Mr Macarthur at

Feilding Star, Volume XII, Issue 7, 1 July 1890, Page 2

Mr Macarthur at

Pursuant to notice tj^^^^^^^^^| payers i$ the Kiwitea jj^^^^^^^^^^H the school house &t>4u^^^^^^^^^^^^H urday night, called b^i^^^^^^^^^^H %n*ble any ratepayjajj^^^^^^^^^^^H trietr#ho consi^«" 7 i^^^^^^^^^^^^| r again?t^him in the H^j^^^^^^^^^^^^^^l ham Gross road or theJ^^^^^^^^^^H the; same. T^^flj^^^^^^^^^H attto^gncef -Mr .Teuipla^^^^^^^^H presideT^nd after brieflyl^^^^^^^^l sons for wfhjch the jrieetih^^^^^^^^H vited the conv^ißUpjns^^^^^^^^^H Mr Macarth^r^Ru^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^l address $hem op ge^^^^^^^^^^^^^H that was unbeeomin^^^^^^^^^^^^^H the sitting of P ar flHPl^^^^^^^^^| quence ir>f »• letter whu^^^^^^^^^^^H Femns," makmg^cer|^^^^^^^^^^| against him as chairmanj^^^^^^^^^^H ter Boad Board, -a posij^^^^^^^^^H during the time the CoJ^^^^^^^^^^A held his Court to settle respective liabilities of l^^^^^^^^^l and Kiwitea Boad Distribl^^^^^^^^H with the Cheltenham Crqj^^^^^^^^H Onepuhi §bridge. Now,^f^^^^^^^^l thur) had arrays found i^^^^^^^^^^H one, whether ratepayersl|^^^^^^^^H a .grievance against hiag^^^^^^^^^^J .face to face when things ci^^^^^^^^^H %a fair light. He instarj^^^^^^^H tne ratepayers at Bunny^^^^^^^^^H had been able by meeti^^^^^^^^^H and- open discussion to^^^^^^^^^^^J impressions which - had M^^^^^^^^^H -disadvantage by persona well informed as himself^^^^^^^^^H at issue. - He said frana^^^^^^^^^H not in any way responsibl^^^^^^^^^H as chairman c& the .^^^^^^^^^H Board to the Kiwitea -t^^^^^^^^H wished to be thoroughM^^^^^^^^^H had not* been a candidaj^^^^^^^^^H frages as electors at then^^^^^^^^^^J tion, he would not have fl^^^^^^^^^| them. He met'them qj^^^^^^^^^H iinsh to be handicapped fi^^^^^^^^^H pressions. *He wished i^^^^^^^^^^l understood. He thenjj|^^^^^^^^^^| the Cheltenham Cross^^^^^^^^^^H >road betweenilne Manche^^^^^^^^^^f Boad Districts, and wfaa^^^^^^^^^^H the Counties Act waß~lS(^^^^^^^^^^H eight years ago. Kiwiti^^^^^^^^^^| small, place and sparsely j^^^^^^^^^^f fore the Manchester^^^^^^^^^^H took charge of the Q Q Jl^^^^^^^^H cause he (MrMa^arthurji^^^^^^^^^H to burden the Kiwitea w^^^^^^^^^H mentiT Since that timej|^^^^^^^^^| hjf&become vi%ltfoud^^^^^^^^^H creasing popula|jtf^^^^^^^^^^^J fully entittled .^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H pense. *fTheir j^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H most as much Chester Dist£^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^| at the enquiij^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H 13 Manchest^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H went o ver, a^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H was used^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H bridge wj^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H roaa^l^^^^^^^^^H^H^l^^^^^^^H and wai^m^P^ undel^^^^^H the members of the K?|vitea Boad^^^^H The Manawatu Boadlpisjjrict wasj^^^^H ent, with a receiver appointed tn|j^^^| the rates on behalf of a; creditor. .Sq^^^^H ing the Counties Act |h^d- been bro^^H into force to remedy th6 evil thenQg^^^M have been Ane votes, a% follows : W«^^^B 1, Ashurst ,2/ Ha^feombe 2, Paltuerst(^^H Owing to the position of the M anaj|^^H '^ad-ij^u*d there bad been alinoyetq^^H "ra^lrin^lhe Counties' ~Mt£ into force. the whole burden. -of vn^aintaining '[ ■^^M Onepuhi bridge had cb^tinned to fall'.^^f the' Manchester ratepayers, it might hA^H influenced their respreaentatdves^Sn tqjH County Council to help the Manas?at3B members to brins? the Act into force, whenO not only would the Kiwitea Have to share theicost of maintenance of the Onepuhi ■ bridge, but also that of all the' other large , bridges in the TOroua County. .The Conn- dj ties Act could, into" force bjra * simple resolution; ; oi Ihfttipuncfl, when: at ; once the rating power of tj'e Boktd would dj be reduced by one half, Ihif C<mtijitwuaj&M ing its present suspended pj^|^H^^^^^| ent all the' Kiwitea hfl^^^^^^^^^H pay one-third of the -Onepuhi bridge, the^^^^^^^^^^^^H large bridges withi|^^^^^^^^^^^H its present positic^^^^^^^^^^^^^^| having to pay a^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H of all the large J^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H Macarthur these gvonectfa^s^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ chestejhßoad BoarM^^^^^^^^^^H duty^Be knew at^^^^^^^^^^H yotes and made him^^^^^^^^^^^H was not going to defes^^^^^^^^H done, it required no def^^^^^^^^^H said now was merely ane^^^^^^^^^| he had shrunk from doin^^^^^^^^^H sake of winning twenty <h^^^^^^^^^| considered he would be i^^^^^^^^^H as a representative in Parl^^^^^^^^^f everything he had. done ag^^^^^^^^H tea Board was made much^^^^^^^^H was made of the grant^j^^^^^^^^^H last two sessions for thew^^^^^^^^H word was sa^d by the^j^^^^^^^^^J were so virulent agains^^^^^^^^^^^f £150 he had obtained for^^^^^^^^H Feilding Small Farrn^^^^^^^^H last, or the tovW^^^^^^^M this side of the Orona Ja^^^^^^^^^H thought he should get cr^^^^^^^^^H had done, as he had rehaj^^^^^^^^^H eost of making *be roada!S||^^^^H He/ said that at tbe^BeMnmn^^HH'' speech he would not go igjo any ques^n of general politics, bat he might be allow & to refer to the fact that his scheme for land settlement had been almost wholly adopted by the Goverment. Of course there might be amendments suggested, but he expected to get the whole accepted. It was propose? to put the settlers on the land for two years without having to pay rates and interest Jmt he believed the time would be extenfjad io •» three years. He referred to th"e alleged refusal of the Minister of Lara's to give copies to Mr Taylor, thd,chairman of the Kiwitea Boad Board, jrf the evidence taken at the Commissions A motui had been circulated that he, Ifr MacaWur. had tned to mfluelice the decision of tha oovernment on the bridged road question. H^oegged to give iny statement to th»* efllet a flat denial. The only obi jection was the cost of copjkg, and if th* Kiwitea Boad^Board were^ingto^Sj that the evidence could be obtained Mr- --v Maoarthur. then* stated h^ waß willing to aagwer any question*, afttif any mem. - ber of the Board was ti&ent he would ' like him to speak to the q^wtion. * Mr Morton asked if')lfr STaearthnc^ knew, of any other Boad £oart^iJß||[^| p«id for. the maintonaiiMHj^^^^^H seven or eight miles P&^'> v^^^^^^^^H Mr Macartiiur in r6^%|^^^^^^^^| puhi Bridge was withvra^^^^^^^^^J \thi«h the Kiwitea was *J|^^^^^^^^^| Mr Mitts, tb memberf^^^^^^l Bjpftd- Board* said'^^si^^^^^^^^^^|

