RENGATAUA.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 549, 2 July 1909, Page 8

RENGATAUA.

A large public meeting of Bangataua house-' holders was held in Sheinming and M'Crcadjr's Dining Booms'on'Saturday night, tho'purpose being to "form, a Domain Board. The chairman pointed out that tho object to be ' attained in forming the board was that tho townspeople should have control of* tho recreation ground and cortain other reserves. Tho;*following board was elected:—Messrs. Cuff; Shemming; Sigley, Snow, and .'ieasbury.. Tho nest business /was a ratepayers' meet-, ing, to meet their representative on the Waimarino County Council, Mr. John Punch, of Eaetihi. In introducing Councillor Punch , tho chairman informed tho meeting that Mr. Punch was no novice in county matters, having been on the council for many years. Ho , also told Mr. Punch that tho ratepayers took . a lively interest in tho advancement; of Eangataua, as was evidenced by the attendance that night, and that there had been, no discordant note at .any public meeting. On questions such as tho liquor licenses, they had agreed to differ. Other questions had been discussed in a sensible, *and straightforward manner, and always with a determination that tho town of Eangataua should eventually rank as a first-class inland centre. He would advise tho ratepayers not to separate from the county until they could form themselves into a, borough, and not for a moment to think of forming a Town Board, sis'their borrowing-and other powers were so limited. After Mr. Punch had given an inBtructiyo address upon county matters, a resolution of thanks was carried unanimously. A ratepayers' consent proposal, under Clause 15, Sub-Section D.of the Loans to Local Bodies Act, 1908, was then put boforo tho meeting, touching a loan of £2500 for roads and streets and footpath construction. It was stated that the unimproved value of the special rating district was £4000, while, the capital value already amounted to over ' £30,000. Eating on the unimproved value was an incentive to the erection of substantial buildings. In tho township and village settlement alone thirty buildings had been erected since' December 1 last, and this was exclusive of the railway houses and cottages, which number fifteen. After tho estimato had been gone through and discussed, a resolution was passed deciding to bo'rrow the monoy, and more than half the signatures required.to carry tho loan proposal wore inBcribed beforo the meeting concluded. A resolution \was then carried requesting the Government to proceed with tho road leading to Mt. Euapohu, so that mountaineers could rido through tho bush and up to within about threo miles.of tho top.