of the General Account of the said county the sum of six hundred and fifty-three pounds nine shillings, being the sinking-fund payments as aforesaid: And whereas there is no vehicular road access between the Galatea Riding of the Whakatane County and any other portion of the said county: And whereas the said Galatea Riding does not benefit by moneys spent by the said Council on roads in the said county which are outside the said Galatea Riding: And whereas the amount collected by way of rates in the said Galatea Riding is greatly in excess of the amount expended therein: And whereas it is desirable to empower the said Council in any year to limit the amount of the annual contribution of the said Galatea Riding towards the General Account Fund of the said county to a reasonable annual amount, and to authorize the said Council to expend any surplus general-rate moneys collected from the said Galatea Riding on works in the said Galatea Riding: And whereas on the twenty-third day of March, nineteen hundred and twenty-seven, the said Council submitted to a poll of the ratepayers of the said Matata, Rangitaiki, Tarawera, Omataroa, and Galatea Ridings the hereinbefore-recited proposal to expend the sums of six thousand four hundred and eighty-two pounds and three hundred and forty-six pounds on other works in those ridings, which poll was duly carried by the said ratepayers: And whereas on the said twenty-third day of March, nineteen hundred and twenty-seven, the said Council submitted to a poll of all the ratepayers in the said county the hereinbefore-recited proposal to expend the sums of nine thousand pounds and three hundred and thirty-five pounds in or towards other works throughout the whole of the said county, which poll was duly carried by the said ratepayers: And whereas there is no statutory authority for the said Council to incur the expenditure necessary in taking the said polls, and it is desirable that all such expenditure should be expressly validated: