MUNICIPAL MEETING.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 240, 16 August 1879, Page 2

MUNICIPAL MEETING.

A well attended meeting was held in the Town Hall, Masterton, last evening, to consider the advisability of sub-dividing the Borough into Wards. The Mayor, who occupied the chair explained that finding there was a probability of a petition being sent round in favor of dividing the Borough be convened the present meeting, so that the burgesses before signing would be able to hear both sides of the question. He was himself of the same opinion as before, that the change was undesirable, Ist on the ground of economy, as the elections when the Borough was divided would cost twice as much as they did now, Secondly the Ward system would lead to cliques in the Council which as yet it was stranger to. He contended that hitherto the Masterton Council had been impartial and had done its duty by all parts of the Borough. (Applause.) Mr Donald Donald moved the following resolution :—"That, in the opinion of this meeting it is desirable to divide the Borough of Masterton into Wards." He considered a man would be better able to devote himself to looking after one ward than he would to looking after the whole of the Borough. He also thought that twelve heads would be better than nine, He pointed out that it was not necessary for the burgesses to be unanimous in the movement, as the consent of one-fourth of them was all that was required.

Or James Russell seconded the resolution, but did not pledge himself to vote in favor of it as he objected to the manner in which it was proposed to subdivide the Borough. Mr Payton regretted that the Mayor had thrown cold water on the movement before Mr Donald Donald had had an opportunity of moving his resolution. Or McCardle was entirely against the division. He believed that even Kuripuni did not desire it. The expense of the change would amount to L4O. The burgesses, next month, if they desired to make a change in the Council would have an opportunity, as three Councillors then retired. He claimed, also, that Kuripuni had had a fair sum expended within its boundaries on public works. The Mayor said that one argument in favor of the motion was that it was the ultimatum of Municipal Government and for peace sake they might adopt it, The question had been brought up before and it would probably crop up again. Or Bish thought the change would be premature, and would entail an annual cost of LSO on the Borough.

Cr Gapper claimed that the meeting had been got up by ko or three disappointed candidates at the late election, He had heard nothing in favor of it, and was highly pleased with the manner in which the Chairman had spoken on the subject. Mr Corbett objected to the attack made by Cr Gapper. He had had nothing to do with getting up the meeting and did not even sympathise with the object for which it had been got up. He intimated that Councillors spoke so warmly because some of them did not want to go out of office. He thought it would do no harm to shift a few of them .-(A laugh). Or Feist argued that the Council had expended within Kuripuni the full amount of rates and subsidy raised within its boundaries. He was strongly against the resolution.

The resolution was then put to the meeting, with the following result:—for it, 12; against it, 37. The result was greeted with applause, and doleful iterations of the magic word Kur—i—puni, The Mayor thought that, after that expression of public opinion, the movement ought to dtop, The meeting closed with a vote of thank to the chair, moved by Mr Donald Donald. s