THE RATEPAYERS OF PONSONBY

Auckland Star, Volume VI, Issue 1673, 29 June 1875, Page 2

THE RATEPAYERS OF PONSONBY

Axotheb meeting of the ratepayers of Ponsonby took place in the school-room last night, and was well attended. Mr Fleming occupied the chair.—Mr Masefield was the first speaker, and advocated the "ticket" as fairly representing all parts of the district. He advocated a fair distribution of the rates over the district, a voluntary rate for gap, the ' expenditure of a sum to connect College-street by a road round the beach with Drake-street, and the new road to be formed by tbe Harbour Board and Council; he would go in for a fair valuation; for the supply of Ponsonby with water; for the paytrent of the newspaper accounts ; and for a weekly visit by members of the Board to works proceeding in the district. He

called upon ratepayers to vote in a body for the "ticket. —Mr Baker rose to speak in opposition to Mr Masefield's candidature,' but was drummed down. —Mr Geo. Jones,' of Mount St. Mary, said he had been asked, to lepr-esent his part of the district on the ticket, and wag willing to do his best for the; ratepayers. It was very well known thatsome of the members of the present Board and their personal friends had left no means untried to secure a large number of proxies from non-rpsident>e!ectors, who were wholly unacquainted with* the requirements of the district. With what object thpy had done so remains to be seen; but it was for them, the resident ratepayers, to let it be seen at the annual meeting that they will not allow their wishes and interests to be over-ruled by the proxies of non-residents, who, though they may own some ground in the district, had never expended one shilling in improvements. He fully endorsed Mr Masefield's expressed views.—Mr W. Thorne advocated the expenditure of the Government grant entirely on new streets; that a third or two-fifths of the rate should be devoted to the main road, and the balance for improving and repairing other streets. Tbe w.iter-supply question, he considered, quite unnecessary to import yet. He thought tbe newspaper accounts ought to be paid !—' Mr W. J. i'ees estimated the revenue for the ensuing year at £1000, which he thought should be expended thus : .£3OO on the new bench road, £200 on College-street, ai)d £500 on other streets. He would support the improved lighting of the district. Mr Morton defended the action of the old Board who were working with a very defective Act. He thought the former trustees had done a good work in clearing away all difficulties, and as one of these trustees he was entitled to reap the benefit of what they had done by taking part in the spending of the money now that the Board was in a good position. Mr. Tole thought a Board composed of angels," with an archangelfor chairmen would not satisfy the district. He defended the non-payment of the newspaper accounts on the ground that if they admitted their liability other claims might be brought against them especially one from the Corporation.—Mr Stewart explained the action of the late trustees in reference to the newspaper accounts and described the work's they had carried out. A vote of confidence by Mr Edmiston in Messrs Masefield, Rees, Jones, Black, and Thorne, was proposed. —Mr Jenkins pro-; posed an amendment to. the effect that Messrs Morton, Joseph Tole, Dacre, Jakins, ; and Stewart deserved the confidence of the ratepayers to act as trustees for the ensuing year, but owing to the uproar at the tinpe, and the chairman refusing to put it as an amendment, it was difficult to state which was carried, the original resolution or the amendment.

■■ ■ , , [~ 4 i :,./■;.< A Nebraska druggist got a boy to take a big sniff of hartshorn as a joke ; boy kicked over a kerosene lamp ;"f oil took fire ; Jobb on store, $1,300. The dr aggistjs now driving * team. ■ • ' .