PROPOSED NEW COUNTY

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 30 October 1919, Page 3

PROPOSED NEW COUNTY

TO DIVIDE WAITEMATA

[Auckland Star.]

On Saturday, October 25th, a large number of ratepayers of Birkenhead, Kaukapakapa,Pukeatua, Takapuna, and Wainui Ridings of the Waitemata County met at the Dairy Flat schoolroom to discuss the County Council's administration of the ridings mentioned. Mr George Funke, chairman of the Pukeatua Ratepayers' Association, occupied the chair.

Councillors Broady and Foley addressed the meeting, afad stated that they were f

HELPLESS TO OBTAIN JUSTICE for the ratepayers so long as the County Engineer and County Clerk were allowed to control the administration. They spoke of the Ridings mentioned above being loaded with unnecessary and wastefdl expenditure, and took advantage of the meeting to publicly protest against what was taking place in regard to the supplying -;«of metal from the County quarcny. Cr. Broady stated that metaknffor the roads was costing douttle what it should, and complavried of lack of up-to-date method's^

Mr Johns; of Silverdale, proposed : kl That a conference of ratepayers be held at a future date for thepurpose of forming a Waitemata -Co-unty Ratepayers' League, having definite objects by which the present unsatisfactory state of affairs might be remedied." ■ He suggested that the

MAIN OBJECTS OF THE LEAGUE should be : (1) To secure sound administration of County affairs. (2) To secure good men as councillors. (3) To urge up-to-date methods of road-making. (4) To urge the removal of the County offices to some suitable place in the County. (5) To advocate an amendment to the County Act so as to have County chairman elected by poll of ratepayers of the whole County, similar to method adopted for election of a mayor in a borough. (6) To advocate the law being amended so as to permit County elections to be carried out by registered post. (7) To advocate alteration of riding boundaries so that community of interest might be secured to each riding. (8) To assist estab-

lishment of goqd telephone system throughout the county. (9) To advocate rating on a fair basis, idle lands to he specially taxed. (10) To carry out any object for the benefit of ratepayers. -

The proposal received general support, and upon the m,over consenting that if m.ight be amended to apply only to the ridings represented by ratepayers present, was seconded adopted by unanimous vote. RIDINGS CONCERNED MrDavies, of Birkenhead, then proposed that the meeting resolve ; '* That a movement be set afoot to have the ridings of Birkenhead, Pukeatua, Takapuna, Kaukapakapa, and V^ainui formed into a new county, as the interests of the ratepayers of northern and eastern Waitemata are not in sympathy with those of western and southern Waitemata, which is well served by a railway." This was seconded by Mr Foley and carried unanimously. Mr Escott proposed, " That the necessary petition required to give effect to the last resolution should be prepared, a,nd tha.t the matter be left in. the han,ds of the actingrsecretary with authority to obtain, legal assistance in having same properly drawn up/' This was seooncjed by Mr Burns, and received the unanimous assent of the meeting. Money was subscribed by those present to meet preliminary expenses, and the unanimity of the meeting augured well for the success of the scheme. Mr Burns moved, " That ratepayers in the different polling centres of the riding concerned be asked to send delegates to a conference to be held at Dairy Flat school on the second Saturday in December,'' This was secqnded ai}d parried without dissent.

It was agreed that any ratepayer Height attend the conference, hut only one repognised delegate from each polling centre should be allowed to vote on questions brought before the meeting.

Votes of thanks were given to Mr Escott, the convener of the meeting, and to the chair. After tho meeting the ladies of Dairy Flat treated the visitors to a sumptuous afternoon tea, for which they received the hearty thanks of the partakers.