SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1889.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 410, 12 October 1889, Page 2

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1889.

As we anticipated, the petition forwarded to "Wellington some little time back, praying that Te Aroha and Waiorongomai, including the goldrield, bo constituted a Borough, has faileii. Apparently the advisability or non-advisability of granting the petition was not even considered, as the ratable value of the area proposed to be incorporated a Borough i? stated (in the letter from the Colonial Secretary's Office puMishod in our issue 01 Saturday la^t) not to roach even the minimum (£250) required for the constitution of a Borough. The amount of t!m deficiency is about £60. We referred to this fact on August 81st in our leading article dealing with the proposed Bnrousrh question : when w« stated the ratable yakv 1 of the whoK* To Aroha Ridine;, aceorling to th< latest Propei ty Tax valuation, which i* the valuation «nade use of by Piab> County Council, was only about £,'2BO ; so that the proposed Borough area \vo»M be under £200. Of course if a different valuation basis were accepted by Government for different portions of the proposed Borough, i.e., Town Board basis (annual value, under 1876 Uatvng Act), for the Te Aruha Town District portion, and County Council bnsis (capital value, under 1882 Hating Act}, for the remaining poition, possibly the minimum amount would be ftound to exist, but it wa9 nt't at all likoly, or reasonable to expect, that Government would approve- of such nn extraordinary course being adopted, as the accepting of different valuations for certain portions of so small an area, simply te gratify the petitioners. But even if Government had agreed to such n coiMse the fate of the Borough was still effectually sealed ; as a petition wag lecently forwarded to Wellington, signed by over eighty residents of the Waio longomai side of the district, praying that all that portion of the ares included in tbe proposed Borough, from Stoney Creek (the present southern boundary of Te Aioha Town District) southwards be not included in the event of a Borough being constituted, and setting forth severnl very cogent reasons why the constitution of a Borough, as proposed, would be a great mistake and detrimental to the best interests «>f the district. Accompanying the petition was a most elaborate plan, on which were clearly delineated the townships of Te Aroha and Waiorongomai, the various streets, creeks, a"ricultura] holding?, gold fields tracks, main and by-roads, and all the various mines at Te Aroha, Tui Creek, and Waiorongomaij This petition opposing the Borough, signed as it was by over eighty Waiorongomai residents, as against forty -seven Waiorongomai residents (mcluding several signatures of both men and their wives living in the same house — to help make up the required number] most effectually shows how little reliance can be placed on the statements and ntferances of some of the prime movers iin the Borough business, who, indifferent as to the means, provided their ends were 1 attained, represented in the most, emphatic manner possible that Waioro.ugomai was in favour o-f a Borough by a large majority ; that at the last public .meeting held at Waiorongomni anenfc this question a large majority of those pre.^ntueclared in favour of a Borough ; that they had obtained the signatures of a large majority of the Waiorongomai resident householders to their petition, We purpose publishing both petitions, with signatures /or nn«l against, for public information. A3 n matter of fact we do know that a number who signed tho petition praying that a Borough be constituted, seeing how foolishly they had acted in so doing, tried hard to be allowed to sign the counter petition, but, of course had to be refused ; as to allow them to s > do would have been contrary to the provisions of the Municipal Corporations Act. We are glad the district is still free from the burden and taxation that would inevitably be inflicted upon it were a Boiough constituted under existing circumstanced. tSucii a movement is altogether premature for Te Aroha until

it has increased in population, rateable value, ami importance «*p«eraUy, far hrynnd what, it has yft attained tf>. Many pi the' most important and valuable portions of the Municipal Corporations Act, are incorporated with the Town Districts Act, and ;f; f the Town Board only do their duty as the lo<\il governing body, they have full pnvreis as a Town Board to do all things requisite and necessary at present for the improvement of Te Aroha. In any case the Borough agitators may rest assured, even were Te Aroha constituted a Borough, the Borough Council will not be handed over the control, revenue, or maintenance of the goldfield.

