HIGHWAY BOARD JUSTICE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 4, Issue 1230, 15 November 1882, Page 2

HIGHWAY BOARD JUSTICE.

TO THE EDITOR. •;.-! Sir,—lt was with tho utmost surprise I noticed in your last report of the sitting of the Highway Board the final resolution in re the sum of £204, awarded to No, 4 Ward by the Commission appointed, viz,, " That that sum be placed again to tho credit of No. 5 Ward." When the first petition , praying for the restitution; o ( rates absorbed by No. 5 Ward was pre* sented by Mr William Beetham'and other ratepayer; the matter was postponed for a future Bitting, we were then advised by the Chajtman that it should to the. decision ofa Committee consisting.,', ~,,-j of. Wardens Ghamberjain,: Dagg )f ari|j -M*equarrie. v ,.,'.""'' ' v'.'--' ■•■•■■.: i-; ;:The!o ; gentlemen reported that'.-the money .takeijjby. No, 6' Ward from No. 4 Wird-...during, ,)ix 'Norman Bsetham'a Wardenshiphadbeen, undoubtedly,'approt priated in an irregular .as'it had •not'annually received the sanction of the Board, but that having received 'the taoVt 1 consent of the Wardenj adyise, refund. 1 ' Willi referenca' feJKfl fates during %v 'Vallance's tetmipf v fhey considered. a different.'cotirte inecessarf'V Mr 1 YsjA 'lance had no ■ knowledge, of,the.diver'smri' *''' "of these rates, lis they had neyeif appeared to the'credit of No/4 Ward/ but haiheen inforniilly placed 1 direct to, the credit of No. 6 1 Ward, They, therefore, awardod that'all rates diverted from, No,. 4. Ward since.Mr Vallance's,Wflrdenihip, amount• : ine to a sum of £203, should be refunded, ' :-The; ; Chairman; postponed,,/ on some plea, front 'time to time; the final, confirmation : bf this'•' award, and at the,last meeting, on the, strength of a "silent ,vote,".. (whatever may be), and apparently ;in (the face.:nf a majority, upset the verdict of the cbnimitteb, and'' again l placed the' amount I . to i the credit '■ of No, 5 Ward,; jh'e had previously expressed his readN ness'to abide by the decision made, fljj This deeißion, in foci','jjad bdoh aMßpjed.-M at a former meeting as 'a prjicgde))t, ai)(L.H Mr Meredith, Wardenof No, (TWard'« (who it is to be regretted, waß imayojd:,,, •■ ably absent at the last meeting),actually recorered p sum of money from Nai 4,' :■![[ which had been appropriated from No, 8 Ward, under somewhat similar oiroorn'tuf stanoes.

| lam confident that the action 'Mt [ Warden Beethatn has taken iif bolnjj--partly instrumental in diverting this sum of £204 from his own—one of the most backward Wards in the district—to that of No. 5, is in direct opposition to the wishes of every (ratepayer he represents (with, perhaps, one exception), and it is hard to understand how, after revising the original petition and apparently coinoidinß Tsb it most thoroughly, (and the aubjeqt fas' notfenWred, into ly), he "can now_ have followed BUpli |[j ) extremely opposite course. _ . . .■ ' '•' With regard to the Chairman, he has appearedto, hold thrp'uflhout this matter the veryanbmalous position of judge, andjury.—lam, ! Si.',' rt '-W; John Moorb,