MEETING OF HOUSEHOLDERS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1147, 4 March 1884, Page 2

MEETING OF HOUSEHOLDERS.

A meeting o£ householders of the township of Arowhenua was held in the Good Templar Hall last Saturday evening. The meeting was called for half-past seven, but very few were present at that time. At 8 o’clock there were about ten persons present, but shortly afterwards a few more came in. Altogether there were about 1G persons present. On the motion of Mr Uprichard, Mr J. T. M. Hayhnrst took the chair. The Chairman read the advertisement calling the meeting, and remarked that it was worded wrong. The matter for consideration would not be to form a town district in Arowhenua, but to amalgamate with Wallingford. He then called upon Mr Uprichard, who said that a few of the ratepayers had gone into the matter and found that their revenue would be pound fees, £3O ; dog tax, £2O; rents from reserves, £36 ; rates, one penny in the £ (equal to one shilling in the £, old valuation), £75; making in aU £l6l. \.s this would not be sufficient he did not think it advisible to go on with the Town Board, and suggested that they should petition the Governor to be included in the Town District of Temuka. Mr Russell said the advertisement was misleading, as it made it appear (hey wanted a Town Board of their own. He was not in favor of that. If all were agreeable he would prefer amalgamating

with Temuka, and thus form one substantial town. There was a petition for those present to sign, and he hoped they would sign it. He would propose —“ That wo petition the Governor to include the Arowhenua township with, Wallingford, under the Town Districts Act of 1881, under the name of Temuka.’’ Mr Copestake seconded the motion. Mr Edgeler would oppose the proposal, and move an amendment. He saw by the papers that the Temuka people had not come further than the. line, and he did not see that they had any business coming any further. The two towns were distinct, and all Temuka would do for them was to spend their money. There would be £SOO coming to them from the sale of sections, and Temuka would take all this away. That’s what Temuka would do for them. If they signed the petition they would sign their children’s birthright away (cheers). There was a fine flow of water running through their town, they wanted no sewage, and it was there the town would be in course of time. He would move as an amendment— “That the residents of Arowhenua do not agree to amalgamate.” Mr Boulter seconded the amendment. Mr Metson was surprised at people who came to the meeting to vote and then altered their minds. Mr Hobbs :We can change our mind if we like. Mr E. Brown said if Mr Edgeler would show him how Arowhenua would be benefitted by going alone he would vote for the amendment.

Mr Edgeler said he had done so before. With the money they would get from Government they could form their roads, which would only cost 25s per chain. Temuka would never be anything unless they were amalgamated with it, Arowhenua was the proper town. Mr Russell said Mr Edgeler’s amendment was no amendment. It was a negative. The Chairman ruled that it was not an amendment, and asked Mr Edgeler if he would alter it.

Mr Edgeler: No, sir. I will stick to my opinion. The Chairman said he svould not accept it as an amendment. Mr Edgeler : Oh, you want to throw me. It is no use at all in doing anything. The Chaffman then put the motion and it was carried, 11 voting for it and 3 against. There were a few present who did not vote either way. As soon as the resolution was carried Mr Edgeler left the room, apparently disgusted with the proceedings. Mr Job Brown moved —“ That Messrs McCaskill, Newbury, Uprichard and Copestake be elected to form a Committee for the purpose of carrying on the necessary work.” It had keen mentioned that the people of Wallingford were very anxious to get Arowhenua in with them. He could assure them that a very large majority of the Committee that was carrying out the work in Wallingford were opposed to allowing Arowhenua to come in. In Wallingford they had a large income that would be sufficient without rates, but they got very little by taking Arowhenua. Mr Uprichard had shown that the revenue to be derived from Arowhenua would amount only to £l6l. The people of Wallingford would be far better off with out Arowhenua, but they thought it would be selfish to leave them out. It was better that the two towns should unite and form a Borough as they ought to have done before, and would have, only for the wire-pul-ling that was resorted to. It was better for them to be making their own laws than to have men from Rangitata making them for them. Mr E. Brown seconded the motion.

Mr Russell said that those who were afraid their cows would be run in by the police off the common need not be so, as there was not the slightest danger of it. Mr Boulter said that when the petition for the Borough was going round before, many people threatened that as soon as the Borough was proclaimed they would have all the cows off the place. Mr Russell and the Chairman assured those present that there was no fear of the cows being interfered with.

Mr E. Lee said the town had never beea fairly represented on the Temuka Road Board. They never had a townsman on the Board before now. Mr Lewis recommended the Board to levy a farthing rate, and Sir George Grey would then have given £ for £ to drain the town but they did not do it. Mr Talbot was a great opposer of the Borough because it was the best tax paying part of the Temuka Road district. If they wanted to know how their rates were spent they could look at the road to Waitohi, made at the expense of Temuka. He travelled much through the district, and saw the way money was wasted. Good roads were made at the expense of Temuka, whether the people knew it or not. The motion was carried. Mr Job Brown moved—“ That the Chairman, in conjunction with the Chairman of the Wallingford Committee, forward a telegram as early as possible asking the Governor to delay proclaiming the ‘ Town District of Temuka ’ until the Arowhenua petition had reached him.” Mr Russell seconded the motion. Mr Uprichard explained that he had already forwarded a letter to the same effect. Mr Brown thought it would be better if the two Chairmen forwarded a joint telegram. The motion was carried. The meeting then terminated. The petition, which was laid on the table, obtained a good many signatures.