TEMUKA ROAD DISTRICT.

Temuka Leader, Volume 2, Issue 111, 8 January 1879, Page 2

TEMUKA ROAD DISTRICT.

ANNUAL MEETING OF RATEPAYERS. Yesterday, Tuesday, January 7th, the annual meeting of ratepayers of the Temuka Road District was held in the Road Board Office, for the purpose of electing three members to fill the seats rendered vacant by the legal retirement of Messrs Ensur, Quinn, and Hay hurst. These gentlemen were again nominated for election, and no other being proposed before noon, the time fixed for receiving nominations, tire returning officer, Dr Rayner, declared the three gentlemen named to be duly elected. Mr Badhani intended to stand for election, but he and his friends not being fully aware of the law regulating the election arrived too late for his nomination to he received. Mr W. Storey moved a vote of thanks to the late Board, in order to give them an opportunity of enlightening the public on several points. Di Rayner was then elected Chairman of the public meeting of ratepayers, and Mr Wood commenced a criticism of some of tne Board’s doings during the past year, characterising some of the expenditures, those on the cleaning of the Arowhenua Creek, and the roads and bridges near Milford, as extravagant and unnecessary . Mr J. Brown asked if it were convenient for the Board to furnish accounts of the amount of rates collected, and of money spent within the town of Temuka during the year. In reply the clerk showed that about LllOO had been spent. The amount of rates col'eeted in the town was not conveniently obtainable, hut it was dear that more had been spent than raised in the town, since the rates for the whole district only amounted to some L6OO odd. The L for L subsidy was of course to bo added to this sum. The question of the advisability of dividing the district into wards was then brought up by Mr Badham, and discussed with more or Ess wide d'gressions from the subject for over an hour, Mr Badham moved, and Mr E .'gar seconded, the following resolution “That this meeting desires the members of ibe Road Board to consider the advisability of forming the district into wards, and to take such steps as the Act determines for carrying out the same.” Mr R. Barker moved, and Mr Ensor seconded, the following amendment;—“That the Road Board be requested to call a public meeting to consider the question of dividing the disTict into wards.” On a show of hands being called for, the amendment was carried by 13 to 11. Messrs Badham, Hayhurst, Quinn, Talbot, Barker, Brown, Franks, Warning, and Gray, took part in the discussion. All the speakers, with the exception of Mr Talbot, spolo rather in favour of the proposed division—excepting Mr Badham—though scarcely admit ling that it was necessary. It was admitted that the . outlying districts had been impartially treated, and the strongest argument advaneed in favour of the division was that <4 Mr Badham, that any ward could be certain of return'ng to the Board a loca.l man. At present they cannot, for the votes of other wards may swamp theirs. It was argue 1 on the opposite side that such swamping does not take plac" ; that the distiiot is tacitly divided into wards now, sime the outer districts are alw ys allowed to return a local resident; tied the Board worked more harmoniously at present constitute! than it probd.ly would if the members wen- formally returned for separate districts , That the Rangitata people had not returned a local man in this c ise was thought their own mistake. Air Gray Imped that more attention would he paid during the present year to the manner in which contractors for shingling roads do their work. They shonbl be made to adhere more closely to specifications than they do. Stones much over the specified size are laid down on the road, making travelling difficult and dangerous, or they are picked off (he roads and laid in heaps at the roadside, where they are more dangerous still. He also found fault with the manner in which the Health Ofth-er and the Inspector of Nuisances had perfornmd their respective duties. He would like to know what their duties really were. Dr Rayner, the Hea'th Offieei’, defended himself from the charge of negligence brought by Mr Gray. Mr Talbot explained that the duties of these officers were of a peculiar kind. The Board had received no complaints of neglect of duty. About sixty persons were present at the meeting, and considerable interest was taken in the discussion of the various matters brought forward. Perhaps it was through these being so very various that the chairman, Dr Rayner, Inst his way amongst them, and interrupted a speaker who was speaking quite to the point. His ruling was generally ohje< ted to, and especially by Mr Barker, who said it was not right to “ shut up ” the meeting in such a way Dr Rayner thereupon left the chair, and Mr Talbot was immediately placed therein and the meetingproceeded. The usual vote of thanks to the chairmen, the first of whom soon recovered his usual good humour, brought the meeting to a close at about two o’clock.

A large amount of local matter prevents us giving a report of the first meeting of the new Ternrka Road Board, further than to say that Mr Talbot was re-elected Chairman, Mr Wills, Clerk, and Mr Lewis, a gentleman from Christchurch, was elected Overseer.