Public Meeting.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1718, 27 May 1886, Page 2

Public Meeting.

A meeting convened by the Mayor for consideration of matters affecting the interests of settlers in the Manawatu Districts was held in the Theatre last evening. His Worship the Mayor occupied the chair and opened the meeting by stating the objects for which they were met together. He read the advertisement as appearing in the Manawatu Daily Standard, He said the custom had been in bygone years to meet and consider their wants. Hitherto these meetings had been harmonious and had been successful in their aim. Nothing had been brought forward without due consideration, and what they had wanted when brought before the House had been obtained. Certain resolution would be read to the meeting and those present could if they wished speak to the motions proposed. He would call on Mr Linton to move the 1st. resolution. GORGE RAILWAY. Mr Linton said he was one of those referred to us having taken part for a number of years past in their annual gatherings. Whilst they had had a member representing the district they had been in the habit of holding such meetings and a strange coincidence invariably occurred at each meeting — viz., that the number of the resolutions passed .should be seven. Hitherto they were fortunate in having their requirements embodied in such resolutions attended to— he might say without one exception. The rapid progress of the district could be seen by reference to the late census returns. The advancement had been attained by downright pleading industry by clearing the wilderness and cultivating the soil. Their success in having their wants attended to by Parliament had been brought about largely by discussing them in meetings like the present and getting the Ministry to discuss and attend to them. They now had a resident representative and perhaps it might be said they had less need to meet. This might be so or it might not. He believed in their member meeting his constituents once a year to ascertain their opinions and requirements, and he also believed in the constituents meeting together when their member was absent and discussing questions of interest to the community and the best means to be adopted in having them attended to. The resolution he had to propose was in connection with the Gorge Railway. Twice he had been what the Yankees called "euchred" by Sir Julius Yogel, but he believed now that after all this work was about to be a reality. He had intended, and in fact had prepared as it were in his mind, a good deal in the way of argument to place before the meeting that evening, but a telegram had been received by the Press that morning which completely knocked the ground from under his feet. However, he was pleased as no doubt they all were with such news as that. The telegram had stated that £100,000 was to be placed on the estimates for the Napier Gorge Line. Well, they had met together during ten years and diacussed the question of this railway. They had been called madmen for attempting to ask the Government to make the railway in question. They however had continued to press the matter and had succeeded up to last year in getting so far as to where the terminus at this end should be— viz., Palmerston or Bunnythorpe. That matter had been satisfactorily settled and Palmerston was the place decided upon. He was very glad to hear that it was picked out on the estimates as one of the most important works for receiving attention. One gentleman last session had got the credit of ruining the country. He referred to Capt. Russell and to his action in having, the public expenditure cut down as it had been. He (the speaker) however believed that it was necessary at that time to have the expenditure reduced as it was. Capt. Russell had been picked out as the man with nerve and sufficient courage to move such a resolution. However, the Gorge line, had been held over and now the time had come when they might reasonably expect it should receive the attention if undoubtedly was entitled to. He had great pleasure in moving the following resolution. Moved by Mr. Linton, seconded by Mr A. E. Russell — That in the opinion of thie meeting it is absolutely necessary that the construction of the Palmerston and Woodville Railway be commenced forthwith so as to secure through traffic between Napier and Wellington at the earliest possible date. Mr A. E. Russel seconded the motion. It was unnecessary for him to say anything further than what had been pointed out by Mr Linton. The necessary amount they would be all pleased to see had been included in the Financial Statement. It was generally admitted among members in the House that the work was the most necessary in the North Island or in New Zealand.— Carried. PAHIATUA ROAD. Mr Snelson moved the resolution in connection with the above road, and in doing so said they were about to ask the Government to connect Palmerston by road with the Pahiatua district. It had been stated in the press that the construction of this road was a fad of the speakers ; well, it might be a fad, but if they could only succeed in getting the line through, he could assure them it would be a great boon to the district, and not only to this district, but to that on the other side of the hills. The road lies through the Mangatinoka block and amongst the best land that could be wished for. The Pahiatua people were very enthusiastic about its construction. There were four miles of forest reserve to be cleared, a track made and the connection would be complete. He would not urge that the road should be completed that year, but would ask the Governmeht to place sufficient on the Estimates to connect the two districts by a bridle and cattle track. The Pahiatua people would then be able to