RATEPAYERS’ MEETING.
The adjourn efi meeting of ratepayers, held , last evening to discuss the frontage versus the • value system of rating, was very thinly attended; this latter phase in the proceedings forming a prominent topic in the discussion, of the evening. ' Mr. "Worth Occupied the chair, and having stated the position in which matters stood, Mr. Bams, the mover of the frontage resolutions,* at once took exception to the "U'V'uOU expressed by an evening paper upon * the; action of the association, and quoted De Tcrcqueville to show that great undertakings invariably bad small beginnings, and that “the town meeting was to the general welfare wHzvt primary schools arc to science. IVXr. Bums was, however, quite willing to defer to the opinions of other people, and if the meeting felt that it was undesirable to proceed with the discussion, he was quite willing, either to withdraw the resolutions, or to allow the discussion upon them to be adjourned sine die. Mr. Urwiu had no desire to discountenance discussion which would in any way exercise a beneficial influence, but at the same time he could not refrain from expressing the opinion that the adjournment of discussions from week to week was likely to destroy the usefulness of the association. As a first result, he might allude to the fact that, since this debate had been been before the society, it had been impossible toilet together anything like a respectable attendance in point of numbers. Whatever business there was to do should be brought within the scope of the ordinary monthly meeting, else members would become wearied of the whole thing, and refuse to attend at all. The chairman did not regard a sparse attendance of members as an indication that the interest iu the association was dying out. There was no getting over the fact that the ratepayers of the city of Wellington were the most cold-hearted and lifeless body he had ever been associated with. In other places where he had taken a part in movements of the kind, he had always found them taken up with something like a wholesome zeal, and considering that by doing so the ratepayers were doing nothing more than displaying a proper interest in their own affairs, it was not surprising that it should be so. The apparent apathy of the ratepayers of Wellington w’as, however, ex-, plained by the statements made to him by many persons, who had expressed themselves as having entire confidence In the committee, and their willingness to support them in any action they might take. Mr. Toomath, who next addressed the meeting, dwelt strongly upon the necessity of preparing suggestions to be submitted to the Provincial Council in reference to the Education Act, which he thought should be consigned to the fire together with all the amending Acts passed since 1870. Mr Toomath then gave some important and interesting information in reference to the collection and expenditure of rates, and made suggestions as to the way in which the assessment should be made. It was resolved that the motion and amendment of Messrs. Burns and Worth, with reference to the frontage rate, should stand over until the next monthly meeting, to be held on the first Friday in May. Mr. Helyer gave notice that, at the next meeting, he would move the following resolutions with regard to the Waterworks Act :—1- That the first paragraph under clause 15 be struck out. 2. That in the second paragraph, under the same clause, the rate shall be altered from £7 to £5 per cent, per annum, Mr. Burns suggested that steps be taken to arrange for a committee of the Council to hear appeals, instead of compelling ratepayers to go to the Resident Magistrate’s Court.
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZTIM18750417.2.14
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New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4392, 17 April 1875, Page 3
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623RATEPAYERS’ MEETING. New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4392, 17 April 1875, Page 3
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