MEETING OF RATEPAYERS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1788, 11 September 1888, Page 2

MEETING OF RATEPAYERS.

A meeting of ratepayers was held in the Schoolhouse, Belfield, on Saturday evening last, for the purpose of discussing the question of forming a Board of Conservators for the north bank of the Orari river.

Mr Griffiths was voted to the chair. He stated that since the meeting held at the South Orari on the previous Saturday evening, it had been thought by some that that meeting had not been a fairly representative one, and the present meeting had been called for the purpose of further and more fully testing the feeling of the ratepayers on the question. Mr Woulfe said he would like to point out to the ratepayers the great inequality of taxation that would fall upon the small holders in comparison with the large landholders below'the bridge. He instanced several cases where the land was valued as high as £l2 per acre abova the bridge, which, he stated, was far more than the value put upon the land below. The railway interests, too, were identical with theirs, and the Government had reserved land up thp river, and a survey had been made for the express purpose of preventing the river from washing away the bridge! The Road Board, top, njiust keep, the river under the traffic bridge, and these two facts would h.a sufficient to. tfie parties interested keep the river within bpuqds without (ho rate-

payers taxing themselves by forming a Board. Besides, they all knew the power that wealth brought to bear on elections, and he did not believe the ratepayers could place upon the Board, if one was formed, a person to represent their interests. Besides if they took from Palmer’s to Thatcher’s, which was about eight miles of river bank, which the Board was supposed to protect, he did not believe they could raise £l2O in rates along the whole distance, while it was estimated that to protect it, would cost about £4OOO. Since 1874 the money sunk in protective works at the traffic bridge amounted to something over £14,000, and to levy such a sum upon the proposed district would be a gross wrong. H« did not think tbs meeting of ths previous week bad any right to extend its functions beyond the railway bridge. Mr Rolleston had told them that the Board could only levy a rate of three halfpence in the pound, but he (the speaker) could tell them that that amount might be levied three times in the year, and it was more than probable it would be. He thought there were taxing bodies enough in the country. He wished to know why some of those who were so anxious to form a Board did not go and have a look at the river themselves. He considered the meeting called the previous Saturday evening had gone beyond their functions altogether in proposing to go north of the railway bridge. Mr Woulfe moved—“ That the rate* payers north of the Orari railway bridge are totally averse to amalgamating with those os the east of the Orari railway bridge in forming a Board of Conservators, and, if necessary, the ratepayers on the north side will form a Board to look after their own interests."

This wa« duly seconded by Mr Steward. Mr F. Brown moved, as an amendment That a Board be formed with such bonndarlea ai might be pointed out by the settlers." Mr Ford seconded the amendment.

Mr Murray said that at the previous moating the majority ef those voting for the formation sere from above the railway bridge. He did not think that more than three from balow the bridge voted for it. He had advertised the meeting for the convenience of all interested in protective works upon the Orari river. In regard to the rating, Mr Kolleston was quite right. Borrowing could not be done without tha sanction of the ratepayers. . The matter was entirely in their hands. He (Mr Murray) had been up the river, with some others, and thought tha greatest danger lay above Mr Ashby’s, a* there the bank was only about 2ft. high. As this was the old watercourse of the Orari, the river would in all probability break through there, to the great injury of the settlers below. It was entirely in their interests to protect this placo, aa it was useless to spend money below the bridge unless something was done up above. He thought some of the ratepayers below the bridge were aa highly rated as any above. Mr Woulfe said the rating by euoh a Board as proposed would last as long-as settlers were there. He thought it would be much better to consult the railway authorities and Road Board befere committing themselves to any such taxation. The Orari Station, too, should also be made to pay its share of the cost. Mr Murray said the Orari Station would be only too glad to pay its share of the cost. For his part, he had no axe to grind in the matter, and to a great extent it did not matter to him if the whole of the land went down the river. He spoke for the benefit of the community ; if they worked together- they would be more likely to get something done than if they palled in different directions.

[A letter was here read from Mr Ashby, in which be said he had visited the north bank of the Orari where the proposed protective works were contemplated, and he believed that the erection of the works proposed would be a great waste of money. He considered the railway authorities were the proper persons to carry out the protective works that were needed. From his experience of New Zealand rivers be believed that protective works were useless. If the Board was formed, and erected protective works, they should only do so where the works were needed. For these reasons he declined to act upon the Committee formed the previous Saturday evening.} Mr Murray pointed out that there eould be no special rate struck without a vote of (he ratepayers being taken. Mr W. Hilary said it cost £3OOO to put a few boulders and cabbage trees into the Rangitata. (Loud laughter). Mr S. Ellary said he had seen about £16,000 washed down the Bakaia in a few months, and the banks of the Orari and the Bakaia were about the same. Mr Woulfe said there were about 20 miles from the railway bridge to the sea,, and upon that 20 miles there were only about nine landholders. Mr Murray said the Act provided for a graduated rate of taxation, according to the imminence or otherwise of the danger. When those in the north had their own land protected they could declare a subdivision, and cut themselves free from those below the line. He pointed out that the matter of protection works was urgent, as the season was approaching when the works could be carried out. If something was not done the season would soon b* past. Mr Woulfe thought it was premature to form a Board until it was seen what could be done with the Government and Boad Board. He accused Mr Murray of calling the meeting the previous week when he knew that the Government had sent down two engineers to report upon the protection of the bridge. Mr Murray said he bad advertised the meeting before he knew anything of the engineers coming, but he could tell them

ihat Mr Burnett bad been down and said

the Government would do nothing. He contended that it was misleading the ratepayers to say the Hoad Board would do anything, when the Board could only protect the roads under their carp, He did not think the wealth &od power spoken of by Mr Woulfp hod put in the wrong sort of rqen upon the South Orari River Hoard. Mr Murray said that the value or,the rateable land upon the north side was about £30,000, and the rates upon this alone at in the sg was about €l2O. It was, of opurae, unfair that the mao some distance back from the river should b,e asked to pay as much as

the man close to its banka. He considered the money they could raise in rates was sufficient to pay interest upon enough money to erect groynes, etc. He

T'-!'— .. 1 thought the first thing was to form • Board of Conservators, and then if they could not see their way clear to carry on tbs Board could be abolished at any time. Mr Latimer moved, as a further amendment—" That the matter he allowed to remain where it is till Mr Woulfehsa gone round and got the signatures of the settlers to the petition now being signed to obtain help from the settlers," Mr Oofey seconded. After some further desultory conversation, the Chairman put Mr Latimer’s amendment, which was lost, no one voting for it.

Mr Brown’s amendment was also lost, only nine voting for it. Mr ftfoulfe’s motion being put, was declared carried, fifteen voting for it, A vote of thanks to the Chairman terminated the maeting.