WAVERLEY.

Patea Mail, Volume IV, Issue 403, 26 February 1879, Page 2

WAVERLEY.

(From our own Correspondent.)’ A meeting was held hr. the Towii'Hall.on Saturday evening last, for the, purpose of considering the late action "“of the Patea County Council in the mattS?* of the _proposed Toll-gate at WaiiotarN'v‘-Mi' Bridge, as Chairman, opened the-i»pce,tiug with some rema ks, in which he stro'ngly condemned tlje action, of'•.the tGimncif. They had in the first instance .acted illegally with regard to the gravel question,,and had subsequently behaved in a ; most-‘childish manner. The Wanganui Council or anyone else surely had a right to get gravel where they liked, and the attempt to tax the same was most absurd. Shoiild the toll bo established, Waverley and its neghborhood would suffer considerably more than the Northern part of Che County, on account : of its business connection with Wanganui. Ratepayers in this -part of the district would have to pay their county rates and the toll tax as well whereas settlers north of Patea would not suffer by the toll. Mr Bridge also referred to the question of the proposed merging of the Road Boards, lie considered that the County Council had gone out of their province in raising the question. It was a matter in which the initiation should be taken by the ratepayers. . Mr W. Milne objected to Toll-gates altogether as a means' of getting revenue, and was of opinion’ that very shortly tolls would be abolished. He condemned the action of the Patea Council, and proposed the following resolution, in which he was seconded By Mr Flemming, “ That this meeting recommend the Patea County Council to reconsider their proposal to erect a toll-gate on the main* line of road at Waitotara.”—Carried nem con.

Mr Kcnah thought that the Patea Coimty Council had acted in the matter of the toll gate like a lot of school hoys. The action they had taken- \tfas most unreasonable and absurd, and seemed to have been done dimply for the purpose of annoying Wanganui. There was no. reason to suppose that Wanganui had any idea of making alterations in its (oil-gates. He would suggest that for the future the County agrees to elect a few children: of,' say, live years old to sit in their Council. Hu could not but think'that the northern members must have bad some reason that we are not privy to fer the action they l|ad taken. The only reason he had heard was the very poor one—that it was to spite Wanganui. In his opinion the road should be in the hands of the General Government, as the Coftnty was not able to support it. The Patea Council was behaving in a manner calculated to bring down the ridicule of the County on them, Mr' Kenah also touched on the subject of payment of members, being incited thereto by some questions from gr-ntlemen at the back of the hall. His opinion was that payment of members was advisable, but that the present rate, 30s per diem, was too much. Mr Winchcomb was strongly against tolls. It was understood that the toll-gate at Waitotara was not to he-erected unless it was forced on them by the Wanganui County. The impression of the Patea County was that it was the intention of Wanganui to remove their toll gate from St. John’s Hill to Waitotara. Ho could not account for the impression, but could only vouch for its existence. He believed however, that the Patea County Council had acted conscientiously. It appeared to be generally understood that the Council had been unanimous in the question of the toll. This was a mistake, the unanimity being in their requesting the Chairman to write to the Wanganui County Council to make amicable arrangements. Proposed tsy Mi- Kenah, seconded by Mr McDonald, and carried, “ That this meeting is of opinion that it would be injudicious and suicidal of the Hoad Boards to merge their identity in that of the County Council, as the latter body does not at present inspire them with sufficient confidence to do so.” Mr Kenah thought that if the County Council were submerged , it would be all the better.

Mr Winchcomb was iu favor of merging, as he thought there'was too much Governmeu taliogether. It was mbht unsatisfactory. The present state of affairs reminded him of the old da}’s when every man you met was a major—now instead, they were all wardens or Councillors.

Mr W. Milne believed in Road Boards, and would be sorry to see institutions that had been of such service to the country done away with, or merged in any other body; Proposed by Mi Kenah, seconded by Mr O. Hawes, and carried, “ That resolutions 1 and 2 be forwarded to the Patea County Council.”

The meeting closed with the usual vote of thanks to the Chairman.

At the R.M. Court, on Wednesday, three defaulters were summonsed by the rate collector, and in each case judgment was given for the plaintiff. It was, however, noticeable that in each case the Bench remarked that the case was a hard one, but that the law allowed them no option. Rather a poor consolation for the sufferers. One case appeared to me to be parliculary hard. Mr D. Wilkie was sued for fates on a property that he had never owned, nor had any interest in it at any time. To the uninitiated this appears scarcely fair The. annual Sunday-school picnic took place on the, 14th instant, in Mr Jaiues Dickie’s paddock. A largo number were ‘present, and the youngsters enjoyed themselves thoroughly. "Games of all sorts were carried on during the day, and the. good things provided by the ladies must ’have sent the children home in a most uncomfortable state of repletion;