The Feilding Star. WEDNESDAY, FEB. 14,1883. TO-NIGHT'S MEETING.

Feilding Star, Volume III, Issue 69, 14 February 1883, Page 2

The Feilding Star. WEDNESDAY, FEB. 14,1883. TO-NIGHT'S MEETING.

At the meeting to-night, to be held at the Town Hall, for the purpose oi considering the advisableness of petitioning for the separation of the three northern ridings, Kiwitea, Manchester and Taonui, from the Manawatu County, with a view o f suspending the Caunties Act, and working under a system of Highways and Town Boards only, we expect to see a large attendance of people from all parrs ol the district, among whom we should see the members of the Hi»hwaj Boards. The n-embers ot the County Council who represent the Manchester and Kiwitea Ridings will also probably be present. The reasons which have led up to the present course of action on the part of members of the Manchester Highway Board are well known. We will merely say we are quite satisfied that they are just. The speakers to-night will offer lull information to the ratepayers, and convince those who have feelings in favor of the present system !of its cumbersomem _s. The great and predominant fact is that we have ! too many governing bodies, and that j a system should now be inaugurated, under which the same — or even more I — work can be done at a considerable saving of the revenue of the various ridings or wards. One preat point upon which much stress may be laid is the fact of the Government having announced thatone half of the amounts | applied for under the Roads and Bridges Construction Act will be granted. This means that if separation be effected, the new body would have £15,500 at its disposal for the purpose of road making, &c, aud when it is considered that the whole of this amount could be expended, and the works supervised and kept in order lor the same amount as is n< w necessary to manage a single Road Board, the system must commend itself to every ratepayer. Meetings have been held in Palmerston and Halcombe, when resolutions in support of the separation movement have been unanimously adopted. Every ratepayer present at tbese meetings has signed the petition, and the success of the movement is now a certainty. The last meeting to be held will be at Ashurst, on Friday evening next.