THE FRENCH FARM MEETING.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 2, Issue 105, 20 July 1877, Page 2

THE FRENCH FARM MEETING.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE AKAROA MAIL. Sib,—A splenetic individual, who signs himself " Fairplay" in your issue of the 13th, seems to be exceedingly angry over the French Farm meeting, to discuss the severance question. We would like to know why the four persons signing the advertisement, convening the meeting, wish to do business by themselves. Our friend, " Fairplay," is evidently riled in some way, and talks wildly. The' conveners of the meeting, in common with many others, think that this part would benefit by being formed into a new road district, and, without for a moment imagining that they were assuming to themselves any importance by so doing ; they asked the ratepayers generally to meet and discuss the question. ." Fairplay" thinks the meeting should have been.,held in Akaroa ; but yrhy go out of the district in order to hold it; and it must be borne in mind that it is the ratepayers on this side of the harbour who are most deeply interested, and who must take action in the matter, (if action is to be taken.) the Act providing that a majority of ratepayers in a proposed new district petition &c. The meeting was therefore cailud in the proper place, though, for my part, I should have been glad to have seen ali tin. , people from "Gough's Bay, Stoney Bay, Flea Bay, Big Bay, and the Heads," whom " Fairplay" is so anxious about, in attendance but more especially the Chairman, or some members of the lload Boards, no that the question of boundaries to be adopted might be fairly and amicably settled. Unfortunately, there was a meeting of the Road Board on that day, and for this reason principally, our meeting was adjourned. Your correspondent, lam afraid, is one of those excessively jealous individuals, sometimes to be met with, who, (for I fancy he must be on this side of the water) afraid of taking a step themselves, yet feel dreadfully slighted if another takes it. Therefore, to make amends to him, I think I can promise, should a petition for severance be forwarded, and he sign it, his name shall be allowed to appear first on the list. —There, now ! With regard to the question of severance itself, might I be allowed here to reply to your article of some issues back, in which you seem to think the creation of a new district would beget and keep alive a petty jealousy. I think it would rather tend to set at rest any which now exists. We find none of tJiis between existing Boad Boards—between the Pigeon Bay and our own, for instance. There may be a rivalry as to which should have the best roads, but this is to be commended. By the boundaries spoken of, two straggling portions would be cut off from two road districts and formed into one compact homogeneous one, with an area of about thirtyfive thousand acres ; and if the ratepayers in the proposed now district are desirous of separation, I really do not see why those of'the remaining portions of the old districts should otter any objection. If we have been receiving our fair share of expenditure in the past, we are not likely to receive any more than that as a new district. If we have not received our rights in the past (and this is our plea,) why wish to compel us to submit to the same injustice in the future.—l am, &c, JOHN BELL. Wainui, July 16th, 1877.