WAIMEA WEST.

Colonist, Volume II, Issue 167, 27 May 1859, Page 2

WAIMEA WEST.

[Communicated.] A public steeting of the ratepayers was held, pursuant to'notice, at Mr. J. Palmer's, Waimea West, on Monday, 23rd instant. Mr. W. Moore being called to (he chair, opened the meeting by reading the advertisement calling meetings of the ratepayers in the various Waimea districts. , ■ , • . • . Mr. Simmonds then said, as he had been prevented from attending a meeting that evening, in Wairnca South, in consequence of a fresh in the Wai-iti River, and, moreover, as-their' representative, Mr. Redwood^ was absent, he was thereto

give them any explanation they might wish, Mr. Simmonds then explained ..to. the meeting the object for which they were called together.. He said that this was a question in which the whole of the Waimeas were interested. They must he aware that the Provincial Council had declared that the expenses of the trunk line of road should justly fall upon the provincial revenue. Now, a sum had'been placed upon the Estimates which wa3 not only, totally, inadequate for the purposes of putting the trunk line of road in a proper state of repair, but a most unjust proportion of public money, when considering the extent.of trunk line of road that the Waimea Road Board had under their management. ' They must likewise be aware that the Road Boards were bound first to attend to the tiunk line. If the monies,voted by the Provincial Council were not sufficient for this purpose, the deficiency would require to be made up out of the rates obtained by assessment of their property. He need not tell them how much they required the whole of the proceeds of this assessment upon the by-roads; nor did he consider that with the present state of the revenue, the monies so raised should be applied to any other purpose. But they must likewise be aware that the Road Board had not power to applyYunds to the repair of the by-roads while the trunk line .of road needed any repair.. They would, therefore, see the necessity of obtaining a just share of public money. After some considerable discussion, the following petition, was read and unanimously adopted :— To the Honorable the Provincial Council of the Province of Nelson. The humble memorial of the undersigned of the ratepa^yers of the Waimea Districts, sheweth— That the Waimea Districts include within their limits not less.than about forty miles of Provincial trunk.lines otrosid in'various states of forwardness and repair. . -Tha? your Uonorable Council has repeatedly declared that' the cost of making and maintaining such roads should jnstlv fall on the Provincial revenue, and that the insufficiency of this means would alone warrant' the resort to local taxation for that purpose. That-the Provincial revenue is now in such • a flourishing condition as to justify tbo belief that if devoted to objects strictly provincial, the various localities might be entirely or nearly relieved from direct taxation for general purposes. That notwithstanding the unprecedented revenue now at the disposal of the Council, the Wniinea districts find a sum pLiced on- the Estimates to be expended on the "trunk roads passing through them, not only very much less than your memorialists were warranted in anticipating, but actually less than has been spent in years when the revenue has not approached its present estimated amount. That from the scarcity and dearness of proper materials, the construction of these roads is of a very costly character, and the repair of the portions already constructed, from the extent of traffic along the line, involves a great and constantly recurring outlay. That your memorialists (representing a population. of about 3000 souls) who must contribute largely in various ways to the revenuo of the province, think the Waimea Road Board entitled to receive at least three times the amount they find placed on the Estimates for provincial trunk lines under their management. That unless your Honorable Council should be pleased to vote such a sum, the trunk roads in this district must deteriorate from day to' day, as the inhabitants would not voluntarily tax themselves to the required amount; and were they even willing to submit to a taxation so unjust; and: so greatly beyond that required in other parts of th'e'pf ovince, it would be utterly beyond their power, m the very depressed condition of the rural districts, to tear so great a burden. That your memorialists believe that they have strong and just reasons to complain of being called on to contribute thus largely, l>y means of local and direct taxation (having first indirectly contributed! so largely to the provincial revenue), to an object which your honorable Council has declared to be of general interest, especially while they find in otherinstances purely local objects, and those of a frivolous nature, or of secondary interest, charged on the provineialincomc. Your memorialists therefore pray that your honorable Council will be plensed to relieve, as far as possible, the various localities from taxation for keeping up the provincial trunk line pf roads, so as to enable each district to devoteSitsf funds and energies towards the numerous by-roads, the formation of which is so necessary to its welfare, and that you will be pleased to vote such a sum towards the formation and repair of that portion of the Great Provincial Trunk Line lying within the Waimea districts, as will enable theßoad Board to place and keep-it in efficient repair without . exacting from the owners and occupiers of land, an amount of taxation at once burdensome, unjust, and unnecessary. . . , And jour memorialists as in duty bound will "ever pray. The following resolution was then submitted t& the meeting:— Proposed by Mi". Bexl, and seconded by Mr. Nkwth, jut).—-"That this meeting tenders a vote of thanks to those members of the Provincial Council who stood out against the paltry sum placed upon the Estimates for the trunk line of roads in the Waimea districts." Carried unanimously. A vote of thanks was then given to the Chairman, after which the meeting broke up.