MEETING AT WAIORONGOMAI RE PIAKO COUNTY COUNCIL, Etc.

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 88, 7 February 1885, Page 7

MEETING AT WAIORONGOMAI RE PIAKO COUNTY COUNCIL, Etc.

A public meeting was hold in the Waiorongomai Public Hail on Saturday evening last to discuss the action taken l»y the Piako County Council at their last meeting re levying a general county rate, and other business of local importance. The meeting was convened by order of the committee appointed on L'9th of November last. There was a large attendance, and much interest was evinced in the proceedi "gs. A number of Te Aroha residents were present, it j beiu.ir the expressed desire that the meeting should be a representative one of tiie whole district. On the motion of Mr Munro, seconded by >ir Montague, Mr John Gibbons was voted to t!ic chair, aud opened the meeting by reading the ad>eitiseiiient convening same in the j Aijoha Nkw>, aud stating it vas the privilege of Bntiss ; su.'ject* to ,iir their "■nev.mces if t r.y ha i ut itters to compUin of. It any present were opposed to i..c views t.iueu i»\ the conveners of the me-tiug respecting any matters that might be broils .t up, tney would have every opportunity :.ff irded them of ventilating their i leas, etc. Resolution No. 1. Moved by Mr Jus. Mills, was as follows : " Thsit the tlianks of t.iis meeting be accorded to tnose w.ubers of the Piako County Council Wiio voted in favour of stii.ung a rate (but were defeated by the casting vote oi* the chairman), viz. : Messrs Cliepmell, Gould, Smith, and Murphy ; and that a copy of this resolution be sen* by the secretary of this meeting to each of the said gentlemen ."' Mr Mills said there was no necessity for any remarks with regard to the resolution. They had all suffered enough to make them feel grateful to those gentlemen whose names had been mentioned. Tne best thanks o\ t.»e community are due to the four gentlemen leferred to. and wo ought all to strengthen their hands in every possible ■way. The resolution having been seconded by Mr C. F. Brown, it was put to the meeting and car *ied almost unauimously, only three voting against it. Resolution No. 2. Moved by Mr Montague : That this meeting urgently r.ijuest the Piako County Council to use ovury effort to a^si>t capital in constructing roads for the conveyance of machinery, and in developing the resources of the j. old field." T le motion having been seconded by ]\lr O'Kecffe, was put, and carried unanimously. Resolution No. 3 Moved by Mr Munro : •* Th.it this meeting strongly advise that tue continuation of the May Queen grade to connect with the new battery (now in course of erection; should be proceeded with at once, as this will not only benefit the goldnVld in general, but will prove a source of in crear-eil revenue to the County Council.' In moving tne resolution Mr M.nnro said it was a notorious fact, as each one present at tl at meeting knew, that the gentleman now in possession «.f a considerable portion of the ijeld, was in possess on also of privileges n< w denied to all others. Advantage had been taken of their |M)sit : .on to obtain those privileges, and the principle was new to all intents an 1 purposes laid down, that ejerylwdy must go that source only. Mr Montague seconded the resolution, and stated that hundreds of people in the district were very anxiously awaiting the completion of the new Imtteiy. It was too well known by this time tlrat t.ie present battery meant starvation to tie district. One or two others expressed an opinion that as the work was beiug gone on with at present, il would be as well to omit the resolution, hni. it wan stated t ai it was only th • f-aie tiuiti ol the tramway men taat wa&

being thus utilise i, and it was most desirable the work should be carried out more jystemittically. The resolution was declare! carried. Resolution No. Moved by Mr O'Keeffe : " That at the next meeting of the County Council Mr Murphy, member for this district, be requested *o ask the council the following questions : * W.-is the trestle-work connecting the county tramway with the existing; aitery pail tor by the county? ll so, then the amount should be refunded by the Battery Co., as sai'J tre.«tle work is tieurly all 01. private property ? 2. D'i<\ the council authorise the construction of the branch tramway to the Euieka hopper, and if so, at what cost ? 3 Wsiat freight was paid by the Battery Company for conveying the material they required for the erection of a wire tramway, to connect with the main county tramway?' " • It was stated i>y some present that the Battery Company erected the connection as conti'uctois, and got 3000 shares for doing so. The motion having t>een seconded by Mr Cuff was carrie< 1 uu tuimously. Resolution No. 5. Moved by Mr Peel: ' That, this meeting, depkring; the suicidal policy pursued l»y the county council in refusing to strike a rate, which would have the effect of reducing the amount cl interest at present being paid to the bank by one-third, would take into serious consi leration the desirability of forming Te Aroiia, Quaitzville, and Waiorongomui into a borongn." Htjeoutleii by Mr Cuff and carried, only one (Mr Smardon; voting against. Resolution No. 6. Moved by Mr Peel : " That this meeting stand adjourned till Saturday jf Ist February, to be then held in Te Aroha Public Hall." Seconded and carried. The meeting was brought to a close by a vote of thanks to tue Chairman. It was intentionally arranged that the adjourned meeting should not take place unt 1 after the next sitting of the county council, which will probably prove of much interest to this district.