The monthly meeting of Te Aroha Town Board will be hold this evening. The ordinary monthly meeting of Piako County Council will Ik> held at Cambridge ; to-day. There will be- a sitting of the Resident .Magistrate's Court at Paeroa ou Monday next, and of the Warden's and Resident Magistrate's Court at To Arohaon fuosday. \ Mails for the United Kingdom, etc., via Rio de J.inerio 'md Plymouth (per Tonic from Wellington, 17th), will dos*? ( at the Post-office, Te Aroh.*, on Monday the 14th iiibt, at b.bo a.m. ; At th© Vuikato Hospital Board meetmg yostoidiiy, a letter was toad fioni l)r Konoy. lequesting to be nllowwl to withdraw his resignation as medical superintendent. Permission to do so w*s gianti-d. The Secretary's- salary was raised irom £100 to £125. The; poll of r.itepavers in Patetore Biding, taken at Oxfor.l yesterday, re proposal to borrow £1000 to construct a road to Okoroire hot springs, resulted in the proposal being ivj -cted, the required t'nee fifths of the voteis in favour not being obtained. Mr Pc tton, Manage of the Broken Hill Propretoiy Company's mine, left again for Auckland by ye-teiday morning's train, but purposes returning to Te Aroha, n^xt week, wh<-n he will more fully inspect the Te Arolia S, and Q. M. Company's .nines, and the field generally, with a view to reporting there- m. Mr J. MeVea^h, solicitor, from Cambridge, who some months ago .started business 0 at Te Aroha, left by train yehteiclay morninsr, special inducements having been held out to him to return to Crtiubridgo. Whilst at Te Aroha Mr MuVeadi made many fiiend^, and received liia f ulV .shun of solicitor's woik .lone. As will be seen by advertisement the Agent f<>r tho sale of a new and valuable work entitled •' Crown Jewels, or (Joins oi Literatim-, Art, and Music," is nnwntTi Aroha t iking order*. We h.ivo seen u copy of the book referred to, which is an attractive oup, x*A\ pnnted, elegantly bound, and embellished with a number of first-class steel en»ravingH ; and in addition to the various choice selections, contains no less than sixty-two popular song-, (set to music), etc. The return football match, Flax Employees v. Te Aroha, will be played this afternoon on the race-course ground (Ruakaka). The following arc tln j names of the respective teams :— Te Aro/ia ; \V . A. Biggs (Captain), T. Biggf, J. Lo'ncb Gus. Comes, A. Cornen, H. Hyde, W. Lawrence, P. Brady, J. Maingay, P Johnson, W. Maingay, W. Smith, R Jefferys, T. Hill, W. Gavin. Flax Employees ; J Power (Captain), T. Jone^ G. Kelly, C.Griffiths, C. Ryan, M. Keesing G. Walsh, E. Roberta, B. Hill, J. Modhurst C. Keiby, T. Fernandoz, M. O'Connor, S. KobertM, ll.Kerby. The ordinary montlily meeting of Te Aroha Public School Committee was helc on Monday evening last The return foi September showed IG3 on the roll, average attendance 121.6. A communication wet lead from the Board of Education stating the Board had voted a sum of! £6 Gs towards cost of repairing damage done by storms to the school fences, etc, The head teacher (Mr W. 11. P. Marsdon) wrote forwarding £12 in aid of the fund foi repainting the school buildings, etc., and stating a small sum still remained uncollected which would be paid over as soon as it had been received. Votes of thanks were passed to Mr and Mis Varsdon, Miss Hould, Miss Mulgnn, and Mr Simmons, and to all otbers who rendered such valuable assistance in connection with the recen< entertainment in aid of the school painting funds. Mr E. Cameron, so well-known throughout the Hauraki goldfield, as a most indefatigable, expei ienceil,and spirited prospector and iT)ineinaimger,has decided to take atrip to the Australian goldfiolda. Mr Cameron has principally resided at To Aroha since the early days of this goldfield, He was mine manager of the New Find, Werahiko, Waitoki, etc., mines, at Waiorongomai. For ,the past two or three years he has be&n wonting for himself, in connection with his claim at the Tui adjoining the- Champion Lode, and known as the tho Ma> Bell, Upon thi9 claim Mr Cameron has laid out a large sum of money, but he lias now applied for protection for a time, and none on the field better deserve- that such should be granted. Without flattering we can say Mr Cameron is known as a man whose expressed opinion on any mining matters could be thoroughly relied on as truthful and honest, We wish him lon voyage.