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by public notification in the Provincial Government Gazette divide for the purposes of this Act such portions of the said Province as he may think fit into districts with distinctive names and boundaries and may from time to time by like notification create new districts and alter and amend the names and boundaries of any districts then existing.

When this Act to come into operation.

5. The Superintendent may from time to time as he shall see fit by notification in the Provincial Government Gazette bring this Act into operation in any of the said districts and thereupon but not previously this Act shall come into and remain in full operation therein and in such notification the day hour and place of the first meeting of electors for such district shall be appointed: Provided always that any existing districts under the Acts hereby repealed shall immediately from and after the passing thereof come under its operation without any notification by the Superintendent.

District Trustees to be appointed—their powers and duties.

6. For each district in which this Act shall come or be brought into operation there shall be a Board of five Trustees to be called “The (insert name of district) Highways Trustees” who shall be appointed in manner hereinafter mentioned and who shall have the care management and superintendence of the public roads of the district and whose duty it shall be to maintain and repair the same and who shall have the custody control and expenditure of all moneys collected under this Act three of whom shall be a quorum.

Rate to be levied.

7. There shall be levied in manner hereinafter provided upon all lands and tenements within each of the districts aforesaid one yearly district rate for the purposes of this Act to be fixed as hereinafter mentioned which rate shall be a rate not exceeding one shilling nor less than one half-penny per pound upon the estimated value to sell of the lands and tenements therein and shall be payable by the occupiers of such lands and tenements or if there be no occupier then by the owner thereof: Provided always that no rate shall be laid or levied on any waste lands of the Crown on lands held under Native title on lands or tenements occupied by the Provincial or General Government or on any lands or tenements used solely for the purposes of public education public worship or as burying grounds or on lands or tenements within any town having therein a local authority charged with the care and management of the streets thereof.

Qualification of voters for election of Trustees.

8. Every person of the age of twenty-one years who shall be liable under this Act to be rated for roads within any district for the ensuing year and who shall have paid all previous highway rates or assessments (if any) due by him for the said district shall be qualified to vote at the election of Trustees and to be elected as a Trustee for such district and shall have at the first election one vote and at all subsequent elections one or more votes in proportion to the amount of rate paid in respect of his property in the district for the preceding year in manner following that is to say

Under £1 .................... he shall have 1 vote
£1 and not exceeding £3 „ „ 2 votes
3 „ „ „ 6 „ „ 3 „
6 „ „ „ 10 „ „ 4 „
10 „ „ „ 15 „ „ 5 „
15 and upwards „ „ 6 „

Penalty for non-electors acting as electors.

9. Any person who not being qualified as aforesaid shall vote or take any part in the proceedings at any meeting for the election of any Trustees as aforesaid shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding twenty pounds to be recovered in a summary way on the information or complaint of any qualified elector of the district for which such meeting was held.

Who to be Chairman of first meeting.

10. A person to be appointed by the Superintendent shall be the Chairman of the first meeting of the electors of every district within which this Act shall have been brought into operation and he shall decide who are the persons entitled to be present and vote thereat and shall cause the meeting to be conducted in such manner as he shall see most convenient and shall have a casting but no deliberative vote.

Mode of election of first Trustees.

11. Such meeting ten electors at least being present in person or by proxy appointed in writing such proxy being held by an elector and no elector shall hold more than two proxies shall thereupon nominate and elect by open voting and a majority of votes of the electors present in manner aforesaid five persons qualified and willing to be elected as Trustees for the said district and the persons so elected shall hold office as “The Highway Trustees” until the election of their successors in manner hereinafter provided and such meeting shall thereupon fix the nature and if they shall think fit the amount of the rate to be levied for the then current year (from the first of October to the thirtieth of September following both inclusive).

Annual election of Trustees.

12. In the month of October in each year subsequent to the year in which the first Trustees for each district respectively shall have been elected a meeting of the electors for each district shall be held in the first week of the month at a convenient time and