PUBLIC MEETING, LITTLE RIVER.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 3, Issue 219, 23 August 1878, Page 3

PUBLIC MEETING, LITTLE RIVER.

A public -meeting of the ratepayers in the Little River riding was held at the Road Board office, Kaituna, on Monday, the 19th inst, for the purpose of taking into consideration the expediency of dividing the district into sections, in the event of the County Council at their next meeting on the 29th inst. deciding that the riding should have increased representation in the Council. Mr T. H. Parkinson, Chairman to the Road Board, presided. The Chairman having read the advertisement convening the meeting, proceeded to explain that the large area of the riding compared with the other ridings on the Peninsula, and also, the difference in the valuation, would justify him in saying "that one member was totally inadequate to represent the "interests of the district in the Council, seeing that a small district like Okain's Bay with a valuation of £4550 elected three members, while Little River with a valuation of £14,876, and not £10,680 as erroneously stated, elected one member only. This sum, it would be seen, is more than the Port Victoria, Pigeon Bay,'Okain's Bay, and Port Levy valuations put together. Upon reference to the map, it was evident that the Little River riding fell very little short of being ■as large in area as all the rest of the Peninsula ridings combined. Considerable surprise was expressed that there should have been such an unequal •division of the representation, and it was ■attributed by some of the gentlemen present to mistake ; but it transpired that Mr W. Montgomery had admitted that it was through his recommendation that the present apportionment had been made; whereupon someone remarked, that accounted for it, as he believed the Hon. member had found the climate rather cold •on this side of the range. Mr W. Coop said he thought it possible that the case might be met if each end ■of the district elected one member, the •Kaituna creek being the line of demarcation between the two sections, or wards. This suggestion did not meet with much support, it being argued that the riding if represented the same as others in proportion to area or valuation would be entitled to six members at least. Ultimately Mr Coop embodied his ideas in the following resolution :—" That considering the difference in the areas of the ridings in the Akaroa County, that of Little River being nearly three times the extent of any of the others, with one exception ; also that the valuation of the Little River district amounts to four times •_s much as most of the districts on the Peninsula, this meeting would earnstly, but respectfully, ask the County Couucil to take into consideration the desirability of the Little River riding electing three members to serve in the Council." The resolution was seconded and agreed to unanimousry. Mr John Gebbie, the member for the riding, who was present, promised to give his earnest support to the resolu-1 tion. ' i Some discussion then ensued relative to' to the boundary lines to be recognised \ for the three divisions, when the following j resolution was agreed to without a dis- j sentient: — " That in the event of the j County Council deciding that the Little | River riding shall elect three members to | serve in the Council, the riding be divided j into three divisions with the following boundries, viz :—The Tai Tapu, or western! -ward to be bounded on the west by the) Selwyn County, on the east by the Heath- j cote electoral boundary line. The central division, on the west by the last named line, on the east by a straight line drawn from the beach end of Lake Forsyth to Mount Herbert Peak. The Little River or eastern end on the west by the last named line, and on the east by the boundary line of the aiding. A copy of the resolutions was-ofdered to be sent to the 'Chairman <of the County Council, and a;report -of the proceedings to the'different newspapers. A vote of thanks to the Chairman 'ter>minated the proceedings.