MEETING OF RATEPAYERS AT GERALDINE

Temuka Leader, Issue 2706, 1 September 1894, Page 3

MEETING OF RATEPAYERS AT GERALDINE

A largely-attended meeting of rateBiyen in the Geraldine Road Board istrict was held at Messrs H. B. Webster & Co.’s auction rooms on Wednesday afternoon, after the fair. tfr John Kelland (chairman pro tern of the Geraldine Road Board), who was Toted to the chair, called on the convener of the meeting to explain his reasons for calling same. . Mr J. Wreathall said in explanation that it was unnecessary to go over the history of the split in the Geraldine Oonnty, bnt it was enough to know that the Levels ratepayers had got a Bill through the House giving them power to form * separate county. By convening the present meeting he thought it would give the ratepayers in his district the opportunity of expressing their opinions as to the final outcome of the separation. A large part of Mount Peel District'had petitioned the Mackenzie County to take them over. If such a thing were allowed the remaining county would lose the revenue from that portion of Mount Peel District, and would still have to maintain roads and bridges for them. He would move Geraldine Road District, strenuously oppose any further sub-division of the remaining portion . of. the Geraldine County.” _

Mr J. Allan,in seconding the resolution, ■aid that it would bo most unfair to allow a portion of Mount Peel District to leave the county, while the remaining portion of the county would have to pay rates to keep up the traffic. (A voice: “To carry Mi* Tripp’s wool down.”) None of the traffic from Mount Peel District went to the Mackenzie County; it all went over their roads and bridges.

Mr H. B. Webster read a letter he had received from Mr Charles Howard Tripp, as follows: —

« Timaru, New Zealand, 28th August 1894. H. B. Webster, Esq., Geraldine. Dear Webster, —I hear there is going to be a meeting of the Geraldine farmers to-morrow night to consult about this Bill entending the Mackenzie County. I enclose a cutting from the Herald of this morning, giving. extracts of the petition that is. being signed to be presented: with the Bill. If the AuditorGeneral will carry out the wish of the petitioners and provide a sufficient funds for the fair share of the outlying bridges, I don’t see what objection there can be to the Bill. The only objection that I have heard is that as part of the land affected is on the Geraldine side of the range that should stop in the county which makes the roads it uses in getting its produce to the harbour. This seems to me to be •rot,’ for take my father’s case:—The Bill does not affect the land he owns in the Geraldine Road District; he will pay rates just the same for this land to the Geraldine Road Board as he has done ever since the Mount Peel District has been formed, and all the road he uses coming say to Geraldine, except about a mile by his house, are in the Geraldine Road District, and then before he can set to the harbour he must prss through the Temuka District, for which he pays no rates, and now, also another county, the Levels. So the effect of the Bill will be only as follows: ‘He wjU pay the Geraldine rates as before for all the roads except the same mile as before, and the rates for this mile of road will be P“ d *° the Mackenzie County instead of to tne Mount Peel Road Board. The auditorgeneral will take a fair share out of the funds to provide for the future maintenance of the bridges, and the Geraldine Ogquty will probably be relieved of q yqxy grave responsibility in |ususe q£ destroying the rabbis q$ hills, qs tb,ia rabbit question js tyqqnd Tqofore long to be taken up by jine county councils, I shall be much obliged if yoq wiU have the extract

enclosed and this letter read at the meeting.—l am, etc.. _ 0. H. Tripp.

Blr Wreathall held that such ex parte statements from an outside party were entirely out of place at this meeting, where they had met to consider the interest of ratepayers. (Hear, hear.) Mr 0. G. Tripp did not agree with Mr Wreathall. He considered that as a ratepayer his son had a right to speak, and moreso seeing that he was also the person who prepared the Bill It was entirely out of place for Mr Wreathall to talk as ho did. (Hear, hear.) Mr Tripp then read several clauses of the Bill for separation of a portion of the Mount Peel ratepayers. He pointed out that the clauses read showed that everything would have.to be valued, and that. the ratepayers desirous of separating were not trying to take any • advantage of the remaining ratepayers. Blr Tripp next quoted figures showing the various expenditures that had been made in the past on the Bangitata bridge. The rate of Jd in the £ is £6521 10s 2Jd for the whole county, and the rate for Mount Peel is £853 19s 6§d. The expenses for the Bangitata bridge from 1876 to March 31st 2893 was £1247 14s lid, making an average for 16 years of £7718s a year. The Mount Peel Boad Board contribute a 7th of thisamount viz., £ll. He (Mr Tripp) doubted very much whether he and other ratepayers by cutting themselves off from Mount Peel district could escape the future liabilities of this bridge, and they were not attempting .to shirk them. If the ratepayers could not agree in the adjustment of funds, liabilities, etc,, the Government would appoint someone to. go into the matter, -and all parties would have to abide by this decision. The Mount Peel Boad Board had £6900 to its credit, and there were thus plenty of funds to meet any liabilities, for the ratepayers desirous of separating did not want to take away the funds with them.

