SP30IAL MEETING OP THE DOMAIN BOARD.

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 117, 29 August 1885, Page 6

SP3OIAL MEETING OP THE DOMAIN BOARD.

On Monday evening'last'a special meeting of*, fclie* Domain*- *BpaMf: was 'hsld Jm' tn*e Boai'd's office* The'following-mem-bers-were present:" M essrs Ge6." Wilson (chairman), C. Ahier (sec), T. Gavin,* and G. Lipsey. By reques^Messrs E. Peel and £;V. Jujties were also present. • : ?> , ' The Chairman, in opening the pro ceedings, stated tie had ■ convened ■ tlie meeting at the request of the secretary Mr AMer, in jconsequencej ~oV a- letter^ which had appeared in last week's Akoha News signed by MrE. Peel, and in which he -denied that 'he had directly or'indirectly withdrawn his application to tne Board for the right to the overflow from the Thermal Springs ; and which right had been granted l>y the Board at their last meeting to Mr liobson^ Mr Ahier ha ring informed the Board that Mr Peel had given him authority to withdraw his application* THe Chairman hating rpad^ the; letter referred to, asked Mr Peel " yfat'r that his- letter aftd signature 7n7 n He replied, * It was/ and sai'Mie had n«»ver anthorised anyon»,to withdraw l.iig application. The Chairman next asked Mr Gavin, as chairm&n ; of ;the previous meeting, to state what took place with reference to this matter. ' Mr Gavin replied as fallows : " When Mr Robson'4 application came before the meeting, Mi Lipsey asked Mr Ahier if Mr Peel had withdrawn his application. Mr Ahier replied * Yes.' I then said to Mr Ahier, \ Are you certain of that ?' and hey replied i He was pqsitiv.e jof it,' and stated that Mr Peel had requested him to withdraw it." Mr Ahier then made the following statement : On August Bth, the day of the Board's meeting, as 8 o'clock drew near I went up to the mineral raajmfactory, for the minute-book ; Messrs James and Peei- wore engaged at'" the tuiur manufacturing some of the , stock. As . I camo out of the .office I told James I was going to the Domain .Board. meet ing, and was just leaving , the factory, wheir Peel called me and asked me whether it was necessary that he should attend the meeting of the Board ? I asked him • Why?' He replied, * That application' of tnine is no longer of any use, and I have no time to go down and withdraw it, will you withdraw it. for me.' I replied ' Yes,' and at once left the factory. I . The. Chairman here asked Mr- Peel if that were a correct statement. j Mr Peel replied, "No. Tw> conver- [ sations are jumbled up together there.'* Mr Ahier, coittiuned • " I have heard from a number of people since that Peel ' denied having authorised me to withdraw his application, hat no; cqnversa- ! tion h is passed between us with reference to the matter since that which I have just related. 1 wish' to tell the Board James was preseht in the factory i and over'ieard t'le'convers ifciou " i Mr Peel then stated a* follows : " The conversation (hat. I ha 1 with Ahier with ! respect to iiiy interviewing the Domain Boar I, and that Ahier has referred to, took place when I made my application ( to the Board, a month previously. With respect to the conversation referred to by A I iie»* h9 taking plaep on August Bth About the time Ahfer states, he an-! James as tiiey were leaving the factory asked me if the application I had male to the Board were , granted, would I transfer any right I might get to them? I said I would transfer >my right to them, not knowing that Kobson had male an. application at the time/ Mr A. F. James stated : K On Aug. Bth a conversation- took place at 'the door of the mineral Water factory, and that conversation, as it has been related by Ahier, is correct. Tt was distinctly understood then that Peel gave authority to Ahier to withdraw his application, because at the time Ahier was going out . of the door to the meeting I said to him ! " Would it not be better to get Peel's authority to withdrew the application, and made the remrrk a,t the »Jme' it would be iwrt^Mo'havc written au horitf for doing so,- but; botlr* Ahier and Peel saitl a Verbal •• utliqrity was quite- suffi. cieni^Peel remarking at the time h«» di«l not wish to go down to. , the Board's meeting, being at work and not very clean. W,e both understood at the time Pee) was willing, his application sliou'd be withdrawn j, other remarks took pjace in between that I h'aye not memory to .mind jgistnow. .. Nothing w*sisaid with ,I'eapi'ot ,t,9 , tr»nsferring> Peels Tight,, fat .Vjiier an/l James, but it whs sin* ply mentioned that his application aiiould l»e withdrawn.',, . - . [. . ; ; Mr, Poql, in reply, to , this, said; ; / Ijle j.ad a moat distinct fecolje€tion f of. .wKat irok place, uud, stated most otpyi aticalfy that.no mention >vhateyer,wiiB-jun^ as lt» his witlitirawin'g, boi,'sini^ty .yr'oultjLh^

