PUBLIC MEETING AT CAVERSHAM.

Evening Star, Issue 4124, 16 May 1876, Page 2

PUBLIC MEETING AT CAVERSHAM.

A public meeting of the ratepayers of tho taversham road district was held in the School-house last evening “to consider the treatment the district is receiving at the hands of the Provincial Government.” There were about seventy persons present, and Mr Rutherford, chairman of the Road Board, occupied the chair. The Chairman in stating the objects of the meeting said that the ratepayers had three grounds of complaint. The first arose out of a resolution of a previous' meeting to borrow. It was found that a road district could not borrow except on the security of the general rates. The Road Board haring no main district roads could not levy a general rate, consequently they applied to the Executive to proclaim two main district roads. He (the chairman) waited upon tho {Superintendent, who expressed hiß readiness, when the object was explained to proclaim the two roads main district roads. The Clerk was then instructed to send in a formal application to the Executive, as follows: f

c- T „ . Caversham.lst May, 1876. R ®'srr l a “ instructed by the Caversham Road Hoard to ask your Honor to proclaim the Porburv road, from the Main South rood to the Ocean Beach, ana St. Kilda road from Kensington to Hillside road, mam district roods. —I have, etc., John Camkbon, _. __ Clerk, Caversham Road Board. His Honor James Macau urew, Esq. The Board were astonished to find a reply from the Under-Secretary that the Superintendent had no power to proclaim the roads main district roads; consequently they had no resource but to call a general meeting of te P a y ers see if they could advise the Board how to proceed in the matter. The following letters were received : Provincial Secretary’s Office, o- T . . .. Dunedin, 9th May, 1876. bn,—l have been directed to acknowledge the receiptof yonr letter of the Ist May, 1876, applying to his Honor the Superintendent “ to problami the Porbury road from the Main South road to the Ocean Beach, and the St. Kilda road from Reusing, wmto. Hillside road," main district roads, and to acquaint you in reply that his Honor is advised that he has not the power to csmply with the re« quest of the Caversham Road Boarcl—l have, &c. Alex. Willis, ’* The Clerk, District Road Provincial Secretary’s Office, Q . ■ Dunedin, 15tb May, 1876. Sir,—l have been directed by his Honor tho Superintendent to state that he has this day been informed by Mr Stout, the representative of tho Caversham district in the Provincial Connell, that some, if not all, of the main roads asked hyyou to be proclaimed, <o not affect the municipalities of St. Kilda and South Dunedin. If tide is iso tho Government will have mo objection to proclaim tnem, but it was understood that they, did affect them.—l have, &c.,

Alei. ‘Wittis, „ Under-Secretary. The Chairman Caversham Board. The second ground of complaint was that, although a resolution Jiad been passed by the Provincial Council that all toll-bars should be removed to a reasonable distance from the town, and although the Hillside toll drew something like LSOO a-year from purely Caversham traffic, no satisfaction could ijo got in applying for its removal beyond the Caversham district. The third ground of complaint was that, in applying for such a small matter as the formation of a bit of footpath along the most populous part of the district, -the Provincial Government had replied that they had no money, and could not afford to spend a few pounds out of the LSOO drawn from the toll-bar; and that they would allow the Road Board to do the work at their own expense. Mr J. W. Fege a then proposed the follow ing resolution, which was seconded by Mr Carev, and carried unanimously

That this meeting being aware that his Honor the Superintendent has already proclaimed roads through the Province “ main district roads,” cannot understand why any legal impediment should exist as to complying with the request of the Caversham Hoad Board, and therefore request him to consult the Attorney-General on the subject.

Mr Bridgman, in moving That the representative of the district has evinced se gross a pa> tiality for one section of the oommu. uily, and so hurtful to the general well-being of the district, tha* he has completely lost our confidence as a public mau.

Said that Mr Stout had broken his pledge to use his influence towards getting the tollbar removed, and to get the roaa widened, while in his actions generally he had displayed a partiality for the Elat. He had no confidence in Mr Stout so long as hie was Provincial Solicitor, and thought the sooner he ceased to be their representative the better for the district.

' The following resolutions were also carried ;

That a committee, consisting of MessrsEuthorford, E. Bennett, Colder, Lloyd, Pearce, Boyes, E, Wilson, Bridgman, Peddington, Hargreaves, Corey, Jackson, Feger, and Langmuir, be appointed to communicate the first resolution to his Honor the Superintendent, and the second to the Provincial Solicitor; and that the said committee, if they find it necessary, prepare a petition for presmtatfon to the General Assembly, detailing how the has been treated, and praying for justice. 5 That we, the ratepayers, request the Chairman of the Board to ask the Commissioner of Police why the Mayor and Council of South Dunedin have nob been prosecuted for causing an obstruction by constructing a ditch across the Fotbury road and Hill* side road. '