Mr Coulter: What do you want to separate for ? Mr Tripp said the reason for separation was apparent. The interests of the ratepayers on the hills were of a different nature to those in the other parts of the Geraldine County. The bugbear of the ratepayers on the plains was the small birds’ nuisance, while the bugbear of the hilla was the rabbit nuisance. He had tried for some time to get the Government to move in the matter of erecting rabbit fences, but they did not intend to do anything with regard to it. Mr Oalder: You were not much afraid of the rabbits when you were the highest tenderer for the runs the other week ! (Laughter.) Mr Tripp said the hill country should be joined to the Mackenzie County, as they could then be able to cope with the rabbits as successfully as the ratepayers on the plains could with the small birds. It was necessary that some system of wire-netting should be carried out by the Government, and let them charge the settlers with interest on the money expended. He (Mr Tripp) thought that the remaining Geraldine County would save much in administration if Geraldine was made the county town and all the road boards were merged into the county council.

Mr Coulter: I suppose if you get separation yon and Mr Acland will have your wool carted to Fairlie Creek 1 Mr Tripp said that the average cost for 16 years expenditure on the Rangitata Bridge was £77 per annum and it would not be right for the hill country ratepayers to leave this liability to the rest of the county. Mr Jobberns; “ Why don’t you take the whole of the Mount Peel district with you, Mr Tripp ? ” Mr Tripp : “We only want to take in the country where the rabbits are, and not the plains.” Mr R. Thew thought that the boundaries should be described. A lot of the back country should be added to the Mackenzie County. Mr E. Murphy: “Would your portion of Mount Peel have taken the action they are taking if the Levels had not separated!” Mr Tripp : “ That does not bear on the point. My case is rabbits; yours is birds.” (Loud laughter). Mr Shiers said he had studied the boundaries as laid down in the Bill and his opinion was that they had out off a portion of the district to get out of the Rangitata Bridge. Mr WreathaU said that the question they were fighting for was “ Will separation of Mount Peel give Temuka a preponderance of voting power?” The rabbits and birds were only minor details.

Mr Dennistoun said he was one of those to be left and he had no wish to be taken into Mackenzie County. He considered that there was a part of the Mount Peel district at the back which rightly belonged to Mackenzie County, its outlet was there, and there would be no injustice done in allowing this part to »eparate. But in the case of Mr Tripp and Mr Acland, whose runs and interest lay to the front, it was a different matter.

Mr R. Thew guite agreed with Mr Dennistoun as regards the back country. In fact he (Mr Thew) had for the past 14 years advocated separation of that part of the district.

Mr C. E, Sherratt thought the chief thing to consider was whether the centre of the remaining Geraldine County would be at Temuka or at Geraldine. Ratepayers should take time by the forelock and secure the headquarters for Geraldine. If they allowed a portion of Mount Peel ratepayers to separate they would be outvoted by Temuka. If the county town was at Temuka, Mount Peel District would certainly be neglected as it was 20 years ago.

Mr Thew thought that a resolution should be passed asking the Government to appoint a Royal Commission to decide where the county town should be.

Mr Shiers asked whether the Bill re Mount Peel separation Was at Wellington. Mr Tripp said it was, and nothing could be altered iu it at present.

Mr Hope, speaking as a member of the Mackenzie County Council and a ratepayer of the Mount Peel District, said there were several places in the back country of the Mount Peel District that used the Mackenzie County roads, and they might be included in the county. Mr Dennistoun moved, and Mr Thew seconded, an amendment to the motion — “That the boundary of proposed separation be taken, say, up the Opuha and down to the Rangitata by Forest Creek, having all country below that boundary in the lower division.” Mr Tripp said that his and interests were with "*' Acland’s Unless tb«» T ..m Mackenzie County. **■ - for separation was carried merei was no way, so far as he could see, by which rabbit fences would be erected, au4 Government land would be thrown out of occupation. He (Mr Tripp) held a good portion, of land in the Mount Peel District, and ho would have to pay rates accordingly. Mr Wreathall askod if the Mackenzie County Council in taking over a portion of Mount Peel District would be prepared

to take over half that district’s cost of maintenance of the Bangitata bridge. Mr Hope said he did not know about that.

Mr Dennistoun gave Mr Tripp every credit personally for trying to deal fairly in the matter of separation, but he was afraid that those in authority would not look at things in the same light as Mr Tripp. Mr Shiers moved and Mr Tripp seconded, an amendment on the amendment—“ That the whole of the Mount Peel Boad District be absorbed by the Mackenzie County Council, so as to give half the liability of maintaining the Bangitata bridge to that Council.” Mr Wreathall, as mover of the resolution, warned ratepayers that if they agreed to either of tne amendments, and it was carried out, they would throw the voting power into the hands of Temuka. They should not allow the smallest portion of Mount Peel to go. If Geraldine and Mount Peel districes stood back to back, and fodght together, they would get justice done, but not otherwise. Mr Tripp stated that he had made a mistake in seconding Mr Shiers’ amendment, and wished to withdraw as seconder.

Mr E. Murphy seconded the resolution. The chairman, during the meeting, received the following telegram from Mr Flatman, M.H.8., and read it: “Would not agree to severance unless share of Opuha and Bangitata bridges taken into consideration.— Flatman.”

The amendments were then put to the meeting, when one hand was held up in favor of the ‘second, and eleven in favor of. the first. Mr Wreat hall’s motion was then put and carried unanimously. A vote of thanks to the chairman closed the meeting.