PUBLIC MEETING AT KOWAI PASS.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1710, 13 August 1879, Page 3

PUBLIC MEETING AT KOWAI PASS.

A public meeting was held at Kowai Pass ■schoolroom on Monday night, for the purpose of considering the name given to the district by the postal authorities. The room was crowded. Mr Cassidy proposed and Mr Wadman seconded—“ That Mr Redfern take the chair.”

Mr Oolthart, recognising the right of the chairman of the Malvern Hoad Board to preside at public meetings, took exception in this instance on the ground of the Road Board refusing to entertain a petition asking them to call a meeting in connection with this matter, and would propose Mr J. D. Enys as ■chairman. This amendment being seconded by Mr Hoismith, and put to the meeting, was lost by five votes. Mr Eedfern then took the chair, and said ■that this meeting had been convened by Mr Williamson, ao that the residents might express their satisfaction or otherwise, at the action taken by the Postal authorities in changing the name of this district. Mr Q-illundera then addressed the meeting, saying that he should like to know who had been the means the means of having the name of the district changed, also what underhand means had been used in effecting this change without consulting the residents. This speaker was here interrupted by cries of “order” from Mr Cassidy, who in his turn •was told that the chairman was the proper person to keep order, and the audience were to assist the chairman is so doing. When order was restored. Mr GHllanders wanted to know in what the district had disgraced itself that it was not allowed to retain its name, and ho was assured that the Hon. Mr Fisher, the PostmasterGeneral, would see justice done to the district—[applause]—and ho could see that the meeting was packed by men who were here to-day and gone to-morrow. Mr B. Douglas said that he should guess the reason for changing the name was, that ■the Springfield Company were spending the most money in the district, and therefore had the most right to baptize the child. “What would the district become if you had none of us strangers to visit you ? [Great applause.] We come hero to improve the place, and can, at least, make it ho worse.” Mr Gillandora —I object to people calling a district after their own place. Mr Cassidy—l rise to order. There is nothing before the meeting, and I will move—- “ That in the opinion of this meeting the name given to this district is highly satisfactory.” The Government, he considered, were quite capable of naming a place like this, and the thing had been done in a most straightforward manner.

Captain Parker—l take groat interest in the district, having lived here for seven years. I should first like to draw your attention to a letter which appeared in the “ By Lt el ton Times,” under the cognomen of “Pair Play.” It was a perfect misnomer, as the letter was most unfair. I don’t know whether the writer is in the room, but I must say he is an arrant coward to lower himself to write against a company that has done so much for the district for the past two years. I am not here as a representative of the coal company, but ■simply to see fair play. When I came to the district—and there are several old residents who can bear me out in the statement—land wont begging at £5 per acre. I myself bought • one of the best farms in the district for £6 per acre, and many people thought me a great fool for doing so. How people did not know what to ask for their land, £2O per acre being no uncommon price. There must be some reason for this increase. How has this rise come about ? 1 don’t see that farmers take more trouble in cultivating their land than formerly, or buy gi\auo and

I expensive manures for their land. The rise in the land is solely due to the opening up of this district by the Coal Company. Picture t> yourselves this district, supposing the mine were to be closed. Who has not been benefited by the opening of the mine ? Mr Williamson, the prime mover in this matter, has been enabled to erect a large store in place of the mud and slab shanty in which ho caried on a paltry business, and now he has a store containing £3OOO or £4OOO worth of goods. If this is not an instance of colonial ingratitude, I do not know what is. The railway to Kowai has been wished for. Our members have done all in their power to that end, and the residents have petitioned the Government time after time to no purpose. In the second place, you have to thank the coal company, for had the mine never been opened, it is my firm opinion that the railway would never have extended further than Sheffield. [Hear, hear, and cheer.] I think it only natural that when a man lays out a township he should call that township what he pleases. The new railway station is erected on the Springfield township, and I can assure the meeting it will be called tho Springfield station. The post-office and telegraph office are to be erected in the same township and will be called the Springfield post-office. [Cheers and cries of “ question.”] To conclude with, I have great pleasure in seconding the motion of Mr Cassidy. Mr Oolthart wished to make a few remarks before tho motion was put. He disclaimed any connection with the letter mentioned by Captain Parker. He had heard a good deal of what the Coal Company had done for the district, but he should like to know what was the object of the company when storting operations. Was it for tho advancement of Kowai Pass, or was it for the purpose of making good interest on money expended ? [Great cheers and uproar.] He inclined to the latter idea, and if Mr Williamson and other residents succeeded in extracting from the Coal Co. during their operations a trifle of the “filthy lucre,” “exalted be their horn.”

