Ashurst Notes

Feilding Star, Volume XIII, Issue 33, 15 September 1891, Page 2

Ashurst Notes

fOUB OWN CORRESPONDENT.] On Saturday there was a well-attendect meeting of the Harbor Board and Pohangina settlers to meet their warden, Mr Lucas. At 12 o'clock about 50 assembled and voted Mr Lucas to the chair. Hethen explained that the object of the 1 meeting was to hear whether the settlers of this part of the Kiwitea Road Board desired to separate and form a board of I their own, and y from the, large number : tben present,- and also thefproxies handed in from some who could not attend, he could see that the de.-ire wak general, and was glad to* see that people were beginning to stir themselves, as 270 signatures have already been obtained to the petition for separation to- be presented to the Government. There are 950 ratepayers in the Kiwitea road district, ' and of these it . is possible to get about 400 signatures. There are a great many absentees,'' but < fortunately their absence does not cojjjit against the proposal for separation, asiii would when applying for loans under the "Roads and Bridges Construction Act." The. chairman went on to explain that Kiwitea had forestalled her borrowing powers for 4 years under this Act, and therefore, aa the district now stands, there is no chance of any money being spent here during that period.' This is one of the main- reasons of our desire for a new Board : that we may borrow under the Act and^ construct some of the roads so urgently needed. Many present in the room were of- those who had to use packtracks for 4 years to get to their sections, and they could see their only chance was to- have a board of their own, and be enabled to have local wardens who could know the requirements of the district. Mr Lucas showed that when he first entered the Kiwitea Road Board its valuation- was £130,000 and reyenne about £400. The valuation of the proposed new road board district would be £120,000" , with a revenue 1 of £331. These figuresshow that we can run alone bow, and get along as well as the Kiwitea of four years ago. The rapid increase of population aud settlement seems to warrant the assumption that the future of Pohangina is assured, and that she is quite capableof managing her own affairs. As regardsfinance, we should start about free of debt r but would have to take over the liability of £7500 borrowed under the " Roads and Bridges Construction Act," at 6 per cent. r £3000 af which was spent on the Harbor Board Block roads, and £4500 on the ! Feilding Small Farm Settlement.' We are at present assessed at about £ of the valuation of the whole Kiwitea district, and should still have the same rates to pay to the smaller board. Mr 'Lucas threw out a good suggestion for the use •of the thirds — that they should be allocated to paying interest on .loan, rather than- spent in such driblets as they are on the roads. The chairman said that he had received a letter from, Mr Macarthur on the subject of the meeting, regretting that he had been too ill to attend to the- matter, but assuring Mr Lucas that he would do the best' he could to forward the interests of the settlers of Pohaugina in the present instance. Mr Charles Hunt then called fpr a hearty vote of thanks to Warden Lucas for his general conduct as warden of the district and principally for his untiring efforts in the direction of separation, which are now about to be crowned with success, this was given with great good will. TheChairman then called on Mr Palmer to introduce the petition to the meeting — which had three divisions : Ist prayingfor separation ; 2nd the argent need of roads, and suggestions that Government! should constuci the arterial roads beforeselling the land'; and 3rd requesting Government to be more particular in choosing small farm selectors, and endeavour to* get men who are able to carry but their improvements. The petition was largely signed at the conclusion of the meeting. Several of those present were men of th* improving stamp, on the Foxton. Block, and spoke very strongly of the* neglect of the Government m allowing the other selectors to get behind with, their improvements because the road lines were not opened and firing not doneby them, and consequent those who did improve could not stock their land, or ; use their road? lines.