PAHIATUA.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 4, Issue 1245, 4 December 1882, Page 2

PAHIATUA.

A well attended meeting of the : settlers of Pabiatua was held on . Saturday evening to take ink*.' consideration matters 'affecting the district generally, 'Mr Sedcole wm votocTTol the ohair, and callod upon Mr McCardleto statu the result of his application to the Masterton Highway Board. v'::\ ;;'; ; - MrMoOardle laid that hejhad waited upon the board and stated to them the condition of the Tiraumea roid and impreaied upon them the claims of the district The clerkhad in>. formed him that only.about £2O had'been: collected in rates, but this sum would he considerably increased in tho course of a year or so. Mr W, H, Beetham, the ebairmau of the meeting, had promised, to do all in his power to further the interest of the settlers, and the other members of tho Board had promised their support, The chairman hid also informed him lhat the quost ion would be; further considered at a meeting to take place id three weeks' time,: in the ' meantime the engineer would pay a rait to ! the district, so as to be able to report on the general condition of the roads, Some remarks had been made about the settlors ÜBing the Tiraumea road for grazing, but it was well known that the County Council had it sown with grass seed for that purpose,' so that the early settlers could run their cattle whilst olearing their own land. - The petition of the settlers'had been forwarded to" Mr Beitham, M.H.R,, arid he (Mr llcCardb), had intended with Mr Beetham to interriow the Minister of Public Works,, but that official was unfortunately absent from Wellington. Mr Beetham expressed his opinion that tho settlers were entitled to a representative in the Count) Council, as tho district Was becoming of great importance, and the requirements were in a great measure neglected, Mr Beetham also, thought thA when the district was divided that PahjgiM would tend a representative tovtiuTcouncil. He had interviewed the county engineer and also several members who promised that the works required would be proceeded with without delay, _ He hoped the settlers would act in unison in furthering their interests, as by so, doing they could perform a good deal, and he had strong hopes that t hey would find future benefits arise from it

The Chairman said it was for the meeting to take into consideration what it was best for them to do under the circumstances they 'woiildhaveratostopay, and he thought it would be better for them to have the spending of their own money as it was at present the money collected was sent to Mastertoh, and the settlement being so far from head quarters, their requirements were not properly known. If they had the spending of : the rates they would be able to use them. to more advantago as they knew best what wai wanted. He also thought the settlers were greatly neglected in tho County not calling for tenders for'work to be dono in such a •way they could apply for them, instead of which, the specifications wero left at Eketahuna. Great negLct was also shown in .the way some of tho contracts wero carried out, in one instance a man took a contract and was allowed to take his own time ovci' it, in another tho contractor did his best to finish in tho specified time, and failing whish was informed that all expenscj incurred after the time, by the officials travelling up to inspect it, would have to be borne by him, This lie considered was a great injustice, and thought that the contractors should either be made carry the work out properly or forfeit the usual amount, Ho was of opinion that the district would bo best served by forming a Highway Board, and it would be moro advantageous for them to manage their own affairs. ,

