AROWHENUA TOWN BOARD

Temuka Leader, Issue 2419, 1 November 1892, Page 2

AROWHENUA TOWN BOARD

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, — Now that the doings of the Wellington Government are pretty well thrashed out, it is a very opportune time to review the doings of some of the local bodies. A week or two ago a man came to me, and said : “ Here, I haye a petition I want you to sign.” I said, “ Yea; what is it about V’ He said, “ I will read it to you.” He did so, and I asked, “ How many signatures have you got V’ “ About 270,” he replied. I said, “ What is amiss with the other boards ?” He said, “ They keep the money and do not spend it as the public would wish, but just as they please.” I said, “Do I understand that the new board is to be composed of part of the Temuka Town Board and part of the Arowhenua Town. Board?” He said, “ Yes.” “Then” I said, “ I shall not sign it.” He asked, “ Why ?” I said, “ Because the Arowhenua Town Board have been receiving moneys accruing from the deferredpayment sections for years, and spending it as they please and where they please. We do not know what department it accrues from, or what they do with it; only we see where they spend a few shillings in the deferred-payment settlement after receiving a voucher, aud where they are going to spend pounds elsewhere. lam not going to sign the petition. That would be jumping out of the frying-pan into the fire with a vengeance !” Then he said, “ You are going to encourage the other party ?” I said, “ Sooner than make bad worse.” Now I should like to ask all those people who signed this petition to do away with the cemetery and park boards if they considered what they were signing. According to that petition they are going to entrust the election of the new board to the ratepayers of Temuka and Arowhenua. Now, tinder the Plural Voting Act, when a few can go and demand five voting papers with fire votes on each, one-third of the ratepayers in Arowhenua can put in whom they please. How long will that be satisfactory to the public ? I fail to see the progressive part of it. Kiudly give space for this in your valuable paper.— 1 am, etc., G. Bdgbler, 8.G.0., A.