Important Ratepayers' Meetings at Pohahgina

Feilding Star, Volume XIV, Issue 121, 1 April 1893, Page 2

Important Ratepayers' Meetings at Pohahgina

%A,meeting of ratepayers in No. 2 Word ot the Pohtngina Bond Board District was held on Wednesday afternoon last. It was resolved, That a poll of ratepayers be taken on Friday, 7th April, to decide whether the proposed loan shall be applied for. ; ! ■■-;•"--.. :;■;;■■: A meeting of ratepayers in No I Ward i was held on Thursday afternoon last, in Mr Diinbar's woolshed. There was a good attendance, about2s,ratepavers beinsr ore. sent. Mr Hunt was voted to the -chair, and briefly explained the, objects of the meeting,. viz :T6 consider the q'uWtionof raising a loan for making new roads, and other '....general Jbusiuess.^TJ^chairman tiien called upon ,Mr. Xincas, the waidsn for that aiatricc; to addrdgs the meeting. Mr Lucas said there were several matters herde^wedrtoi refer to\\b«*de9 Jbe loan queßtionfwhich v 'hy wpnidfleave^ftll last; He first touched iipoh i the separation of this Board from; the Kiwitea Road Board, and he contended that the Pohangina Board was entitled to a third of the Crown Land rates* but the other board denied this. The sum of £8500 had "beeo jWrowed, and this was to r he re-paidCbi fifteen payments, amounting^ some°£4soo. He asserted that \ this; was : not right, and at the present day they were most injustly saddled with this^ charge. ' - Afters the' separation s was, obtained their Board applied for a loan 7 fdr }:< the "tfeilding v Hockv but - the- Government' slipped thetri^ up. Mr Lncas then referred =to? the- appointment of the Board's engineer^ and gave his reason 3 why he objected ; to that official being; appointed/ by Render, as he considered it fairer that hii^remuneration should be _by, results. At the pregfht timb all the money" is being spent in the Feilding Special Settlement. He Jbeh went on to fread the: terms ot: the alreeroent with Mr Hay us, and stated that the Engineer at .the present, time .was paying 14s a^day'. put. of his 'own' pocket to i>ay two overseers. "'^v^ ?; - l " ? ::.^:^-^f*T^*;-.-'-' Mr Browne, iriterposing, said this statement was hardly fair to the other applicants, as possibly they might have been prepared to make the same diabnrsenients out of theiTj owja pockets , t \; , - Mr Lucas next alluded to theadvertisement question, wtiyithe B ? a ? d ' 8 jpvehito/the Advocate and Times. Directly this wns done the other three papers jvent for them straight, but personally^he did hot care a dump for any of these editors. Mr Pirani said they bad no right; to vote themselves any remuneration, but lie challenged that gentleman r tp prove its illegality. When he gave 'notice' 'df motion i re the i Gorge bridge revenne'the Stab swallowed the bait. Anyone 'could^see that the object of this motion was to obtain, and jnojt, to spend, money;; [A ratepayer hexejinterposed with the remark that to take the necessary steps would cost a considerable sum.] The Stab fnrther said we were squandering your money, Jbnt they never had any to squander, as' they had bnt £60 to draw from the Kiwitea Board; and this sum was only paid two months All the money spent in this ward^had.been applied, for; maintenance.: Why , dfd «>n6t the Star have a go at the Feiiding^Borough Council if they must have iaflni at local bodies. The Mercury said thafipolitics ought not to the boards in letting their adyertisen^ents^ but he contended that' paper was purely a party one, and was solely supported because of that* fact. Mr Lucas then referredto'theqtiestiori of ofiices/and said that seeing a section was offered • them for -a^ nominal rental of Is per annum in the Pphangina township there .was, nothing Unreasonable in entertaining the idea/ Mr^Lncas here read a letter from residents inf the Ashurst township inviting him to attend a Jprivate meeting to discuss the question of No. 1 Ward in.the Manchester Board's District, throwing in >hc|ir lot with the Poliangina Board, and the 'latter opening at Ashurst.' y: n !i - ! - -^yp%^rs\\\ The question of this ward-ri income'and expenditure were . next touched upon |r the advisability of appointing a' ranger, land the great objections of party Governniwnt, as this district and-ita wants were ignored by the party : now inipower simply because they returned _an; oppositionist. Mr Lucas then stated his |ideaß upon the loan proposals. He was in favor of borrowing £7000 to £-8000 to be thus appropriated : —Pollock* road^ to itie'nver, JB1800 ; Awa road, £900 ■•;- Centre road, £900; Zigzag road, to the ) township, £1000 ; Riyer ; road, t £1500; to r complete other roads, £1000.~Tptal, £7100— equal to a additional rate of l^djin the £* offer the whole of the block, biii this Buni' would not all be spent in one yeaV. ; Thejiidney could be bprrowed;at s|per cent repayable in 26 years with no 1 principal to repay, and snrely it >vpWd beworthdoirigi'seeinK the advantages gained by the diatrict. He' estimated ! their valuation at from £50,000 to £CO,OOO or aboutafiiird of the Board's total valuation'/ -^ ; Mr ißrowiie asked Mr Luoaa r if he had any idea what lit; would cost to'holdaa enquiry re: theiManawatu .bridge.j-Mr Lucas replied, that he , had: no jdea.j, .-. In supporting , Mr, Bray .openly^did'notMr Lucas know that it meant that Mr Hayns would get in ?' The ; r^l^was^iijK-^Mr Browne stated thai f there' was a 7 general state, of dissatisfacticn over this question of the Engine w'sappbintmeritV - : " J The question was asked ; if'it*wpnld be advisable to let "tbe v rbad^maihtenaneV by tender.brit the general ojpihipnPwM 7 that it would not answer' - though" it MObuld be tried; ; :- "■ ?i'"i&mu*li: oiK>^««u'l Mr Allison^ aaked if the •: ex traT farthing rate was absolutely necessary. The reply : w.as.yes. :o ih^,^ «o.3OflieH ; Mr Browne, said that the rates practically amounted to a rental. Mr Allison engnired when the town- • ship was to be ■ soja"^'';!!^ Lucas replied that Mr Notman was " pushing the Governmeut in the matter, .and tt was hoped something would be done shortly. A ratepayer; brought ;up the question of education. - : . f . s «^ r „, Mr' Lucas said a ceniral school was required in the township, as it would be far better than 'having so many little scbpols, and he maintained that the coiintrr^districts were |greatly neglected 'in educational matters. r !>! >r ! :.. 7 r This concluded^ the questions, and Mr Lucas then said that they were: all aware he and Mr Kichafds retired thisnyear, • the other three' members next year,' and the following year all : the imembers^ went out. ■ ' As the papers had ! taken the matter up, he intended to stand and fight it :out ; if beaten he would retire gracenilly, ; bat if they showed/ their confidence inbim by again returning him, .he.wpwld the best to study iheir.inlerejßta.", 4 ,;, ,-.%,, , The, chairman then puf it to itheiineeting. whether: Mr, Lucas /shw&d^lw';'instructed io go on with i the lpan proposals . at once. _" ; On a show .of hands the. tu^otion Was lost. .\. „; *_. ;' ; 'S'H't'f ''. K;-"^r . : : It was then resolved, .T.hat it should be left to Mr Lucas jtocjaU^anpthet meeting to cqnsideivthe" loan projppsals. " " t "^ Votes ..of thanks :tol MCLucasr'lpr^his address and .the account ...of Jhis' steward' ship, aud to Mr Hunt forV preaidin" closed the proceedings". ! V s:^ ,' Vj !,v; °