UNKNOWN

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 152, 1 July 1904, Page 4

UNKNOWN

I ITS E. :IT ting of he Egmont i deout iion conC. McH 1 rdy and R. a peti ion in favhe Pari lakr. Road « the cotnly. The 0d by 193 rateng property valued ad they had taken tder tho impression for the benefit of i the fewer local the fewer officials to pay, and there money for expenditie petition had on lumiber of names acerging Act, who rean tiie required vajrpose. Ed that the prayer i granted, and that the Council take the necessary steps .to giv© effect to it.—Seconded by Cr. Shaw. ' Messrs F. M. Chapman, Dunn and Barker (of whom Mr Chapman was spokesman) fortaed a deputation, and presented a counter petition, and alsb'ft rpquest signed by 42, who hud signed the petition, to have their names taken off. Mr Chapman said they represented the ratepayers who objected to 1 (ing merged in the county. He should like to suggest that the merging should be postponed for one, two, three, or four years, until the Council was in a butter position to carry out the duties of both bodies. The counter petition represented a majority in value, as the valuation of ttie' h>ad district was about £300,000, and tho counter petition represented £165,592. Mr Chapman was informed that the valuation was £365,440, and -therefore the counter petition did not represent half the valuation. Mr; Chapman, continuing, said if the nam6S of objectors were removed, as requested, that then the petition in favour did not contain the neoeesary number of signatures nor the valuation required. Dunn asked the clerk if all the were in order, or were rateoutside the district allowed included ; if that were so the Parifcaka Road Board had a very PWr chance. All he asked for was fatt play, and to give fair play. If they were beaten, then they would • take their beating like men and assist the Council all they could. The County Clerk replied that the Parihaka Road district and the Rahotu riding were exactly the same, and all the names on the petition were ratepayers of the Rahotu riding. Cr. Burgess said it had been insinuated that the Egmont County Council was running it through, but this was not correct, as the Council bad not spent one minute of its time nor one penny of its funds on the matter. On the other band, the Road Board had taken the counterpetition in hand, and had paid the expenses in connection with it out' Of public funds, and employed its foreman to do the work, Mr Dunn replied that he was a member of the Board, and had paid J»is rates, and therein differed from Gome of those who went round with the petition in favour of merging. The Chairman said this was irrelevant, and had better be dropped. Cr. Stevenson wished to know on what grounds objection was taken to the merging. If a majority of the ratepayers wished to join the Council, why not let them. If there Was a majority against, of course the petition for it would not have been signed. On being counted it was found that there were 106 names on the counter petition. 1 The deputations then withdrew. Cr. Kothery moved an amendment, That the Chairmian, Cr. Mfexw'cll and the mover be a committee to examine the petitions in favour of merging to see that the names, valuations, etc., are all correct and in order. Cr. Fleming seconded tho amendment pro forma. ' Cr. Maxwell said he did not sec the use of the amendment as the clerk had certified to the correctness Of tho names, etc. Hie petition for wasvsignedt' bjy. 193 ratepayers out of a total roll of 358, and on the counter petitiota some had signed twice. Cr. Burgess said he was astonished, as most of the names were of tboße who had expressed themselves most Strongly in favour of merging. Cr. Rothery maintained it was the duty of the eouncil to satisfy themselves thaV everything was in order. Cr.. Fleming Bud most of the Settlers "at Pungarehu and Warea were in favour, of merging, and he thought the change would fie for the better. He looked on it as the lesser of two evils. The Chairman asked what would be the financial position of the road ] district at the time of merging. Cr. Rothery said it would be right in debt. Cr. Dudley said in that case it should be merged at once, and not give time to get rijjht into (kjbt ■ Cr. Rothery said at present there was a credit in general account, but there was a deficit on loan account of £674, and if that were put straight then the general account would be in debt. The amendment was then put and declared lost, and the motion to merge put and carried. Notice of motion was then given to pass a special order to give effect to the resolution.—Abridged from Opunake Times.