WAITOMO COUNTY RATEPAYER'S ASSOCIATION.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 654, 25 March 1914, Page 5

WAITOMO COUNTY RATEPAYER'S ASSOCIATION.

The Editor. Sir, —The account of the meeting of ratepayers of the Hangatiki Riding published in your columns of the 18th inst , is most misleading to your readers, and instead of being a blow? to the association, which it is obviously intended to he, will no doubt strengthen the position very considerably when I put the true facts before them. The first thing that ocurred to me was what is "a meeting" and wbst is "a quorum." On the 14th inst. there met in solemn assembly at Hangatiki, four settlers, three only being ratepayers of the riding, and they decided "to take no further action in regard to appointing a delegate to the Waitomo County Ratepayer's Association as at present constituted." This was moved by Mr Scholes, our County chairman and yet at the general meeting, held on the 27th ult., he was amongst the first to become a financial member of the Association. Why this sudden change of front? As to the constitution mentioned in the motion I fail to see what could possibly be fairer or more open than that each riding should elect its own delegate. Why did not Mr Scholes suggest a better mode of procedure on the 27th ult. This "meeting of ratepayers" opens up a very big question, as to what constitutes a meeting. As far as 1 can see should any two settlers meet in conclave they can propose and pass votes of confidence and no-confidence ad infinitum Should you give the same prominence to such meetings as the one held at Hangatiki, your biweekly issue would soon assume gigantic proportions —1 am, etc , P. D. HARGREAVES, Hon, Sec., W.C.R.A. (Regarding Mr Hargreaves' statement as to the report of the meeting being misleading, and as to his ability to put the true facts before the public, it is only fair to all parties to atate that the meeting was not held at Hangatiki. but at the County Chambers, Te Kuiti, and that the report which appeared in these columns was accurate in every detail.—Ed. K.C.C.