KATIKATI HIGHWAY MEETING.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume IV, Issue 404, 26 July 1876, Page 3

KATIKATI HIGHWAY MEETING.

The Annual Meeting of the ratepayers of the above district was held at the residence of Mr Robert Hunter, Katikati, on Thursday last. The meeting was appointed to be held at one o'clock, and though the miserable state of the weather might reasonably have excused a small attendance, as most of the settlers had long distances to walk, there was nevertheless a good muster, and only a very few of the ratepayers were absent. In addition to the advertised business of the day, the settlers took advantage of the meeting to discuss church, school, and road matters, the whole of the proceedings being characterised by the greatest harmony and unanimity of feeling. HIGHWAY MEETING. The Rev Mr Mulgan having been voted to the chair, opened the meeting by informing the ratepayers that as there were no reports to be laid before the meeting by the previous Board, on account of the short time the Board had been in office, and their not having had any funds to spend, the business of the meeting might at once be proceeded with. Relative to the special objects of the meeting, the chairman alluded to the peculiar importance attaching to the election of Trustees, as from the extent of the district it was a duty on the part of the ratepayers to elect their representatives from all quarters of the block, so that the interests of all the settlers might be represented. The chairman humorously, though seriously, expatiated on the frailty even of Trustees, who with the best intentions in the world could hardly be expected to be without some slight partiality for their own particular portion of the settlement. He also alluded to the various duties that would have to be undertaken by the Board, and concluded by advising the ratepayers to look only at the efficiency or otherwise of the candidates, and

not be influenced by personal feelings. STKJKIWG' A BATE. Mr Fitzgibbon Louch informed the ratepayers that he came prepared with a resolution which he would lay before them. There were about 15,000 acres of available land in the district. He thought, considering the expense settlers had been put to during the" past year, they could not spare a large amount for rates. He would therefore only propose a small rate at first, which estimating the extent of the district at the area he had mentioned would produce about £50, and that amount with another £50 expected from Government, would bring in a revenue which, if properly applied to repairing bye-roads, clearing creeks and rivers, and similar small works, would be a very fair one to begin with. He would therefore propose, "That a rate of Id in the £ be struck on the selling value of all lands in the district liable to be rated, the said selling value to be estimated at £1 per acre." Seconded by Mr T. H. Fletcher, and carried unanimously. ELECTION" OF TRUSTEES. The following gentlemen were proposed to fill the office of Trustees : — Messrs G. V. Stewart, Latimer, T. Wylie, Andrew Wilson, Dennis Foley, Fitzgibbon Louch, Eev Mr Marks, and Rev Mr Mulgan. Messrs John Wilson and Robert Stuart were appointed scrutineers. The following was the result of the ballot .—Mr G. V. Stewart, 21 ; the Rev Mr Mulgan, 17; Mr T. Wylie, 15 ; Mr Latimer, 14 ; Mr Andrew Wilson, 14; the Rev Mr Mark, 9; Mr Eitzgibbon Louch, 8 ; Mr Foley, 6. The first five gentlemen were declared by the chairman to be elected. AUDITORS AND FENCE-VIEWERS. The Rev Mr Mark and Mr Fitzgibbon Louch, were elected Auditors ; and Messrs Crawford; and John Wilson, Fence-viewers. | A vote of tkankswas given to the Scrutineer; GENERAL. The Rev Mr Mulgan informed the meeting that he had come quite unprepared for the honor that had been conferred on him, and though, he had of course a natural partiality for his own portion of the block (laughter) he would try and do his duty impartially towards everyone, (hear, hear). There was one question, however, he would like to bring before the ratepayers, whether it would be advisable or -not to have a public pound erected. There were a great number of the settlers who had their land totally unprotected, who had suffered serious loss by the depredations of cattle. He did not wish to advocate the wholesale impounding of a neighbour's cattle, but if a pound was instituted he thought it would have the necessary moral effect, and settlers might take the hint that it would be as well if they fed their cattle on their own, and not on their neighbours pastures. He certainly thought that every settler should keep his cattle on his own land. At the request of Mr Louch, the chair was vacated by the Rev Mr Mulgan, and taken by Mr G. V. Stewart, when Mr Louch proposed a vote of thanks to the Rev Mr Mulgan for his dignified and impartial conduct in the chair. Mr Louch thought it very satisfactory to see such interest taken in the "proceedings by all present, and to notice the harmonious issue of the meeting. He would call upon the chairman to request the meeting to carry his proposition by acclamation, which was accordingly done. THE TAURANGA AND THAMES HOADS. With reference to the important question of the completion of the Tauranga and Thames Roads, Mr Louch addressed the meeting relative to a visit lately paid by Mr G. "V. Stewart and himself to the Thames and Ohinemiiri, where hey had been strongly urged to bring before the Government the want of communication between Katikati and those mining districts. It must be patent to everybody, Mr Louch said, that with a large mining population within fifteen miles of where they were sitting, a valuable market for the produce of the settlement would be available if communication was opened up. When this was done, the settlers would not only have a valuable market at Tauranga, but a more valuable one still at the goldfields. It was, . therefore, the duty of the settlers to do all in their power to get the road completed from the Tauranga end of the block, up to which point the road was nearly formed, across the block as far as the goldfields. With this end in view Mr Stewart had prepared the draft of a petition, which he would lay before them with the object of obtaining the support of the meeting to the expressions it contained. . . '

