PUBLIC MEETING AT GERALDINE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1474, 2 March 1886, Page 3

PUBLIC MEETING AT GERALDINE.

On Saturday evening a public meeting was held in the Geraldine Town Board Office, to consider the proposal to form a fire brigade. Mr R. fl. Fearpoint, Chairman of the Town Board, presided, and there were about twenty persons present, & number of whom, however, were not rateyayers. The Chairman, aftei reading the advertisement convening the meeting, said he was sorry to see such a small attendance. Most, if not all, no doubt, were aware of the steps which bad been taken. A public meeting bad been held, and a resolution bad been passed that the Town Board should collect as much information ss possible relative to the formation of a fire brigade, and then to call another public meeting. The Board had received a mass of correspondence on the subject, which was now on the table. The Town Board had gone to a lot of trouble, and he thought that what had been done bad been at the wish of the ratepayers, but from the small number who now attended, and the apparent lack of interest taken in the movement, he was afraid such was no* case. The Board bad held a special meeting, and they had agreed, if it was the ratepayers’ wish, that they would be in favor of devoting part of their funds to the purchase of an engine, and finding a shed to keep it in. In regard to the correspondence before them, he might say that the most important part of it was a letter from the Canterbury Eire Association, regretting they could not give anything towards the purchase of a plant, but might favorably consider whether they would give a yearly subsidy in the even of a brigade being established. He would further inform the meeting that the Board took no responsibility and made no promises, and would not do anything in the matter unless a petition representing the majority of the ratepayers on the basis of property were presented to them. Therefore it lay entirely in the hands of the ratepayers as to what steps should be taken.

Mr J. Qoinn thought it was an injustice to the Town Board that so few people attended the meeting. The Board had gone to a lot of trouble, and bethought the ratepayers, whether they were in favor of the proposal or not, might have attended the meeting.

Mr Mundeli said that the matter was entirely in the hands of the ratepayers. The members of the Board, as their representatives, had got all the information possible, but whethar they were rated for it, or wl.ethsr the cost of an engine was taken from the Board’s funds, the money would still come out of the ratepayers’ pockets. Without a water supply, however, ho considered a fire engine would be useless, and he was afraid this would be a difficult matter to grapple with. The Board bad given the ratepayers •very chance if they wanted the brigade, but from the poor attendance he was afraid they took lUtle interest in it. Mr Patrick said a number of people were under the impression that a brigade would be no use without a water supply. If nothing were definitely settled about this he was afraid it would be useless trying to get a petition signed. The Chairman said if the ratepayers were in favor of a fire brigade the Board were willing to consider the means of getting a water supply. Mr Patrick then proposed—“ That a requisition be got up and presented to the Board, requesting them to favorably consider the question of purchasing a fire brigade plant, and that those present be fprmed into a Qpmmittee' to forward the paovement,”

Mr Quinn seconded the motion, which waa, after some discussion, carried. After a short conversational discussion regarding a water supply, the meeting adjourned with a of thanks to the Chairman,