LITTLE RIVER.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 4, Issue 406, 25 June 1880, Page 2

LITTLE RIVER.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDBNT.)

At the adjourned public meeting held in the Schoolroom on-Saturday evening last, after th» subject of the Recreation Ground had been discussed (a report of which we gave in our last issue), the following matter* were gone into :— RAILWAYS. The.'Chairman said the next matter he had to bring before the meeting was the railway. At present nothing was doing; no tender for plateiaying bad been accepted, nor yet tenders invited for the length alongside Lake Forsyth. He thought it best to go to the fountain head at once. In other districts they Were holding meetings and; taking steps to get what was wanted. He would read them a report of a meeting held lately sit Oxford, which tended to show that other people were heading for the market which undoubtedly belonged to the Peninsula, and was their birthright. : . :

MrOlphert thought that great apathy arid negligence had beon shewn by the residents in the district in not bringing this matter before the notice of the Government before now. They had plenty of .material to make the line pay, first-class 'building timber, posts and rails, firewood, '<&c., ail that' was wanted was a cheap means of conveying it to market; and as '. wajs' shewn by the report'of the public meeting , at Oxford,iVTailway'was required to.s.uppfy the timber wants of the Ellesmere district; Thie was a good reason •why. the residents of this district should auk the Government to proceed with the wprl? at once, and he was quite certain ' that the district, so far a? the railway is concerned, ■ was being neglected by the Government.

Mr Alexander said that, provided the railway was madej Little River could send better «nd chea-per timber to Christchurch than 'Oxford, as the distance was mpch lee*. «■' '

It was proposed by Mr W. Wood, seconded by Mr J. Harwood. arid carried unanimously—" That the Government be requested to proceed at once with the permanent way on I the Little Biver railway already formed, the more «o that if the amount voted by Government be insufficient the Government could use the Trust funds for the purpose of making up the deficiancy ; and that the Premier be asked if there is any probability of the district obtiiining this year the few miles of rail way required alongside Lake Forsyth to complete the line to Lincoln, as an answer it the affirmative would keep many good men in the place who otherwise must leave in search of employment; also to remind him that it would afford an outlet for much valuable timber and firewood, and save the same from destruction by fire." \.» : ••■■•. PROPERTY TAX.\ The Chairman eaid the next tbing was the Property Tax. He thought there ought to be .an Income Tax formal), above ;£2QO, per annum, and also Tax in certain districts. Hβ jthouifjitiian I'lndome Tax would have:the'effect of. geW ting at the Legislators themselves,, anrf ithat all under £200 should be thdt it was not fair to t»x lands like,,thoee o£ the Penjneuk,:th«t hlicl bad no benefit , from the to-gitr Public Works expenditure, ui>til they were prorided witli a railwAy to enable them to get the produce bf the; liind to market. Such land as the Peninsula should not be taxed at the same rate as lands already enjoying the benefits of the railways.

After some discussion and explanation it was proposed by W. S. Harris, seconded, by Chas. Nelson, and carried unanimously —''That to relieve the working man in reality, it a tax must be levied (which this meeting is not prepared to deny), it should be on income, exempting all under £200 ; and that any lend tax should only exist in districts that have the benefit of a railway. CHURCH, &c. The Chairman stated that when in town a short time ago he was told by Mr W Wilson thai .though he had given sitesboth for the Library and Church, yet up to the present time be had not even received a vote of thanks from either. ■ It was prJjtosed by Mr J. Harwood, eecoilded bjßf? :j> Topp, and carried this meeting cordially Wm. Wijson for his generosity jpfte. of sites for the Church $hd f jlbraryj and expresses its sorrow for the sAnio not having ;been conveyed Before, ,iho delay being unaccountabie, but not intentional." < ; CRICKET GROUND.? Th(£ Chairman said he. thought it would bo a gopd opportunity for the meeting to express an opinion as to the endeavor of j Mr H. Buchanan to foster and encourage cricket in this district. It was proposed by Mr J. F. Stonbury, seconded by Mr H. E. Tyson, and carried unaninjouely—" That Mr H. Buchanan he most cordially thanked for the handsome manner in which ho is having the Cricket Cliib ground laid out for the benefit of tho and on which this meeting hopes to see him often, to the fore." POST AND TELEGRAPH OFFICE. The Chairman said great complaints were being made as to tho management of the Post Office here. People could seldom get stamps when they required them ; be often had to get penny stamps— in fact, tho Postmaster was often out of stamps altogether, when by law he was compelled to. keep them. He often sent registered letters, and some of the receipts he got certainly bore the name of the Postmaster, but the signature was not his (the Postmaster's). This was far from being correct, as in the event of a.letter being lost, he doubted if anyone could recover from tho postal authorities.

General dissatisfaction was expressed as to the mahftgernent of the Post Office. Mr Bos Well said if the Telegraph Office at the Head of the Bay was paying, he was sure an office would pay-here, and wished t<* know why one was not established. ■ ■ .

- T.He, Chairman explained what had been done in the matter during the past two, years. He had'handed overall the papers to Mr W. Johnson, who.had kindly tgkeu the matter up. Ho,-was of opinion that, before long an office would be established here, as thei* could fo no doubt about its paying. A letter from Mr Ww» Johnson to Mr Win. Montgomery, was read. A letter \ii reply fotytf Mr Montgomery was read, stating that 99 would, present. tlv>'

letter to the " Postraastefr&eneral, Urging upon him the necessity for s Telegraph Office, being established at 'Little River, and would vouch for the absolute necessity of, a .telegraph station being required Wre. Mr Walters said he heard from one of the sureties.that the Telegraph Office a"£ DuvatfchelWs Bay was paying handsomely.

The Chairman said that the Post, Money Order, and Telegraph Offices could be combined; and if the office at Duvauchelle's Bay paid, one at Little River would pay three times over. SPARROWS. The Secretary of the Sparrow Club reported that he had 12s 6d in hand for the destruction of sparrpws, and would like to see a committee formed, and to hand the money over.

It was lesolved—"That the balance in hand, 12e 6d, from last year, for the destruction -of sparrows be handed to Messrs Robinson, Grant, and Olphert." After a cordial vote of thanke to the Chairman, the meeting terminated.