(l%fer Ilis right to Ahier and $wws' He had no Men whatever that ,iijjM(i^R intended another flame -should be sq^ajityifgd for his; The conversation \vas only a few wor Is, and there 1 Was no need for anyone to forget it. Mr Ahier asked that Mr Gavin would relate a conversation that took place between himself and Peel. Mr 3avin said \ "On Saturday night August 15th, I was in Wliitaker street, Te ArohftjL wHen" Peel carife tip andaske'd if he could' have a fe\t \ words" lwfih vac» I said • Yes/ and stepp&T aside with him. He asked irie lif^ was" frtieT^rhot the paper stated, viz., T That the flow had been granted to f Mr Robson/ '■ Ycsjtlwas <Jnite£' true/ | He then itotfed me f VV hat abonfc' mf application V.I replied. 'lt was withdrawn.' I believe he then ''said, *■ By whom,' to which 1 replied ' By Charlie Ahier.' He. then asked me ' Was the withdrawal iti writing/ , I replied * No/ I ihfh said to him "Ami to understand that you" ilid not withdraw .your application/ to which I Believe he replied. * The'- Board had^nojnij in! w/iting; j was mentioned.' I \esi flsfifed him 'Had he pot given \hier authority to withdraw it/ to'wtficll he repl ed;- * They had worked a point' on him/ thinkiug he by that fefeiYed to the Board,- I asked him * Who had worked a .point On him.' He replied* Charlie Allies had/ and he wquM "go" for him/ I'hat Was all that took place/.* ... Mr Gavin s»ii he inferred from the foregoing that a' cdri^er^alipti had taken place l^tween Peel and Ahier, and , that Ahier had worked. n .point, 'but ftimt he (Peel) had got the best of it through the Board not having it in writing. The Chairman asked Mr Peel i if he recollpc£eti 'the.cqnverjation" 'as.* related by Mr (iavin, towhlchMr 1 Peel replied what he said to GaviH Was " Don f t yod thinn \i ott^ht to fi*ve,been in; s writing," ginng him to understand if he had wished his application. wHhdrawii he wi|Uld natural ly as a business man have wftlidfa^h it in writing. At this stage of the proceedings Mr ~Av F. James asked Peel'if he had not acj knowledged to Gavin tliathtf had with drawn his application, but .had done so in a weak mojnejit. To.tbis both Messrs ! Gavin and .Peel replied that nothing of the kind had been sai<s*> - -, *:>: > With reference to J»is having promised to transfer his light to Abier^and James, Peel .said nothing, was said a* : to, his re* ceiving any monetary consideration^ that since he had applied for the rignt^ bis business had been bought by others, and; the right could 1 b« of no use to him after he would, leave the district. Mr Ahier, in reply to the Chairman, said no reference was made with respect to transferring the right. i Mr Peel stated he disbelieved; the re* port that the right -bad been grantcJ to Mr Robson until he saw it so stated in the jmper. Mi* Peel stated that Ahier had for a longtime .back urged him to obtain the right to the, overflow. Thfo % evidence being concluded 1 , £>y~-re-~ quest, all left the room whilst v M«ssfS .Wilson,. Gavin, and Lipsey, considered ; the matter. * ; I ■ The Following was their decision: " Tha Board, after hearing the statements made by Messrs Peel, Ahier, an 4' James, are of opinion that as by Mr F^elfs statement he promised to transfer his application to Messrs Ahier and James, and had nothing to gain even if the. application was 'granted ; and- the balance of evidence beim? in favour of Mr Ah er'H Statement, supported ' by . Mr , James f there is no doubt bnat 'authority was given by Mr Pciel'to Mr Ahier, to with* draw his application. Signed. „ Geo. Wilson, Chairman, T Gavik, G. LipsUy/ 1