Meeting at Bunnythorpe

Feilding Star, Volume VII, Issue 20, 28 July 1885, Page 2

Meeting at Bunnythorpe

A meeting of settlers was held in the Manchester school- room on Saturday evening last to consider replies to resolutions which had been passed at « meeting held of the l&th tit. Mr W. L. Bailey* the warden for the district, was voted to the chair. He read a ■- letter from My A. Nannsted, the chairman of the meeting of the 13th ultimo, in which he stated he would he in Wanganui for six months.

therefore he could not attend, but he enclosed two letters which he had received from Mx Macarthur, M.H.R., which were then read to the meeting. Mr Macarthur suggested that the settlers interview the Manawatu £Road Board for a grant for the road between the Oroua Biver and Bunnythorpe out of the subsidy of £500 they will get under the new Act (Local Powers and Finance Act) that is about to be passed. "Whatever the Manawatu Eoad Board gives, the Manchester Board would, he believed, be willing to supplement by a grant of £ for £. Of course Mr Macarthur only spoke as an individual member of the Board. Mr Bailey said that each warden kept an account book showing the receipts and expenditure of money in their several wards. Keeping roads in repair and falling trees along road lines had been a heavy expense. His ' ir^rd was now £94 12s 5d in debt. The Special rate of No. 5 ward was £300 a year. The money borrowed under the Roads and Bridges Construction Act was £3500 all of which had been expended on roads. At first they applied for £22,000 but this was afterwards cut down to £18,000 by leaving out several roads. As it is we have greatly involved ourselves but the wardens and settlers were all in favor of borrowing this money. Mr Adsett has a verdict against the Board for £500 which we will have to pay. We could strike another rate but do not think it advisable at present. As we get more settlers the special rate can be reduced, probably to £d after a time. Most of the £18,000 had been spent on the Corporation land, and Mr Bailey thought a heavier valuation should be put on it. He recollected that Mr Macarthur had said he considered it would increase the value of the land £1 per acre so he thought that might be put on it. In regard to the whole of Bunnythorpe being made one ward, Mr Bailey explained that the Manchester Eoad Board had aspecial rate of l£d in the £ as well as a general rate, while the Manawatu Head Board had only one rate of £d in the £. The latter would not take us over on account of the special rate, and they would not join the Manchester Board and have to pay the higher rate. He thought the rate collected by the Manawatu Eoad Board along the road line from the Oroua river . to Bunnythorpe, should be spent upon the road. Mr Cleavely said he had written to Mr Edwards who had sent a reply to the effect that owing to press of busihe was unable to attend the present meeting but would make a point of being present at another if timely notice were given him. Mr Dixon read a letter from Mr Macarthur enclosing a letter from the Minister for Public Works, aneut the petition of the Bunnythorpe settlers re station buildings, promising to inquire into the matter. Mr Macarthur said he woull use his uttnost endeavours to get something done as it was urgently needed. Mr Aldrich proposed, and Mr Shere seconded, That the road along the railway line be made a boundary road, and its management handed over to the Manchester Eoad Board. —Carried. Mr Aldrich asked the Chairman what way he would suggest to get the road to the Sangitikei line completed. The Chairman said the Manawatu Board was too heavily in debt to undertake the work. Mr Dixon said he had been told that Mr Bassett offered to metal the road and wait twelve months for the money. He understood that the Board agreed to these conditions if the weather was fine enough to get the work done. Mr Boddy asked the Chairman if he thought it right that No. 5 ward should bear the whole of the expense for the bridge across the Oroua river. The Chairman in reply said a sum of £5000 was voted for the bridges, but they could not get it without striking a special rate as security. They had nothing to pay. Out of the £5000, £1700 comes to their ward; but they have not got it yet. The settlers might take it for granted that the rate would not be collected. Mr Masters asked if all the rates collected in No. 5 ward were spent in the ward. The Chairman replied that with reference to the general rate there had been £320 odd spent in the ward that had not come out of it. Mr Dixon said the Bunnythorpe road had been cut up in several places, i and is now impassable. Mr Bailey informed 'the meeting fhat he had seen the engineer, and a man or two would be put on to do the worst places; Mr Masters said he thought there ought to be a financial statement published every year. This' had worked well with other Boards. The Chairman : Of our ward? Mr Masters: Yes! The Chairman: It would look strange for one ward only. It might be for all the wards. Mr Aldrich said he had heard from a ratepayer that Mr Gamman was willing to repair the Bunnythorpe-Ash-urst road if Palmerston metal could be got to thetrailway station for it. T&xJi- Jeffries said that the metal wsV^it through, and the road was very bad: He had often seen a heavy load of timber on a dray with narrow tyers drawn with five horses. The Chairman said he thought Mr Oanunan should^ make the offer to the Board, especially as he had been using the narrow tyers. Mr Dixon proposed and Mr Aldrich seconded, ; That a deputation, to consist of Messrs Bailey, Basset, Rogers, Aidrich, and G. Bull should wait on the Manawatu Eoad Board.— Carried. A vote of thanks to the Chairman concluded the business of the meeting.

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