The various clauses of the petition were discussed seriatim, and the petition in the following' form was unanimously adopted on the proposition of

Mr Fitzgibbon Louch, seconded by the Rev. Mr Mark, " That the following petition to the House of Representatives be adopted and forwarded to his Honor Sir George Grey, super- i intehdent, for presentation to the House of Representatives, with a request that he would support the prayer of the memorial." PETITION OF TIIE KATIKATI SETTLEES. 1. That this district is entirely dependent on agricultural produce for its maintenance. 2. That the settlement has been formed upwards of nine months, and during that time upwards of thirty substantial homesteads and farm offices have been erected, and about 1,500 acres laid down in permanent grass. 3. That a road, with expensive bridges, has been constructed by Government from Tauranga to the boundary of this district. 4. That a portion of the main road through the district has been already formed. 5. That the non-erection of the bridges over the creeks and rivers in this block has seriously retarded its progress, and rendered the outlay thus expended comparatively useless, as in several places there is no communication unless through private property. , 6. That owners of said property have fenced out such communication. 7. That three school-houses are in course of erection on the block, and such schools will be practically useless, as the children will have no means of reaching them. 8. That these grievances have been submitted to the Hon. the Premier and the Hon. the Minister for Public Works, and no reply has been obtained. 9. That our markets are Tauranga and the new gold-fields of the Ohinemuri district. 10. That a new line of road has been surveyed and laid out connecting Tauranga and this district with the said gold-fields, which can be constructed at a comparatively small expense. 11. That the opening of the said road will considerably enhance the value of the waste lands held by the . Grown,, and lead to future settlement i in this district-. . The petition concludes by praying the House of Representatives that such measures be- adopted as will remedy the grievances complained of, and that such' a- sum may be placed on the estimates for this year as will suffice [ to execute the necessary works required i in the construction of bridges and the formation of the road to Ohiriemuri. | Xh the- course of discussion 5 , Mr G. V. Stewart alluded to the negligence 1 with which" a previous memorial had been treated, and informed the meeting that copies- of the petition would be sent to Paeroa and Mackaytown, where monster meetings would be held and a similar petition signed. A copy of the petition would also be sent to | Tauranga, where doubtless similar support would be given. Mr G. V, Stewart was requested to sign the petition on behalf of the meeting, and to forward it to Sir George Grey, without delay. Mr G. V. Stewart conversationally referred to a promise made by the Government, that if the present special settlement was a success, another 10,000 acres would be given for friends of settlers. He had asked that the land surrounding the Katikati block, on which they were now located, might be given for this purpose, but had received a reply from the Immigration Officer at Wellington to the effect that such land could not be granted. He had also asked for a block of 30,000 acres for the purpose of special settlement; 10,000 for immigrants, and 20,000 acres for colonists, the land to be paid for by instalments, and he had made another application whether he could purchase 30,000 acres from natives for settlement. CHUECH MATTERS. The Rev. Mr Crossley spoke as to the necessity of doing something towards organising Church affairs, and as there were a good many church members present, he thought it would be a good opportunity to make a commencement on the present occasion. He would propose that two churchwardens be elected, and had great X^leasure in nominating Mr Robert Hunter as Minister's ChurchwardenMr Alexander Turner was elected Churchwarden for the congregation. SCHOOLS. Mr G. V. Stewart informed the meeting that at the last meeting of the Board, a request had been made to the Board of Education that three sections of fifteen acres each, might be set apart in three different portions of the block as sites for schools, to be vested in trustees; any revenue derived from them to be devoted to the payment of school-mastei V .salary. The Board had also been asked to grant £80 towards building each school, if a sum of £15 for each was subscribed by the settlers. . The reply of the Board was

I most satisfactory, and stated that the sum for the schools would be granted, if £20 instead of £15 was raised by tho settlers, and that the application for the land would be recommended. The meeting exj>ressed great satisfaction at the contents of the letter received from the Board of Education, and the Rev.. Mr. Mulgan spoke in eulogistic terms of the manner in which Mr Fitzgibbon Louch and Mr G. V. Stewart had acted, and the great , interest taken by them in the matter. | He particularly alluded to the energy displayed by Mr Louchj which had produced such beneficial results to the settlement. j THE DINNER. The consideration of school affairs having terminated the business of the day,tl>e settlers and guests were invited by Mr Robert Hunter to partake of a sumptuous repast laid out in his commodious coach-house, the number of guests precluding the possibility of accommodating them in any of the rooms in his private residence. At the conclusion of the dinner a few toasts were proposed — "Her Majesty the Oueen," " The Governor," " The health of Mr Robert Hunter, the host," "Mr George Yesey Stewart, the Chairman," "The Vice-chairman, the Rev Mr Mulgan." " Health and success to the Katikati settlers," and "The Press."

The speeches were long and eloquent, and were constantly interrupted with applause j the whole of their tenor plainly exhibiting the. good feeling which exists among the special settlers. Dinner was concluded by about five o'clock, to allow the settlers time to reach home by daylight. Later on in .the evening, there was a grand display of fireworks in front of Mr Hunter's house, which brought to a close another of those days, combining business with pleasure, for which Katikati is now becoming so justly renowned.