SEPARATION MEETING.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 74, 30 July 1873, Page 3

SEPARATION MEETING.

Major We sieve was voted to the chair and requested Mr. Steuart, as one of the Committee, to address the meeting on the subject of a Petition which had been prepared in pursuance of a resolution made to that effect at the annual meeting of Ratepayers on Monday, 21st July. Mr. Steuaet thereupon read the Petition which had been prepart d. Mr Gbeenb thought that sufficient time had not been given for the public to thoroughly ventilate this question and proposed “That, the District of Poverty Bay do remain as it was before being handed over to the Province of Auckland, that is to say that the General Government be requested to hand over- to us what we are entitled to for our own administra-tion.’’—-Seconded by Mr. Wyllie. Mr. Cvrr dissented from Mr. Greene’s proposed resolution and thought the Petition embodied all that Mr. Greene asked for, and in answer to a question by the Rev. Mr. Root, explained the working of the Timaru and Gladstone Boards of Works Act. Mr. Stzuart submitted an approximate estimate of the Receipts and Expenditure in the District during the the last three years : —

Db. £ To Cußtoms Revenue upon goods imimported into District £7,000, f of x which are returnable in year 187071 2,625 To Capitation allowance substituted for above f customs on 800 inhabitants at 15s per head for 1871-72 ... 600 To ditto ditto on 1,000 1872-73. ... 750 To town lands sold at Napier in 1868, £1,500; Gisborne, 1872-73, £2,500; Auckland, 1873, £600; since privately, £9OO. Total ... ... 5,500 To License Fees... ... ... ... 840 To Dog Tax, for 3 months nett ... 20 To Sheep dues do ... 70 £10,405 Ob. £ By prime cost of land sold for township and Buryey... ... 2,300 Bv grants from Provincial Government, * In 1871, £200; 1872, £250; 1873, £3OO 750 By Sheep Inspector's salary, 3 months 55 By subsidy to Ferries for 3 years ... 150 By balance down 7,150 1 £10,405 Estimate of ordinary available annual revenue derivable from the District of Poverty Bay : — .. £ Publicans’ Licenses ... 440 Auctioneers’, Wholesale, Bottle, Bush, Watermens’,and Slaughterhouse do. 60 Capitation allowance from General Government on 1,000 head of population ... ... ... ... ... 750 Rates leviable in the District 500 General Government Grant to supplement above 500 Dog Tax 50 From other available sources ... ... 150 £2,450

—The speaker then gave a detailed account of the probable expenditure necessary to the working of the machinery required to take the management of our own affairs, as prayed for in the Petition.

A good amount of personal discussion here took place as to the cost and mode of maintaining the form of local administration asked for, whereupon Mr. Wyllie proposed: ’** That 'the District remain as it is, a part and parcel of the Province of Auckland ” —which was not seconded. Mr. Reeves moved: “ That the meeting be adjourned for six months.” —Seconded by Mr. Parsons.

Major Westbup moved the following amendment : “ That the Petition as read be adopted.”— Seconded by Mr. Hall. On being put from the Chair the amendment was carried by the casting vote of the Chairman. Mr. Greene then pressed for his original motion being put, but after some discussion it was withdrawn. « A motion was put and earned: •“ That the Petition be engrossed and do lie at the Standard Office for signatures.” A vote of thanks to the Chairman concluded the business of the meeting.