EGMONT COUNTY MATTERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 July 1921, Page 5

EGMONT COUNTY MATTERS.

RAHOTU RIDING REJECTS TOLLGATES. ADDITIONAL REPRESENTATION REQUIRED. That the proposals of the Egmont County Council to erect a toll-gate in the Rahotu riding has aroused considerable interest among ratepayers was evidenced at Pungarehu on Monday night, when about 70 ratepayers attended a meeting convened to discuss various county matters. Mr. M. Fleming, a former chairman of the council, was voted to the chair, and there were also present: Crs. S. Campbell (chairman). W. R. Wright, W. C. Green, A. F. Chapman, M. O’Brien, R. Ferguson, and J. S. Tosland. Eaph of the councillors addressed the meeting, which was a very protracted one, lasting until 11.30 p.m-' A resolution, proposed by Mr. W. I Lawn and seconded by Mr. W. C. Cald-1 well, ‘That, the meeting is opposed to toll-gates,” was unanimously carried. The proposed Opunake hospital was; touched on, and the meeting generally approved of the proposal to erect a small hospital in Opunake, though no resolution was adopted, a resolution opposing the erection of a large hospital in Opunake being withdrawn. The question of merging was altfo touched on, and a resolution in favor of merging with the Taranaki County was withdrawn pending further information. Various other matters of county administration were touched, including rates and representation, and a resolution, proposed by Mr Gibson and seconded by Mr. Butler, was carried, to the effect that the meeting requests the council to arrange for a redistribution of rates, bringing representation more in line with valuation.

During the evening the apparent lack of sympathy between the representatives of northern and southern portions of the county was also the subject of comment. COUNCILLOR WRIGHT RESIGNS. RESIGNATION ACCEPTED. At yesterday’s meeting of the Egmont County Council, Cr. W. R. Wright resigned his seat as a representative of the Rahotu riding on the council. In doing so he said that a good deal had. been heard about the overdraft but he had yet to meet the man who objected to the money that had been spent during his term as chairman. Expenditure on the Eltham Road had run up the overdraft heavily, but they could not tell him one instance where money had been (Spent roads that should not have

been spent. .He was sorry to have tc resign, but certain events had led up to it, and he considered that the meeting of ratepayers the previous night had backed up his opinions. He thanked them and the Press for the courtesy shown him at the meetings. Mr. Wright then left the room.

The chairrotin moved that the resignation be accepted. He could not, he said, add with regret. He would have been sorry to see him go, as he had been a good chairman and a good member, but when he went to New Plymouth after the last meeting and interviewed the Hospital Board he had gone a step too far.

Cr. Tosland, in seconding, said that while recognising Cr. Wright’s fine char, acter and the fact that he had been a good chairman, he considered that in going to the Hospital Board he had stepped over the mark too far. Cr. O’Brien said that during the meetings councillors might be opposed to each other, but when they left the room they should bury the hatchet. Personally when he left the council room he bore no malice. He had no animosity towards Cr. Wright, who was a fine gentle., man in every way, and a man of very high moral character and integrity, but when he went to New Plymouth as he had done, he had gone beyond the bounds. Moreover, continued Cr. O’Brien, he was astonished at the meeting the previous evening to hear that the chairman of that meeting, a gentleman usually well informed, say they wanted .to erect a hospital at a cost of £6OOO at the cost of the County of Egmont to establish a separate district and maintain the hospital. This was extraordinary information that must have been impressed on him by some one. The resolution was carried.