OHINEMURI.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2873, 1 May 1878, Page 2

OHINEMURI.

(FBOM OtJB OWN COBBE3PONDENT.)

Paeboa, This day.

A public meeting was held at the Criterion Hotel last night —Mr C; F Mitchell in the cha^r — to coneider the- , remoral of the Government buildings from Mackaytown to be erected at the Bace Course, Paeroa. A resolution was proposed by Mr Mahoney, seconded by Mr Bobson, condemnatory of the proposed action in erecting the Government Buildings on the ground at the Paeroa Eace Course, it being a considerable distance from the centre of population and Paeroa township, the inhabitants of which have built and improved properties on the understanding that: the Government offices -would be built on centrally situated land granted by Messrs Jacks»n and Bussell for that purpose, and accepted by the Government, who had erected a police station and lock-up. The following memorial to the Premier was almost unanimously adopted, only one dissentient being noticed. The Thames County authorities have also been communicated with :— To the Hon. the Pbemieb, Sib Geobge V Gbby, JLC.B. The Memorial of the Traders, Miners, and others, residents of Paeroa and the Ohinemuri Goldfield, Respectfully Sheweth— 1. That certain of your memorialists have taken up allotments in the Paeroa Township; that they were assured that the Public Offices were to be at Paeroa, and have built on that understanding. 2. That, acting upon that understanding, Messrs Jackson and Bussell, of Auckland, the owners of the Paeroa township, did assign to the Government an acre of land as a site for Public Offices at Paeroa, and the late Government accepted such assignment. ■. 3. That your memorialists now find that the offices are. being removed from Mackaytown and are about being reerected upon a block of land adjoining.. Paeroa, known as the Arero-o-Huatata, or Eace-course Block, which was until recently the property of Mr James Mackay, and is now reputedly the property of Mr William Fraser, the Resident Magistrate and Warden of the Thames Goldfield. 4. That the erection of these offices, as proposed, besides blocking up a road already surveyed and dedicated to the public, known as the Puke-Paeroa road, will be more disadvantageous and inconvenient to the public than if they had remained on their original site at Mackay--town. . ... ' "; „ , .. „..;■. Your memorialists therefore pray that you will be pleased to order!the re-erec-tion of the Public Offices upon the site originally assigned by Messrs Jackson and Bussell, or give your memorialists such other relief as you may deem fit. t (Signed) C. F. Mitchell, . •;\C ' '''.- Chairman of Meeting* and,others. Sib,—l hare the- honor to state for your information, in addition to the facts set out in the foregoing memorial, that the late Government took possession of the site given by Messrs Jackson and Eussell, by building a lock-up and police station upon it. They also called for tenders, ana would have erected a post and telegraph'office, only that there was a Native opposition to bring the line through the Zomata, and the project was temporarily abandoned. We now find that it is arranged to remove the said look-up and police station from its present site (which ii central and very suitable) and to re-erect it alongside of the other public offices on the Arero-o-Huatata block, where no township now exists, simply to enhance the value of private property. With reference to the title to the acre of land assigned by Messrs Jackson and Eussell, I may also Btate that their lease of the Paeroa block has about thirteen and a half years to run; and I have been credibly informed that the native owners are prepared to sign a deed of gift for public purposes whenever called upon by the Government to do so. The site proposed at Te Arero-o-Huatata contains only half an acre, and is away from the centre of population. I would most respectfully ask you to order the re-erection of the buildings to be delayed, pending an enquiry into the facts of the case.—l am, sir, your most obedient servant, J. M. Bobson, For Chairman of Meeting.