- the aflfticattona made for copies of tl v^«ri4ence i*ken at the Commission, 1 \ : m3Bß&u*£ihß reply from the Goveii ment was ioNtoe effect that as the repo: ; attached was of a confidential nature could not be sent to the Board. '.-'■..' Mr Macarthur -said he had not hear of this. The Minister had d;ri :ctly tol him the only question was one of cost. Mr Mills asked why the Halcomb Town Board was chit out. 4 "«Mr Macarthur replied that the amoun tljat Board would have had to pay wa too trivial ; but if the Kiwitea Roai Board had thought it worth while the; should have asked for an inquiry. ■ ; Mr Mills said when a inaij was sent b; the Manchester Boad Board to the One j>uhi Bridge to take the names of thi persons who crossed, the Kiwitea Roa< Board, in dfl fairness, should have had i man too. Mr Macarthnr did not see why th« ' . Kiwitea Board had not sent a man also. - '- j Mr John Davis asked if therexwas anj obstacle to forming the Kiwitea into a county. > . V Mr Macatfhur m reply said a special Act would be required, but as there was v -^.strong feeling in the House against the . fdrmatioq, of new ;counties it would be 1 - difficult to get such a measure passed. : Mr*Davis: Will you do your level best to gei such an Act passed ? -»% ~S f Jto Macarihur : I will make ndr pledge which I do not see my way to fulfill. Mr Davis: Mr Arkwright will. ■■■•• s Very.likely. • . M/ Jacob said some of the Kiwitea settlers object to an M.H.R. taking the ' active part Mr'Macarthur did in local • afiEairs^ • - : .-i' Mr. ll acarthur held^ a different opinion. Mr Jacob then made reference to a letter written in the Fbilding Stab by Mr Macarthufi in reply to "Polly Feemus" ih*#nich Mr Macarthur said : " flad^E done so, I would have been unworthy of the support of tfie «oeW-cdnditioned electorso^the Kiwitea." Mr Jacob said the natural inference was that there were a . number of «7/-conditioned settlers in the Kiwitea, of jvhich he (Mr Jacob) must -certainly consider himself one. Mr Jacob went on to say that he and others consid- \ ered that when the report of the Comniis"sionex came before the Government, and .-'-. the member for the district, who was also '-/* dhainnah of one of the opposing Boards, v threw in his weight for his Board the Issue could nofi long be in doubt as to which way the Government would decide. Mr Macarthur in reply said that when ie took action as Chairman of the Man- , Chester JRoad Board he was not'member v for !the electorate ot which Kiwitea was a y£arfc» and he had already denied using any - —^inntfence. As to the phrase in his letter, Mr.JaSJQb drew quite a wrong inference . from the quotation which referred only to a part of the letter of " Polly Feemus," as the context of his replv would show. What he said was he would be unworthy the support of the well-conditioned electors. The statement that he would be Tin worthy and that the well-conditioned electors would vote for him are altogether different. He meant no refledSon lon any one. However, he now dis-associ-ated himself from local affairs, and) there- . fare any objection to him on that score no longer existed. . 1 ' Several other questions were Ssjked of ,jio special importance. r ( Mr Jacob moved, and Mr Mills seconded, a vote of thanks to' Mr Macjarthur Afor the trouble he had taken to come up and give them this explanation* ' ' The motion was put and carried unanimously. , ' ■ . 'I X The usual vote of thanks was passeil to /the Ishair on the motion oyMx Macarthur, *^aj^~^^^»e(;ing adjourned.