SANDON RAILWAY COMPANY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume I, Issue 92, 18 July 1879, Page 2

SANDON RAILWAY COMPANY.

MEETING OF DIRECTORS. The Directors met at the Company's office, Sanson, on Tuesday last, at 2 p m. Eresant=Jlessra Sanson (chairman), G-owepj-Loudon, M'Lennan, Rowe, Bailey, Prior, Bowater, Edwards, and Tompkihl. - ' £ Some preliminary discussion took place as to the legality of previous meetings of the directors, they having been merely pv.9" visional. Eventually, it was resolved to consider the present meeting the first legal ono. ,"■ ■'""■. : i The election of permanent officers was then proceeded with. TJpon the motion of -,Mr, McLennan, seconded- by Mr Grower, :Mr Sanson was elected Chairman of 'the Company. J ; , : ; ',''■' For the office of treasurer, several gentle men -were nominated., but declined to act< Mr J. A". -Bailey,' who •Was amongst the number, said he had accepted the appointment provisionally, but could not,gi*ve?ijp the time necessary ' to fulfil the permanent duties. Eventually Mr Gower, at the.earnest wish of the directors, accepted the dip pointment. .^. ...... ,Mr Sanson then, pointed out that owing to errors that had been made,<the plans, &c, had to be re-deposited, -jje believedthe, mistakes had occurred through over work, unonMr.Prior, th(e Secretary to ihe Company,! and thought it desirable tha f - another appointment should be made. He had spokento Mr Prior himself upon the subject," and that gentleman had expressed his desire to be relieve! from the duties of secretary. Mr Prior said such was the case, and that the work attaching to the office was considerable, [■'./; . Mr Sanson snid he had spoken to Mr Jackson on the subject, and that he was willing to accept the appointment, and fur.nish t^e necessary^ sureties, ,'He'jthou'gh't 'the appoiritmerit would.be a good one. 'The work of the secretary would be heavy'for a month,. but not, afterwards. ! ' ' •/ / Mr Grower asked what were the respective duties of the Treasurer and Secretary. He wished to know this before proceeding any further. Mr M'Lannan said they were met as a public body, or rather as the representatives of a publio body, and instead of making the appointment propose 3, they should advertise; ; ■ • Mr Loudon said other persons beside the Chairman desired to nominate gentlemen to the office. He was prepared to nominate a gentleman who was a lawyer of undoubted ability, and Avho, if elected, would become a settler in the district. That point ,he considered an important 1 one. He would like to see the remuneration fixed before tho - meeting, went any further. ' Mr M'Lennan strongly advooated publio tenders being called. He said a private Secretary had been appointed onoe, and had bungled affairs ; it was proposed to make another such appointment, with perhaps the same result. A man who would fail, would be dear at nothing. Mr Tompkins thought an appointment should be made at ,onoe. . : Mr Gower insisted on having the Treasurer's duties defined. He thought it father hard that no resident of Sanson would accept the office, whilst he, living 7 miles away, "was forced into it. Mr Toinpkus rominded Mr Grower that ; the distance might ba an advantage, to prevent " duas ".asking for oheques. MrLoudou said he desired, to ask the directors what remuneration- they would : give. If £150 were offered, he would propose Mr Thos. Hutchison, a Wellington solicitor, fot the office. That gentleman would at once establish a .branch office at Foxton, and place an able and energetic clerk there. IHe would as soon as possible take up his residence in tht township, and . meantime, his presence in Wellington, wherethe best advice could be obtained, Would be an advantage.: : He pointed out .that there were a large number of direotoi-3 in Foxton, and he thought meetings should be held there. 1 . Mr Sanaon suggested a pro. tern, appointment should be made at £100 per annum. He asked Mr Jaokson if he would accept that. , Mr Jackson replied he would not accept that amount pro. tern.- The first 3 months the work would take the whole time of a man. Mr M'Lennan proposed the appointment of Mr Jackson pro. torn, , at a salary of £100.' Seconded by Mr Bowater. Mr Tompkins proposed as an amendment, That a salary of £50 be paid to Mr Jackson for the first three mouths. Seconded by Mr Bailey. Mr Go wer declared his intention of opposing the motjon - and amendment, until a definite course was . adopted. He thought the manner in which matters had been conducted shbnld prove a warning. He Would support Mr lioudon'spropositiori. • : Chairman strongly opposed Mr Loudon' s .proposal. , He thought it would reflect, upon fcjianson township .if they now went out of it to get persons to carry on the 'woi'kv Blunders had been made 9t Foxton in the books of ireferenae. Mr London urged bis view upon the director.?, and. advocated rtlie appointment/ of Mr Hutchison. Mr; Bailey thought past experience should be of assistance to the dirertors, He supported t|ir amendment. ,. { ; _„ • The amendment on being put was carried • l-^the votes being— forys; against 3. : Thbae against were— Messrs. (lower, M'Lennan, and Loudon. It was resolved to advertise for tenders for the permanent secretaryship, the advertisements to be inserted one month before the expiration' of Mr Jackson's engagoment. „;,.-, „- , 1 . : The fdllb wing gentlemen were appointed a committee to assist the seoretary in preparing the. , plans,* books of reference, &o : — Messrs Sanson, Bowater, Rowe, Edwards, Torapkin?, and Bailey. . The Chairman explained that only 17 objections had been sect in, and of these 15 wer.e.dqne in a friendly way." tie suggested various alterations in the rating. Sanson would be benefited, far more than Foxton, and he thought the resolution passed should bo rescinded, fixing the class the towns were to be in. There were ,52 houses in Sanson, and the rateable value Was £2063. He thought Sanson would, stand another £50. Nine ont of the 17 objections were against b?ing rated with an aqreage rate. .-;• . ' ' A very long discussion took pUoe upon the question,of . the rating was to be determined; : '' ' • • • ; ' Mr.M'Lennali wiflh^d to see: the totfndhlp of Sanson so rated'tbat if in ft few years it improved very greatly, It would bear a more equitable share of the rating. Sanson township would derive most benefit iroin the railway, and, the. owners of land there should ' After a long discussion, the following re-

olution was moved by M>- G-owor, seconded by Mr Loudon, and carried :— That the township of Sanson bo Ist class, red 2nd class, blue 3rd class,J?rown 'Ith cliss, and each class be rated in proportion as per class at so much per pound as to produce the needful £1500 a year at 6 ger cent on £30,000 ,, the townships to produce— Sanson, £100 V year, and Foxton £150, and that the Committee adjust tho rating. Mr Q-pwer stated that owing to remarks mado, ho was prepared to place his resignation in the hands of the Government as Presiding Officer, if tho directors thought it desirable. Mr M'Lennan counselled Mr Grower to take no notice of what persons outside might say. A. resolution was unanimously passed, urging Mr Grower to retain the office. — Mr fiower eaid4n- view -of -ea-strong-and" unanimous an expression of opinion, he woald-letltne matte* B*l}and kfafc'^bresenfc" I*1 '* Thedhairman^tatea*the sum of £4^7 5s had been lodged in the Bank as.fi.rst.deposit on shares. " r -Several 'accounts were passed, and the meeting adjourned at 6 p.m.