THE COUNTY QUESTION.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2689, 24 July 1894, Page 3

THE COUNTY QUESTION.

GERALDINE FARMERS' CLUB. An important special meeting of the Geraldine Farmers' Club was held yesterday afternoon, Mr M. C. Orbell presiding. There was only a fair attendance of members. The chairman said that the meeting waa called in consequence of the following telegram received on Friday last, which explains itself : "Major Moore, Geraldine. " Second reading of Levels Bill carried by 36 to 16. Government support measure to abolish minor local bodies. Can still get Temuka included in the Bill, leaving Geraldine County comprising Geraldine and Mount Peel Road Boards. This may not interfere with our Road Board, although it will with Temuka. If above ifl not agreed to, Levels Bill will go through, leaving all the bridges for the northern district. See Messrs Tripp, White, Kelman, Brophy, Denniatoun, Kelland, and Metcalf.—W. S. Maslin, Wellington." The chairman also read the following letter received from Mr Maslin that day (Monday) : « Wellington, July 20th 1894. " To Major Moore, Geraldine. "Dear Sir. " Yon will have read the report of the meeting at Temuka re Levels County. I gather from that report they would not object to joining Geraldine and Mount Peel, but for one thing, the fear of the head office being fixed at Geraldine! Now I have strong objection to have Temuka attached to Geraldine. Such a thing would he a backward move of our twenty years, when the whole was worked as one Road District. In the interest of Geraldine and Peel Forest I would urge a meeting to be held at Geraldine on Monday night to agree to the proposal I made by wire to include Temuka in the Levels. You will have to act with caution so as not to move Temuka to support the Bill to constitute the Levels Road District a county. If this was done we should be forced into the position of having Temuka against our will. I shall now do my best to get this Bill altered to include Temuka, and I hope to receive wire from you supporting this line of action. The Bill goes into Committee on Thursday, and on the motion to go into Committee Mr Seddon has given notice to move that there shall be only one rating body in the new county. I have spoken to the Hons. Walker and Acland on the matter. —I am, etc., « W. S. Maslin." The chairman then read a table of figures prepared by Mr W. Shiers as under:— "Gebaldine Road Board. "Amount expended on roads and bridges:— Amount. Year. £ s. d. Remarks. 1879 10,348 2 5 1880 8,06110 8 1881 5,449 13 6 1882 6,927 5 8 For 15 months, financial year altered to 31st March. 1883 5,095 16 5 1884 4,014 18 7 1885 2,245 18 9 1886 2,291 0 8 1887 2,333 13 4 1888 1,997 0 5 1889 1,422 7 8 1890 1,392 511 1891 1,056 5 3 1892 1,961 4 8 1893-4 1,741 7 STo 3lßt March 1894. Total 56,338 11 4 Average, £3755 pet annum. " Memo. I have let 674 contracts aince March, 1878, and expended £80,623 3s 7d to March 31st, 1894. « W. Shibbs." 3 2 i j2 Boards. «9 rx o>, S* l 6 « fc * .<j Acres. Levels ... 1,529,403 3186 1372 155,350 Temuka ... 700,690 1459 453 89,812 Geraldine... 490,446 1021 460 120,000 Mt. Peel ... 393,250 821 80 351,840 Value. Bate. £ Rate, payers. Area. Levels ? 2,230,093 5275 1825 245,162 Temuka i Geraldine / 883 696 i 842 540 471.840 Mt. Peel i ■ Geraldine I Temuka [ 1,584,386 3301 993 561,652 Mt,Peel . me . W. Shiers. Mr R. H. Pearpoint thought that they should not take it for granted that the Levels Bill is going to pass. Many private Bills with very little exertion had been blocked in the Upper House, and he waß strongly of opinion that this body should be approached. Mr Wreathall thought the Bill was going to pass. If they were going to form one body he was strongly opposed to Temuka being tacked on to the Geraldine , part of the county. (Hear, hear.) If Temuka, Geraldine, and Mount Peel combined as a county and still retained the three road boards he would willingly fall in with it, but if the smaller bodies were to be abolished he would oppose Temuka being tacked on to Geraldine. If this happened Geraldine would practically be the milch cow for Temuka to help to keep «p roads, and Geraldine would be left out in the cold. Mr Shier* thought that if a county was formed the headquarters would be at. Geraldine, and not Temuka, as Mr Wreathall seemed to think. He believed this was also Mr Talbot's opinion. He did not think the Geraldine people realised the liability they were taking over with respect to bridges if they broke ofi' irom Temuka. If the Rangitata, Orari, and Jeraldiue bridges were in good repair he would not say so much against it, but they were in such a rotten state. He considered that in taking over Temuka they were taking over a rich partner, for in taking them over Temuka would contribute to the maintenance of the bridges mentioned. He admired the generosity aud simplicity of the Mount Peel district ■wanting to join Geraldine with the latter's rotten bridges. Mr H. B. Webster said that since looking into Mr Shiers's figures he had changed his opinion, ilo now believed fiat in taking over Temuka, Geraldine would bo taking over a rich partner. Tomuka could maintain their own roads easily, and could help to maintain the Geraldino districts, roads and liabilities. Shinglo repairs to roads was a current expenditure in the Geraldine district. As they could not avoid a separation of the county, ho though some distinct resolution should be forwarded to Mr Maslin from that meeting. They could not have two schemes.

Major Moore agreed with Mr Pearpoint and Mr Webster. He spoke to Mr Shiera about drawing up some figu es, and he was glad that those figures had rather changed the opinions of some. The chairman suggested that a telegram be sent to Mr Maalin, and also to the Premier, and that the Upper House be also approached. Mr A. Kelman objected to Mr Shiers's remarks about the condition of the bridges in the Geraldine district. He maintained that the bridges were not rotten, and said that was also the engineers' opinion. Mr Shiers referred Mr Kelman to the engineers' report. Mr Kelland also made a few remarks, and a general discussion then took place on matters of detail.

Mr R. H. Pearpoint moved and Mr W. M. Moore seconded —" That the secretary wire to the Premier, Mr Maslin, M.H.R, and Mr Flatman, M.H.R., requesting them to oppose the passing of the Levels County Bill, but in the event of there being no chance of preventing the Bill passing its third reading that they be requested to have Temuka joined to Geraldine and Mount Peel, and further that the Hons. L. Walker and J. B. A. Acland be wired to asking them to oppose the Bill in the Upper House." Mr J. Wreathall moved, and Mr J. Kelman seconded, an amendment — "That this meeting of the Geraldine Farmers' Club, being county_ ratepayers, strenuously oppose the joining of Temuka on to Geraldine and Mount Peel as a separate county." Mr Wreathall's amendment was put and lost, 6 voting in its favor and 14 against it. The motion was then put and carried, and the meeting then terminated.

A meeting of the committee representing the Temuka Road Board and Temuka and Arowhenua Town Boards was held last night at the Temuka Road Board office. Mr M. Quiun, as a member of the Geraldine Connty Council, was also present. The correspondence received by the Geraldine Farmers' Club, and the resolutions passed thereon were considered, and after discussion it was resolved to have separate meetings to-day of the several local bodies interested, and communicate with Government upon the subject. The petition against the division of the county showed that upwards of 500 ratepayers were opposed to any change being made, and that several country lists had yet to come in.