THE BOROUGH PROPOSAL.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 279, 7 July 1888, Page 2

THE BOROUGH PROPOSAL.

A public (so-called) meeting, convened by Mr Jas. Munro, was held in the Public Hall, Waiorongomai, on last Monday evening. The meeting was to have commenced at 7.30, but did not commence till after 8 ; when on the motion of Mr Jas. Munro, seconded by Mr Bernard Montague, Mr Jas. Mills was voted to the chair. Exclusive of two reporters, (here were twelve peisons present, including some who came in when the proceedings were halfovcr, viz., Messrs Ja3. Wills, Jas. Munro, Bernard Montague, John Lloyd, .Folin McLeod, H. Baskiville, Jas. | Donovan, S. J. Smarden, Donald Munro, Ueo. Gapes, John MeSweeney, and — OummiDgs. The chairman after a few brief remarks invited Mr Jas. Alunro. as convenor, to address the meeting.

Mr Munro said : He regretted there wejPGgso few pressmfc ajid that the inhabitant^^of Wi^oJ|pjfeprna'?*apparently took' s&jffittle in|ells£miWl self. government. \r&efM believed they "had the amount of money, within' the proposed area, in order to constitute a Borough, and he would now propose the following resolution : That Te Arohaand Waiorongomai be formed into a Borough. The motion was seconded by Mr B. Montague, "who said : About two years ago ' it was carried unanimously at a public meeting that the step proposed be taken, and nothing had ever been done to the contrary. The Chairman said he would like to read a few figures to the meeting, as follows : The total receipts of the Piako County Council for the year ending, 31st March last was £4154 14s sd, made up as follows : Cash in hand (April Ist, 1887), £2 I4s lldj slaughter house licenses, £35 ; Te Aroha tramway, £497 3s ; dog registration, £27 11s j gold duty, £151 5s 9d ♦ publicans licenses, £117 7s Id ; goldfields revenue, £249 16s 3d ; separate rates, £271 12s 2d ; general rates, £1124 IGs 4d ; contractors deposits, £5 ; Te Aroha special loan, £1G75. If fiora this was deducted £1675, the amount of Te Aroha special loan, and £2 14 lid, balance in hand April Ist, it left as the actual revenue received by the county during the year, £2476 19s Gd, of this amount he had no hesitation in stating more than one half was derived from Te Aroha Riding; he arrived at that conclusion from the following estimate of the proportion contributed by To Aroha, which he consideied was a very fair one : Slaughter house license, £5 ; f ram way receipts, £497 3s ; dog registration, £7 ; publicans license, £25 ; gold duty, £151 5s 9d ; goldfields revenue, £249 I9s 3d ; general rates, £334 ; making a total of £1289 odd, nearly £100 more than half of the total revenue of the whole county, as derived from Te Aroha Riding. The way he arrived at his estimate of the rates was this. At one of the County meetings Cr Gould said they could never collect one half of the general rates levied on Te Aroha Riding ; he then enquired of Mr Tuck, the County Clerk if this was so, and Mr Tuck informed him there ivas only £11 of the old rate uncollected. Mr Mills next expatiated on the expenses in connection with the County Council form of government and said : The Council meetings avetaged about £9 or £108 per annum ; Mr Tucks salary, LISG ; travelling expenses, L 124 ; stationary, etc, L 26, making a total of L 419 14s Gd, for management. Now one half of that would be ample to run a Borough, so that by separating from the county they would have a revenue of LI2OO a year without levying any more rates than they had at present as lie had proved by the figures he had read to them. But as it was, not one halt of that (LI200) was spent in Te Aroha Riding ; and if they only asked for a drain, the Council told them they had no money. Mr Mills then went on to speak of how badly the Council had treated Te Aroha, e f c. Mr Gapes : The question now under discussion is a very grave one. 1 should like to ask the chairman if anything has been done in Te to show that the people there are dissatisfied with the Town Board form of government. The Chairman : Every person I have met in Te Aroha who signed the Town Board petition are now in favour of a Borough. Mr Gapes : I think we should only be laughed at if we go and throw away Waiorongomai on such a statement as that. This meeting is simply a farce ; as scarcely anybody knows anything about the meeting being held at all ; I didn't except by chance. We might find we were jumping out of the frying pan into the fire by doing as Mr Mills advises. I don't suppose to most of those present to-night, it would make a difference of more than a few shillings as ratepayers. The Chairman : I believe there has never been a meeting held at Te Aroha or Waiorongomai yet which has gone against a Borough, Mr Gapes to the Chairman : If a3 you say a revenue of about LI2OO would accrue to the Borough, can you tell us how much would accrue from the portions of the Riding not included in the Borough, such as Shaftesbury, Gordon Settlement, etc. The Chairman : I cannot answer that question. Mr Bernard Montague : There is no need to discuss this question any further at all, it was carried unanimously before. The Chairman : The only reason the Borough was not constituted on the last occasion when it was proposed was, because some people at Te Aroha had some axes to grind. Mr Smardon to the Chairman : Bo 1 understand you to state that they are dissatisfied with the form of Government they have got? The- Chairman : They are. Mr Smardon : Why did not Te Aroha joiu in for the Borough on the previous occasion ? The Chairman : Because a number of the people at Te Aroha had axes to grind ; but the people of Te Aroha now want a Borough, Mr Sm irdon : A large number of the people now residing at Waiorongomai are new comers since this question was last discussed, and it would be better to take a little time and have the question fully ventilated before taking action. This surely is not a representative meeting of the people of Waiorongomai. Mr Gapes : We are on the verge of prosperity or adversity, the question is one of vital importance to the whole

district, and should not be rushg^throngh in this manner. I wouldst that ' this meeting stand adjourned for six months, we shall then know better what, our prospects are likply to be. Mr Smardon : It certainly would not be right for the few of us here to assume to dictate for the residents of Waiorongomai. Mr Munro : Because with respect to this meeting a few of the eminent men of Waiorongomaihave not been consulted — are we to suppose then it must fall through ? Mr Smardon : I propose as an amendment to Mr Munros proposition, That this meeting stand adjourned. The amendment was seconded by Mr Gapes. ' On being put by the Chairman there voted for the amendment two (Messrs Smarden, and Gapes), against four (Messrs Munro, Montague, McLeod, and Lloyd). For the original motion four voted (Messrs Munro, Montague, McLeod, and Lloyd), against two (Messrs Smardon and Gapes), ' The Chairman therefore declared the original motion carried. The Chairman : We shall now want » Committee appointed to carry the matter through. Mr Montague proposed Mr Baskiville as a member of the committee, who declined to act. Mr Munro next proposed Mr Smardon, who declined to act. Mr Montague proposed Mr T, Donovan, who also declined to act. The following were then proposed, seconded, and declared duly elected to represent the people of Waiorongomai in this matter :—: — Messrs John Lloyd ; proposed by Mr Montague, seconded by Mr Munro ; Mr James Munro ; proposed by Mr Montague, seconded by Mr Donovan ;Mr Bernard Montague ; proposed by Mr Baskiville, seconded by Mr Lloyd. Mr Baskiville : I would like you to tell us Mr Chairman why — if as you say the ratepayers oE Te Aroha were nearly all in favour of a Borough on the last occasion this subject was before the public — it was not carried. The Chairman : The Te Aroha Town Board petition was carried by personation and forgery, and by names being on the petition that had no right to be there. The meeting then closed and the committee representing Waiorongomai at once met to transact business.