SPECIAL MEETING OF THE TOWN BOARD.

Patea Mail, Volume I, Issue 53, 13 October 1875, Page 3

SPECIAL MEETING OF THE TOWN BOARD.

«> A special meeting of the Town Board was held on Monday evening last, when the Chairman, Messrs Williams, Taplin, Milroy, Rhodes, and Southin' were present. 'The only business was the consideration as to which Bank the Board should bank with. At the last meeting it had been resolved that. Mr Soutliby should wait on the agent of the Bank of New South Wales, and that Mr Taplin should be accredited to the Bank of New Zealand to enquire the terms which these would grant the Board on getting the account. A letter was handed in from the Bank of New South Wales, but none from the Bank of Now Zealand. Air Taplin, who had seen the representative of the latter, said that all lie could state was that the Bank of New Zealand most respectfully declined to tender for (he account. Mr Soutliby produced a letter from the Bank of New South Wales, remarking that out of ordinary courtesy the Bank of New Zealand might have, scut a written communication instead of a mere verbal message. The letter was then read, and ran as follows ;—- To the Chairman and Members of the Town Board. Gentlemen.—At the request of Mr James Soutliby, whom your Board deputed to wait upon rue in reference to its banking account, I have the honor to state, that in the in terests of the ratepayers, and with a view to the improvement of the town. I shall be prepared to deal liberally with the Board in the event of its deciding to bank with me. hut while in ignorance of its requirements, and without any knowledge as to the value of the account, I could not in the meantime pledge myself to make any concessions in its favour.

I am. Gentlemen. Your very obedient Servant, It. C. TENNENT. Manager. Some discussion took place as to whether the above letter could be considered as a tender. All admitted that it could not be so construed, hut a general seeling - "seemed to exist that the Bank of .New Zealand had been deficient in courtesy in not fending a written reply. Mr Taplin explained that this was probably his fault, as after hearmg the resolution of that Bank he had not asked for any written answer to his application. There was some talk about “ outside coercion” being brought to bear on the Board in this matter, at which remarks Mr Southby expressed surprise, as he supposed every one in that body exorcised his own judgment in anything that was brought before them. A resolution had been previously come to at the last meeting that, if the terms of the two were equal, the Bank of New Zealand was to have the account. The question put by the Chairman to the meeting was whether the Board considered the two on a par. Messrs Taplin, Rhodes, and Milroy voted that they were; Messrs Southby and Williams that they were not. The result of the vote was that the account should bo kept at the Bank of New Zealand. It was then agreed that tho agent of the Provincial Govornmcnt should be requested to pay £IOO, now in bis hands, for the use of the Board, into the chosen Bank. It was further arranged that cheques should be signed by any two members of the Board, and counter-signed by the Chairman. This concluded the business, and the meeting then adjourned.