FITZROY AMENITIES

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 168, 25 October 1910, Page 8

FITZROY AMENITIES

THE GREATER NEW PLYMOUTH QUESTION. There was a full attendance of members of the Fitzroy Town Board present last night at the Fitzroy Town Hall, when a special meeting was held to consider the revision of the roll and the question of a "Greater New Plymouth.'' Mr. L. Steele (ehairmau) presided, the other members being: Messrs. W. Healy, \V. Cutlield, \\". Griffiths, F. Jackson and the clerk (Mr. C. F. Foote). On Mr. Cutlield moving that the Board go into committee, Mr. Healv entered an objection. He considered the meeting was of great public interest, and every ratepayer in the district wantea to know what was going on. If there was anv underhand work to be brought in, it was right that the public shoulo. know. The whole thing was being done I in an underhand way. I The Chairman (satirically): Oh! ! Mr. Healy, continuing, said that in-1 stead of everything being straight, thert\ was a flavor of hole-and-corner about their doings, and an opportunity for the man in the street to talk. He did not sec why the members of the press should not be allowed to report the proceedings. In this case they should let the public know there was nothing to be ashamed of. ''lf there is something," concluded the speaker, "let us go into committee."

The Chairman: The press never do come down; this is the first time foi many, many months they have attended our meeting. Mr. Cut field: There has not been anything before us of public interest. The Chairman: They haven't been present, and everything is going along just the same. Mr. Jackson said there was no earthly reason why the press should not be present. As 'they all knew, just at the present time a very important question had cropped up. As Mr. Healy said, surely there was nothing to be ashamed of. The chairman said Mr. Cutfield was in perfect order in moving his motion. The press did not trouble to come to their ordinary meetings. | Mr. Healy: There was no matter 01 public interest. I do not know what is underlying the matter. The Chairman: The press have always gone to the clerk for their information. Mr. Jackson then moved (what was a direct negative to the motion) that the Board do not go into committee. The amendment was accepted, and was seconded by Mr. Healy, who said he did not want to bring in the personal element, but he knew there would be a majority for the motion. The chairman would carry it. The meeting ought to be open to the press, and their discussion published in the papers. One of the Board (the chairman) was not a ratepayer, as his wife paid* the rates, on tlw property, amounting to 8s only. A house had been erected for two years, and still the rate was Bs. He wondered how many more cases there were of that kind. The Chairman: A 'good many. Have you only just discovered that? Mr. Healy: There is something wrong somewhere if that is the case. The Chairman: Why do you go for me? I am surprised that you, as a member of the Board do not know what is going on. You should have brought the matter up when the valuations were being made. | It was explained that some had not: been put on the roll for two years, as they had just missed being valued for the second vear.

"You are quite in the dark, Mr. Healy," said the chairman. "You have not been at all the meetings, or you would have heard the letter read from the Valuer-General." It had been the same for two years, and could not be helped unless, like the Borough Council, they had their own valuer. Mr. Healy said that as to the question of the roll, they had a clerk who was supposed to know something of the law, yet they said there was nothing wrong; they were liable to a fine of! £5 for not having a printed roll. The Chairman: You must speak to the motion. Mr. Healy: I am speaking to the reason why we should admit the press. The Clerk: Mr. Chairman, I would like to say a word. The Board did not go to the expense of having the roll printed, because there was 110 election. If there had been one, it would have to be printed. Mr. Healy: By whose sanction? The reply to this was not plain to our representative, but the clerk continued, excitedly: "I will not allow yoh nor any other member of the Board to be personal, and if you say very much more the whole koboosli can go in. 1 don't live by the Board; if I did it would be a d poor living!" Cries of "Chair! chair!"

The Chairman: "Order! order, please!" The Chairman, continuing: I do not know why I was singled out. My house, with others, was not finished in time to be put on the roll. Why do you go for me? Mr. Ilealy: Because you are the chairman of the Board. The Chairman: You come here with a cock-and-bull story; you say I pay Bs, whereas it is something like 16s Bd. It is no fault of mine if it is not rated high enough. If you had attended the meetings of the Board you would have known all about it. Farther conversational discussion followed, to which the chairman replied: There is nothing to hide; at any rate, ] you can write to the papers. We are all to blame in the matter —the whole Board. Mr. Jackson: I would like the Board not to carry the resolution. If you do, itt will make the public think you are hiding something. Let everybody know) what you have to say. I do not think Mr. Cut-field's reasons are sufficient. If the motion is not withdrawn I have something more to say. The whole thing looks bad. Why let the public think there is anything not right?

Mr. Outfield: We do not care what tlio public think. Mr. Jackson went on to say something about underhand business, when the chairman said, lirmlv: "It is time enough to talk about those things after the meeting is over, or, at any rate, when you hear of that sort of thing.'' The amendment was then put to the meeting, the voting being: —Ayes: Messrs. Hoalv and Jackson. Noes: Messrs. Cutlield, Griffiths and the chairman. Mr. Jackson asked that the division list be minuted. In subsequent discussion one member said he knew the resolution was coming, and another remarked that he knew the clique. The Chairman: Those gentlenwn at the end of the table (the press representatives) told me in town this morning about a lively meeting. That was the first I heard about it. The Board then went into committee, but did not resume. It is understood another meeting ot the Board will be necessary to report to tile open Board the motions arrived nf