Public meeting.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 168, 13 June 1884, Page 2

Public meeting.

At the meethig last night there was a, fair attendance. . Mr Snelson read the letter from the Woodville people, asking him to convene the meeting, apd expressed his views m reference to the matter. He stated the ville people had, it seemed, given the matter a lot of thought, and he believed it would be worth their consideration. He then read the i-esolu-tions, and called on Mr Carlile to explain better the cause of the meeting-. . . ; Mr Carlile then came on the plat-^ form,' and stated he would, as a member of the Association, endeavor to give a full explanation to those present The real question sitJssue was the se'lling-of bush land for cash. This they wished entirely co do away with, and the first resolution embody ing this they had all been unanimous on. What they desired the Government r to do was that uo bush land should be sold for cgsh, except totara land, but on deferred payments.' In Woodville they had standing bush close up to the town. The reason of thisbeingt that ;the j present "absentee owners had purchased the land m the early days and never bothered their he ids about improving it, waiting to get<a good 1 chance to-Rell'ont.'' Sections m the heart ,of the township were exactly m" the same position to-day ,as : they where when the. township was first started. Mr Smith, M.H.R., had been, spoken tc -about the resolutions, and he had gone into the matter -thoroughly and thought they would auswer very well.. A question was here asked by one of the audience, What is the reason you wish to sell totam land for cash ? Mr Carlile : Totara land generally, from the totara itself, was valuable. He did not see what advantage could be derived by selling it on deferred payments. :J ; - ./:■;■; - i "/. Mr Snelson then asked if any one olso wished to, speak. He hoped. they . would .do -so. He would like y the meeting to discuss the first resolution. ; Mr Burr came on the platform and made a short speech about the land laws. A resolution proposed by Mr Burr, and seconded by' Mr Hawkins, supporting, the Wbodville resolutions, was then put to the meeting. I Mr G. W. Rnssoll hero request ed Tpbrmission to say a few wovds^before ;the resolution Vas put. He spoke for some time on , the question, and eventually stated he would like the resolution altered to the effect thakrio lands whatever l>e sold for cash, he continued to speak of the ;land ?questipn on wider' trrdunds,- bis 'theory being, that perpetual leasing would be : the eventual outcome of all the lan ! d agitation, of the present day j m * fact, •*: nationalization of the land. This question was then discussed for some time by Messrs Falloon, Burr, Hawkins, Oolvilje and Russell. Eventually, Mr O'Donilell proposed an amendment .to alter the resolution m accordance with Mr RusiHcl's views. This was subsequently altered and amended, and seconded by Mr Russell and lost. The resolution -was then put and declared carried. The question of inspecting. sheep, was next discussed, Mr Caalile pointing out the uncalled for stringency of the present Act which laid down m effect that if he bought sheep at; Ashurst he would have to paddock them there tor 7 days before . piking j them to Woodville^ and a'gairi there before taking them to Wairarapa. In taking fro n an unclean district, to a clean one he saw the justice of the thing, but not m clean districts. A resolution was carried to the effoct that this meeting will support any proposal to have the Shoep ; Act amended by which sheep can be moved from one clean district to another without further inspection. The matter of the building of the Gorge bridge was next discussed, and •after some debate it was resolved that the Muvor write to the various members urging them to exeit their influenco to have the Gorge bridge put m hand. Volos of thanks to Mr Carlile and the Chairman brought to the proceediugs to a close.