MEETING AT TE AROHA.

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

MEETING AT TE AROHA.

On Tuesday evening a meeting was held in the Te Aroha Public Hall. There were from forty to fifty prssent about half of whom took part in any voting during the evening. Mr Robert Mackie was voted to the chair ; and opened the proceedings by stating he was quite taken by suprise when asked to take the chair ; b'lt he would call upon Mr Jas. Mills, the convener, to address the meeting. Mr Mills said : They were all aware that for the last four years they had been striving to get some form of local self government. At thelast meeting held in that hall for this purpose, it was decided by seven to one not to have a Town Board. He was now tol«l by one of the Town Board members that four out of fire of the Board were in favour of a Borough. Mr Mills next read over the county balance sheet, and his estimate of the proportion which accrued from Te Aroha Riding (giving same figures ason the previous evening at Waiorongomai, and stating as then, that by forming a Borough they would start with a revenue of LI2OO a year, without levying any more rates than at present. But in addition he wished to state that he had that day received from Mr Tuck, the County Clerk, a letter in reply to some particulars he had asked him for, stating that £520 was still owing for tramway haulage, and this should be addod to the L1'289, revenue he had already shown them existed, so th.it their position was really a great deal better than he thought ifc was. [At this stage Mr Pat Dillon interposed and asked the speaker how he could state there was a revenue of LI2OO, including £497 from tramway, seeing that the tramway was leased for ten years at LIOO a year ? Mr Mills : I am quite aware the tramway is leased as you state.] Mr Mills : What ever way you look at ifc, we must be the gainers by forming a Borough. They heard a great deal about the tramway indebtedness but Mr Fitzgerald, the Auditor General, in the case of Ohinerauri when it was separated from Thames, ruled that the indebtedness must be apportioned in acGordance with the rateable value and population. We are about one sixth of the rateable value of the county. They would have to pay off their proportion of the converted debentures under the Roads and Bridges Constrnction Act, which amounted to LI4IB Iss. The L 2062 to be paid off with respect to the Te Aroha Special Loan for the Gordon Settlement road need not be taken into account, as an annual rate had already been levied to meet it, and there were twenty five years to pay it off. At the last meeting of the County Council they had asked for a few poundsto makeasmall drain at Waiorongomai, and it was refused. The sooner they got separated from the County the better ; and he therefore now proposed, That the necessary steps be taken to form Te Aroha and Waiorongomai into a Borough. Mr John Woods asked Mr Mills several times what amount was paid for slaughter houso licenses. Mr Mills at length said, " I refuse to answer you." Mr Mackie : Will any gentleman second Mr Mills' resolution ?

Mr Wools persisted impressing. h:3 question re slaughter house fees, whereupon Mr Mackie said that was not what they were there for, and he should not answer the question . Mr Mackie to Mr Guilding : Will yoti second Mr Mills resolution? Mr Guilding not doing so Mr A. H, Whitehouse seconded it. Mr Woods : This attempt to form a Borough is twelve months before its time, and those who vote for it will stand in their own light ; taxes will be much heavier, laws more stringent, and you will simply drive people out of the plnco, Mr P. Dillon ; I beg to propose as an amendment that this matter of forming a Borough stand adjourned for six months. The motion was seconded by Mr J. Woods, Mr Dillon : Is it proposed that the boundaries be fixed as on the last occasion when this matter was discussed, or is it proposed to include the Tui ? Mr Mills : I should move that the land across the river (included on the last occasion) be struck out, and that more of the Tui, and also Kuakaka be included, Upon the amendment being put to the meeting only two voted for it. The original motion was then put and catried by a large majority ; about twenty or twenty five taking part in the voting. Mr Mills next suggested that a committee be formed to carry this matter through. Mr Mills proposed that Mr Whitehouse be elected as a member of the committee, seconded by Mr Hotchin ; Mr Hotchin proposed Mr Mills, seconded by Mr Heathcote ; several others were also proposed and seconded. Mr Mills however, said he thought a committee of three would be best ; and Messrs Mills, Whitehouse, and Heathcote were duly elected as the committee to represent Te Aroha in tins matter. The meeting was then brought to a close, and the committee met immediately afterwards to tran.act business.