HAWERA.

Patea Mail, Volume II, Issue 175, 13 December 1876, Page 2

HAWERA.

(prom our own correspondent.) In accordance with the notice published by Mr Carrington in your issue of the 9th inst., referring to the illegality of a meeting of ratepayers which was held at Ketenu.rae on the 28th November last, and by which notice a fresh meeting was convened for Monday last, the lith inst., the■ ratepayers. turned up in goodly numbers, and-after’ a short preamble devoted themselves to the main objects of the meeting, which bad reference to the appointment of seven Commissioners to sit on the 24th (Hawera) District Road Board. Mr T. Middlcmas was unanimously elected to the office of Chairman on this occasion. It is with regret that I have to record that the ultra-platitudinarian remarks of one gentleman (whose name I refrain from mentioning) ended in his forcible removal from the scene of the meeting dining the early part of the proceedings, and it is to be hoped that in future he will take a less active partin raising innumerable objections to the mode in which the chairman and others exercised their functions. After reading the main clauses of the Act, the Chairman proceeded to inform the electors that tiie first real business of the mooting would be to strike a rate, and that the minimum rate under the Act was 2d per acre. It was then proposed and seconded, that 2d per acre should be the amount of rate to be levied, but an amendment was subsequently made in which 3d per acre was substituted. However, on putting it to the vote, the rate of 2d per acre was carried by a large majority. The appointment of seven Commissioners then came on. The following gentlemen were proposed and seconded : Messrs Brett, Casey, Finlayson, C. E. Gibson, Goodson. Henderson, Livingstone, McLean, Thompson, A. Winks, (sen.) J. Winks, (jun.) and Wilson. A poll was then hold, and the following gentlemen were the successful candidates ; Names. Votes. Mr Jas. Livingstone ... ... 12(5 ~ A. Winks, sen. 117 „-J. Goodson ... ... ... 100 „ G. McLean ... 101 „ W. Henderson ... ... 98 „ W. Thompson ... ... 91 „ J, Winks, jun, ... ... 89 These gentlemen were then declared duly elected. Messrs Davidson and T. Middlemas were unanimously elected as auditors to the Board. The meeting terminated with a hearty vote of thanks to the chair.

After this meeting was concluded, a public meeting was held, having for its object two purposes, namely, the erection of a Court House, Lock-up, and all necessa.iy appurtenances ; and also the advisability of raising funds for tiie support of a resident member of the medical profession in the Hawera District.

Mr Davidson, in a few able remarks, pointed out that at a former meeting, held at the same place, resolutions had been passed praying the Gcneml Government to set aside a certain sum for expenditure on the erection of a loek-np, &c.‘, in Hawera. He went on to say that not only had no answer been vouchsafed to tlioir prayer, but moreover a sum of £IOO had been placed on the estimates for expenditure at Opunakc, a place where no such sum was at present wanted. He further stated that this grant of £IOO was most probably meant for distribution in Hawera, and that through some technical error the name of Opunake might probably have been transposed for that of Hawera. He advocated further agitation in the matter.

It was further mooted that a resident Clerk to the Bench would be a desirable attainment, and subsequently it was decided to petition the Town Board, with a view to that body interesting itself in the matter.

The subject of a resident medical practitioner for these parts then came under discussion ; and I need only refer your readers to an advertisement in another column, by which they will observe that the matter met with the hearty support of all the residents present. I may state it as a foregone conclusion, that I believe before many months are over we will have one of those gentlemen in our midst. I am glad to be able to note that the elections for the three members to represent the Hawera Biding in the Council of the Patoa County, will not come off without a great degree of interest hero. There are six candidates who have expressed their ■willingness—although in every instance it has been pressed upon them—to come forward and enter into the contest. So that we expect to have a most interesting, and I trust instructive, nomination day on Friday next. I refrain from giving their names at present, as I do not wish to anticipate the proceedings which are to take place on the day above named.