Meeting of Parawai Raterpayers.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2827, 7 March 1878, Page 2

Meeting of Parawai Raterpayers.

A meeting of the Parawai ratepayer^ for the purpose of considering the advisability of merging the Highway District into the Borough, was held at the Farawai School-room last evening. There were about 40 ratepayers present, and, on the motion of Mr Hume, Mr V. G. MacDonnell took the chair.

The Chairman read the advertisement calling the meeting. He then read a letter" from Mr Thomas Spencer giving cogent reasons for merging the Boad Board into the County. The Chairman said that they were a'l aware of the object of the meeting. It was to consider which would be best, to merge into the Borough or the County, or remain as they were. Ho regretted the absence of Mr Carpenter, the Chairman of the Parawai Board. No definite plan of ac ion had been arranged for the conduct of the meeting, and he called on any gentleman to move a resolution. Mr Hume moved—" That this meeting consider that the time has now come when it is desirable that Parawai should join the Borough, and be formed into a seperate ward." He said ho was now simply speaking as a ratepayer, and not as a member of tho Board. With respect to Mr Spencer's letter, there were two or three assertions in it which required contradition. It was stated that the Parawai people would gain £200 by joining tho County, and if tl.ey joined the Borough they would loss it. They must remember Lhat if they joined the Borough they would get a share of the publicans' Hcenr.es, which was better than the £2CD. (A voice : That's no argument) He hpi been informed that Mr Spencer stated that if they joined the Borough the County would not carry on the road up Kauaeranga Valley. That looked like a thieafc, and they should kick against it. Mr Spencer's promises were all in the prospective. Ninety-two had signed the petition out of 114 ratepayers. He (tbo speaker) had a good road to his place, and it first^ sight it might look t?iat it would bo to his advantage to have the main road opened out, and thus be in favor of joining the County. He wished to see, however, their own back district opened with roads. Cer-

tainly the County had some windfalls lately, but they would not have that always, and in time (he gold duty would go away, aud the revenue would only come from the more thickly populated places, like Ohincmuri, and would be spent (here.

Mr It. Hudson seconded the motion. He said it had always been his belief that Parawai and Kauacran^a should join the Borough. Since he had come to Parawai some mouths ago his load had been in very bad order. He thought they would have a better guarantee of having money spent in their own district by joining tho Borough than by joining the County. He was afraid that the County would spread the money over too much. They wanted some centralising. They would be on the safe side by joining the Borough. Mr Landy asked if tho feeling of the mceling was in favor of going into the Borough, if Parawai was not made into ft separate ward. Air Hume said that that was the only condition. Mr Cribb said that, on those conditions, it would be better to join the Borough. The Chairman said a petition was going round praying that Parawai be made into a separate ward, and merged into the Borough of Thames. The motion was then put and carried without dissent. The Chairman askechif they intended to receive the letter of Mt Spencer, or say nothing on it.' No one spoke. Mr Hudson moved that the Parawai Board take all necessary steps to carry out the last resolution. Mr Hogg seconded. Carried unanimously. Mr Stoney moved thai Mr Spencer's letter be received. Carried r unanimously. Mr Ho^g said that presuming .that Parawai was in favor of merging into the Borough a number of ratepayers had got up a petition to the Governor praying that Parawai be merged into the Borough and formed into a separate ward. He would ask the Chairman to read the heading of the petition and the number of ratepayers who had signed. . The Chairman rerd the petition, and said that 92 ratepayers had signed it Mr Murphy asked was it true that Mr Spencer had prevented them from getting their subsidy from the County. Mr Hume said that they had written asking the County for the subsidy which they were empowered to give Highway Boards by the Counties Act. They first of all got an answer showing the advantages of joining the County. At the request of the County Council they.had then interviewed its Board of Works, and showed them what they wanted done in the way of rods. Mr Spencer then objected to*l rwai receiving a subsidy unless they merged into the County. A voice : " He is a fine man too." A vote rf thanks to ihe chair concluded tho meeting.