Public Meeting at Pohangina.

Feilding Star, Volume XVII, Issue 85, 7 October 1895, Page 2

Public Meeting at Pohangina.

■ 0 - ' About forty people attended the meet- ' ing held on Saturday afternoon in the Public Hall, Pohangina, convened for the ' purpose of discussing the actions of the 1 County.Council and forming a Ratepaper's 1 Association. The chair was taken by Mr Harbuckle, who explained the purpose of , the meeting. Mr J. G. Browne said that the action of the Pohangina Council had been un- . satisfactory. He considered the ratepayers' money had been spent in useless . works. He was of the opinion that a Ratepayers' Association was needed very I much at present, as private persons when i they brought a request before the Council met with very little courtesy from the . Councillors. Furthermore, the \ssocia--1 tion would be able to put matters in a 1 proper light, and prevent the Council from perpetrating blunders. The actions [ of the Council in regard to the loan pro- ; posals in the Pohangina and Tainaki ; ridings showed that the present Council . were no more fitted for their present pos- , ition than school boys. As a matter of ! fact the proposals were to be floated on a valuation which never came into existJ enee. Before advertising a loan proposal . an informal meeting should he held to 1 test the feelings of the ratepayers and : fix the proposals- The present Council- ', lors had very little knowledge of the way ; to raise loans. He did not believe that ' either the members of the Council or their clerk understood the balance sheet. In conclusion Mr Browne proposed that a Ratepayers Association be formed to embrace the whole County. The motion to form a Ratepayers Association was then put and carried un- ; animously. Cr Wagstaff said he was the only Councillor present. Personally he thought a Ratepayers' Association was very necessary for the purpose ot keeping the Council in check. He admitted the Council bad made mistakes as had other bodies. It was a mistake to think that the County was on the verge of a straightened financial position. In reply to a ratepayer, Cr Wagstaff said he was quite in favour of having a resident engineer and clerk. On the motion of Mr Browne, it was decided that those present constitute themselves a committee to canvas the district to secure a large attendance at a meeting to be held on the 19th inst. Those present subscribed their names to a list of membership and the meeting terminated.