THE Pukekohe and Waiuku Times PUBLISHED TUESDAYS AND FRIDAYS. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1913. WHAT THE MEETING TAUGHT.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 2, Issue 154, 16 December 1913, Page 2

THE Pukekohe and Waiuku Times PUBLISHED TUESDAYS AND FRIDAYS. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1913.

WHAT THE MEETING TAUGHT.

"We nothing extenuate, nor set down auaht in malice."

Last night a very representative meeting of ratepayers was held in the Oddfellows' hall to consider some important proposals by the Borough Council for the improvement of Pukekohe. These proposals dealt with the sanitation of the town, the policy of road-making, and the matter of the protection of life and property against fire. The meeting in act, though not always in word, was clearly against an up-to-date sanitary system (chiefly on the ground that a small area would be required to bear too heavy a burden); it preferred the out-of-date, insanitary, unpleasant pansystem. The meeting practically declared against a sound roadmaking method; preferring, the wasteful policy of patch. A motion appeared to be on the point of being carried to "let the Fire Brigade rip " and not incur any further expense in connection with this vitally useful body, when a strong plea caused the meeting to recommend that the matter be referred to the ratepayers at a poll. Many of the arguments used were sound, but in our opinion they were in the balance not sound enough to cause a brake to be put upon the policy of true progress which the Borough Council had adopted. To emphasise what we mean we shall take future opportunities of discussing the matter further. To-day we will merely consider the lesson of the meeting. As we have said, the meeting was fully representative, some sixty ratepayers and residents being present, and yet when the first amendment was put, referring the sanitary scheme back to the Council, only 10 voted at the first call; and when the question of adopting the pan system was submitted only 15 voted for it, 8 being against, and it was declared carried. We have repeatedly opposed the Council asking a lead from the ratepayers, and last night's meeting clearly showed that when asked for a lead the ratepayers are not prepared to give it. We again suggest that the proper course is for the Council to determine a loan policy which they propose to put to a poll of the ratepayers, and then to call a meeting together so that ratepayers may ask for such information as they require in order to enable them to vote intelligently upon the issues submitted when they come to the ballot box. The wisdom of this method is, as we see it, thelesson that the meeting taught. At the same time we believe that the meeting did good and that the ratepayers generally have now a better understanding of the municipal problems that are facing the Council than they had before.