Captain Parker—What do you mean by that ? Mr Colthart (in a stage whisper)—lf you read your Bible more you’d know. Mr Oolthart—When Captain Parker knew tho district seven years ago, land went begging at £5 per acre. Early selections at this day would be bought at £4 per acre. A Yoice —It’s all stones. Mr Colthart—Yes, and a good part of

Springfield township is shingle too, my man. There are no coal mines at Courtenay, and can Captain Parker say that a farm at Courtenay can be bought cheaper than a farm at Kowa Pass, soil to be of a similar character ? The enhanced price of land is duo mainly to the public works that are being carried out in the district, such as the water race and tho Waimakariri Gorge bridge, and th 3 general prosperity of the country. As regards Mr Williamson’s mud and slab shanty, I would like to inform Captain Parker that that gentleman made a respectable living before the coal company was in existence. I may also add that I, with many others, believe that the co-operative store was started for the express purpose of smothering Mr Williamson. The people in the district were too high-minded, however, to patronizethe Springfield store under the circumstances. I am only sorry to say that Mr Williamson is too ill to attend this meeting to take his own part, I candidly admit that if it had not been for the Springfield Coal Company the extension of the railway would not now have been in hand. The coal has no doubt benefited the district to a certain extent, but not to the extent claimed by Captain Parker. Mr Colthart moved—“ That in tho opinion of this meeting the residents ought to have been consulted before changing the name of the district.”

Mr Enys—l have great pleasure in seconding Mr Colthart’s amendment, and my state that the change of name came on me as a sudden surprise. The first I knew of the matter, was when the newspapers and letters were handed to me. X found them addressed “ Springfield.” Mr H. Davies moved, and Mr Gillanders seconded, “ That considering the great influx of inhabitants, consequent on the public works now in progress here, the majority of whom have no permanent interest in this district, the name of the locality be left to bona fide ratepayers at a meeting to be called by the chairman of the Malvern Boad Board.” Mr Davies said, in moving the above, that the birds of passage ought not to have a voice in the matter, as at the present time they were in the majority, and could swamp vested interests.

Mr Cassidy said that he was astonished to hear such remarks from Mr Davies as ho bad just given expression to. He thought that every man present was entitled to have his say in a matter of this kind. Who was it but the “bone and sinew ” of the colony, such as he saw there around him, that supported this township ? Mr Davies, in reply, stated that he had been unable to get an adequate supply of the “soft soap” so necessary for such an occasion as this, but on the opening of the new Springfield store he would be happy to “ lay it on thick” on all “bone and sinew” exhibited to him. Mr Shanks moved as an amendment on Mr Davies’ amendment —“ That the change is of as much importance to residents as to ratepayers, and every person in the district is entitled to vote at this meeting.” Mr Aitken—As I am one of the transitory ones, I have much pleasure in seconding Mr Shanks’ motion.

Several other gentlemen spoke on the subject, but in the same strain. Mr Shanks’ amendment was then put to the meeting and carried. Mr Oolthart’s amendment and the original motion were then put to the meeting, and the chairman decided that the show of hands was slightly in favor of the original motion, on which Mr Oolthart demanded a division.

Great confusion ensued, during which Captain Parker and Mr Cassidy said it was quite unusual and not at all necessary. During the confusion half of the meeting left en masse, Mr Coltharfc still calling for a division, division lists were made out, and that for the amendment was quickly filled, but the list for the original motion was destroyed, the movers refusing to take any part in a division. Amid continued uproar Mr Oolthart proposed, and Mr 0. H. Tuille seconded—“ That Mr J. D. Enys take charge of Mr Colthart’s division list, interview the postal authorities, and request that the subject of naming the Eowai Pass district be reopened, to give the residents a chance of giving on appropriate name to the district.” Carried.

After a vote of thanks to the chairman, the meeting terminated.