come here with their stock, and the settlers on this side would be able to go to Pahiatua, where bushfelling would be going on for a considerable time, and employment in this line would be always in demand. He had been agitating for this work as he had simply because it was of the greatest importance to the settlers on both sides, second to not even the Gorge Line. If the work was completed it meant that the benefit derived would be simply incalculable in being the means of convening settlers to this district for the transaction of business. Without being egotistical he might make a few remarks in connection with the district through which this road line would be carried. A few years ago when Mr Ormond was Prime Minister he had interested himself in getting the land opened up. The road line ran through the Mangatinoka Block, which then belonged to the Natives. They were not willing to part with the land, and he took every opportunity to impress uponthe Rangitane Natives, who were the principal owners, the desirability of having the land sold to the Government, in order that the required road should be constructed to connect the two districts. Hoani Meihana and Pete te Awe Awe were chiefs with whom he had often conversed on the matter, and pointed out the desirability of pushing on the road. He succeeded at last in getting them to allow him to go to Wellington and interview the Government in connection with the matter, pointing out the wish of the settlers to have the land opened up, and the consent of the Natives to sell to the Government for that purpose. He was treated in a very cavalier fashion by those whom he interviewed, they apparently not placing much confidence in his representations regarding the Natives. He returned, as he thought, without having effected anything in the desired direction. Subsequently, however, it transpired that the Government had taken the matter up and had sent up a deputation to enquire from the Natives their wishes in connection with the land in question. The result of the enquiries made satisfied the Government that the natives, at least, were willing to sell, and they accordingly purchased. This district had not been successful in getting a Special Settlement Association granted

that the Woodville people were antagonistic to the proposed road, but he could not see how they would suffer in any way. He considered the Gorge road had at present as much traffic as it could possibly do with, and as much as desirable. Besides that, they were not to altogether study the Woodville people, they should benefit their own district first. All the Pahiatua settlers were anxious to have the road constructed as it would considerably shorten the travelling distance to Masterton. When completed, they would be able to leave Palmerston in the morning and arrive at Masterton the same evening. The land was held by the Government, and settlers would not take up sections unless they could see the advantage of doing so, by having a market to which they could take their stock and other product. The Manawatu Railway Company should also see the benefit to be derived by having this road made. Fifteen miles over the hill and you are alongside their lines. They should ask the company to join them in their application to Government, which action would doubtless strengthen their demands. He would read the resolution as follows :— Moved by Mr Snelson, seconded by Mr Sly— That in the opinion of this meeting it is deemed desirable that a road be constructed to connect Palmerston with Pahiatua, and that as this is essentially & colonial work the Government should be requested to place a sum sufficient on the Estimates to be brought before Harliament during the present session. Mr Sly in seconding the motion said he had been perplexed as to the arguments he should use at that meeting in pointing out the desirability of having this road constructed, but the remarks made by Mr Snelson entirely set his mind at rest on this score. He was quite satisfied that those present were satisfied that its construction was absolutely necessary for the advancement of the district. The local press had lately brought the matter prominently before the public. He was quite aware that when a question of this kind was first brought before the public, it was received with a certain amount of doubt, and was sneered at. It caused a feeling of opposition to rise in their midst, and it was not till they saw the advantages of it that they would become its supporters. „ When the road was made, then those who now objected to its construction, would be its warmest supporters. He was not a poetical man, by any means, but he could easily picture to himself a pleasing scene, when the rising generation would be settled on the land referred to, with their children growing up around them, and what now appeared to be a vast wilderness, would be turned into smiling homesteads, with all the enchanting appearance of thriving industry and cultivation. When he hadbeen requested to second the present resolution he had made it his business to see one of the settlers most, acquainted with the land in question, and he had informed him that the major portion of it was composed of excellent land. Now, if the Government would sell the land at £1 per acre, that would mean £100,000, and it was very hard if they would not set apart £25,000 for the road. He differed with the mover of the resolution regarding its construction. He considered that the road should be made at once — not a bridle track, to start with, simply because this would become in time impassable. They should push the matter before the House and get the road made immediately. It would take £5 an acre to bring the land into anything like cultivation, and that spent on 100,000 acres, was he thought a very