ALFREDTON RIDING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8533, 11 September 1907, Page 7

ALFREDTON RIDING.

QUESTION OF SECESSION. NOT ENTERTAINED BY THE COUNTY COUNCIL. As instructed by the Council, the County Clerk reported to the meeting of the Masterton County Council, yesterday, on the petition received by the Council asking that the Alfredten Riding may secede from the Masterton County and be joined with the Ektahuna County. The Clerk stated that the petition had 84 signatures attached to it, seven of which names did not appear on the Valuation Roll. The signatures on the petition that could be recognised numbered 75, and tney represented property to the value of £120,142. The property represented by the remaining 73 ratepayers in the riding was valued at £220,814. The Clerk, in a verbal report, added that there were two other signatures on the petition which, he understood, were not in order, and consequently the signatures in favour of the petition were reduced to 73. Mr H. Dunn, who attended the meeting in suppoit of the petition, stated that theie were several names, which were counted against the petition, that should not be, because the signatories were absent. He also contended that several signatures which were objected to had every right to be considered. Though the names of these settlers did not appear on the roll, they were property owners, and should be given a vote on the proposal. If all these matters were taken into consideration, there were seven more votes in favour of the petition, and consequently its supporters had a majority. The Chairman (Cr Cockhurn-Hood) said the Council were bound to be guided by the names on the Valuation Roll independent of anything else that might be said. Mr Dunn went on to say that Eketahuna w,as the natural outlet for ,the Alfredton riding. He considered that /Withe Council knew the feeling of the ratepayers of Alfredton on the subject, they would be pleased to allow the riding to join the Eketahuna County. Cr Murray, one of the representatives of the Alfredton riding, said he opposed the petition as it stood at present. He would have liked to have seen a majority in favour of the secession on the petition, so as to allow the settlers to join the Eketahuna County. He would like to see all the boundaries in that district re-arranged, but as things were at present, he considered that it was his duty to the ratepayers to oppose the petition. Cr Colquhoun said it appeared to him that the Alfredton riding was becoming unmanageable, and it would perhaps be better for the ratepayers of Alfredton and better for the Council as well, if the Alfredton riding was allowed to join the Eketahuna County. Cr Welch said the Council had to be guided by the Valuation Roll, and that being so the petitioners were in the minority, which he regretted. He contended that the Alfredton riding was deriving benefits from the staff of the Masterton County Council thtt they could not get from any smaller County. • The Chairman moved that the petition be not entertained. Cr Kebbell seconded the motion, which was carried.