nice thing to be spent in the districts. If put into a good state of cultivation it would mean the return of £60,000 per annum. Wool would be sold at from 6d to 9d and dairy produce, poultry, fruit, and other produce would add to the gross sum. It had been said that the members on the other side would not support the movement, but he differed from those who said so. He believed that whatever tended to advance this district, would also advance that on the other side and this would be seen by them. He would not detain them by making any further remarks but concluded by seconding the resolution with much pleasure. THE POST AND TELEGRAPH OFFICE. Moved by Mr McNeil, seconded by Mr Bell— That the inhabitants of Palmerston Borough and country districts adjoining most respectfully bring under the notice of the Government the necessity for the erection of a respectable building suitable for Post and Telegraph Office, the present building being anything but a credit to our progressive district. Mr McNeil moved this resolution and in doing so said the matter was not one of so much public importance as the others, but was one of the things badly needed. He had the previous day been to Woodville and they had there a post and telegraph office and postmaster's residence, the accommodation altogether being a credit to a larger town and far superior, to what they had in Palmerston. The space he might tell them allotted to the public for the receiving and delivering of telegrams and letters was 15 x 8, with an opening in the wall of 4 x 8. When the wind was southerly only one door was allowed open, and he had seen 20 to 80 people struggling to send telegrams or receive letters. There were only 40 boxes for which the department was paid £l each per annum. He considered they were very hardly dealt with. Strangers passing through the place had said they never saw such a miserable attempt at public building in all New Zealand. All the operators were in one room, there was nothing to prevent out siders hearing all that was going on. The Government also had taken away for railway purposes the site for a post office and had given, them nothing in return besides giving no reason or asking their permission. They had a great claim on the Government and a perfect right to ask for it. On arrival of trains, according to the regulations of the De partment, the porters or carriers were not allowed on the station platform, and by this means passengers to and from the station were obstructed. The apology for buildings was a disgrace to any New Zealand town of importance. Mr Bell seconded the resolution. He said that his experience of post office building was that the buildings they had here were not in keeping with the importance of the town. He had known places in the South Island, of three or four hundred population, which had as good a building. When the town would progress, as it undoubtedly would very soon by the various works to be carried on, the smallness of the accommodation and the whole appearance of the building would have the effect of inducing strangers to move on from here. He hoped sincerely that this resolution would receive the attention from the Government it desires. Before putting the motion, Mr Linton remarked that a statement made by Mr McNeil was incorrect, and he would like to contradict it. He referred to the land taken in the Square by the Railway Department, and might state that the Government had given in exchange for the land they took 100 acres in Bunnythorpe. Mr Snelson hoped that such a statement as that made by Mr Linton would not be allowed to go before the public, as it was totally untrue. The land at Bunnythorpe had been given for the College Reserves. Mr Ferguson, before putting the resolution, remarked that Mr. Bell had informed him that it was the enchanting appearance of the centre of the town that had brought him to settle in Palmerston. Well, he knew the propertyholders had done their best to improve their holdings, and he also knew that it was the Government who had not done what they might to make public buildings appear anything like in keeping with the progress of the town. The motion was then put, and carried unanimously. [We are obliged to hold over remainder of report till to-morrow,] The following resolu ns were also

Moved by Mr J. P. Leary. seconded by Mr Buick—That the residents of this district againurge the Government to provide a suitable railway station. The present building being far too small for our increasing traffic, and the passenger platform being so very inadequate, that during the daily crush of the public, accidents appear to be courted by the Railway Department. That the charges now collected at the Foxton wharf be put on a level with those, of other wharves in this island, so as to enable us to transact our business as cheaply, as our neighbors. That the Government be requested to appoint a resident of Palmerston Returning Officer for this electorate, in place of the one who now resides in Marton. Proposed by Mr A. H. Walker, seconded by Mr G. M. Snelson— That the Government be requested to amend the Road Board Act, in the matter of any road leading from one centre to another and passing through the jurisdiction of the separate Road Districts, as in the case of the road leading from Palmersten via Fitzherbert to the Manawatu Gorge joining the Napier Road, empowering one of either Boards to take over the control of the whole of such road. Moved by Mr Ferguson, seconded by Mr McNeil— That our member, Mr Macarthur, be requested to lay the resolutions now passed at this meeting before the Government, and use his best efforts to have effect given thereto, and that Messrs Smith, Beetham, and Wilson, Ms.H.R., be asked by letter to co-operate with him and otherwise give their assistance.