Mr Chamier said ho thought Hie thank's of the meeting were duo to Mr McCardle for the trouble he had taken oil their behalf He thought it was high timo that the Bottlers did something ior themsolves, he was glad to see that the petition they had forwarded had done some good. It had shown that they were alive to their own interest, and thought that they should form a Highway Board of their own without delay, He was glad to see so many gentlemen present, some especially who could give them good advice, and if they intended to go in for a Board, they should Btriko the blow at once. The .presont rateable value of the settlement would, according to returns sent in, amount to between £BO and £IOO a year, and a3 the settlers would bo rated for improvements, would amount to something considerable in a year or two, aud he considered that if they had the handling of the money, it wortd be spent more judiciously that it could if the expenditure was placed in the hands of a Board in Masterton. Then again, 33 per cent of the money paid for land was returned by Government for improvements, this might not he spent by the Council m the district at all, It might go back to Wellington for all they knew, what they required was a local body to seo that the money was spent in tho district, If they had a Board, their doings would have more weight among higher authorities, as at present they were only treated as poor settlers and their petitions perhaps consigned to the wasta paper basket. He w«uld move " That it is in the opinion of this meeting that a Highway Board, to be called the Pahiatua Highway Board would bo advantageous to the district, and that steps be at once taken to form the samo." . Mr If. Manns seconded the resolution. Mr McCardle. stated that the rates would be the same whether they continued in the Maaterfon Highway Board or not, Thoy were rated according to the returns Bent in to the Government, and they could be no worse off if they had a Highway Board of their own, as they, could not expeot to got more than the rates collected spent if they continued in the Masterton District) and, besides, the exponses of engineer, would be deducted from such rates before the works would be proceeded with. They would, by being an independent Board, work with very little expense; they could tßke advantage of the Government valuators, and all the money collected could be spent in improvements," They would also hava a roiee in the County Connoil in the work required to be done by the County, whereas at present worki were carried on by those wlu did not know the requiremeits of the settlers, He thought they would not only be doing the district good, but the Masterton Highway Board as well (who had a much too extended area to look after), in administering their own local affairs, and lie would heartily support tho resolution. He thought those settlers who were fortunate enouph to own sections on the main road should assist those in the back ones by paying higher rates, and he thought they oould do a much larger amount of work with the money they would ..have at their command j and being suoh a long, distance irom Masterton they could not expect to be io well represented. Besides, the large staff of ofßoials employed was a heavy dram on the whole district. Mr Moore said he was in favor of the resolution,, and found it was the same in public as in private matters —the larger the amount of work the larger the staff—and thought that if a Board was formed they would, knowing their .own reqnirements, work with more advantage and economy than a distant and larger Board, The Chairman informed the meeting thai ■the Government would collect the Maori rates, so that the Board would have no difficulty in that direction, Messrs J, Ball, J. Hughes, H. Manns, C. Diaper, King, and others also supported the resolution, .

Mr Ohamier said he was glad to see tho resolution bo heartily supported, and stated that several non-rerident landholders had written to him arid approved of the idea of forming a distinct Board in the district, As far aa the rating went, he was glad to see the front settlers willing to tax themselves to help the back ones, for they mmt all know that the success of a town depended on .the suburbs j and when they had a Board of thei'.swn, they could elect'men who would know what was wanted, and get it done to the bast advantage. The Chairman said that after such a unanimous expression from those present he thought .it jms hardly worth while to put the roso!ut : o i to them. • ;

Tiie reso;utijn was eventually unanimpiuly i;:irried The Chairman informed them that it would.be necessary for them to appoint a eommitteo to lay the' matter before the proper authorities. . / ■

' It was resolred oa the motion of Mr M#or«, landed by Mr King-" Thatthiw

jorm a committer to ciriy out the views of, this meeting, and that Messrs Chamier,. McCardle/ and Manns tie the committee," > The proceedings thed/ became ol a conversational nature, durim; which the matter i was entered into minutely, when the question of amalgamationiiwaa disnniaia^jjfc said North'and South Counties would be far bitter, and considered that 'two could be worked cheaper than one. If they went in for the old provincial government he. would heartily support such' a proposal, but not one for amalgamation. He did not think suffi-, ci«nt interest had been iaken in the Pahiatua , district; meetings had been called by the powers that be at every place but there, They had a meeting at Kketahuna, but he thought that those who convened the meeting there knew that the settlers were like a musical bpx. all they had to do was to turn the handle ahd play what, tune they liked, He did not'eonsider they had been properly ■treated, and thought they ought to have been asked for their opinion as well as the Eketshuna settlers; he would therefore support a.Korth and South County, The Chairman said he would like to hear the opinion of some o:t tho visitors on the subject Mr. Vile then stated that ito was in favor of the resolution, and thought that two Counties were far preferable to one large one, as he considered one to the extent of 100 miles by. 50 miles too large for judicious management, and the broken nature of the county and the large amount of road work to be carried on would make it almost linnossibla for it to be done. If the Counties were to be left with their present ridiculous boundaries he would support amalgamation, but as tho boundaries are proposed for the North and South Counties he thought they wero vary desinWo, and should support it,. In the North there wero plenty of roads that were required, and they wero more likely to get them done, and it cohM hardly be expected that ono Engineer could do justice to such a large County, for some portion was sure to oe neglected,. The mover of the resolution at Mwterton suggested that it .would be more economical if they were amalgamated, but he failed to point out where it would come in; for, no doubt, it would require a larger iitaff instead of bong able to diminish the present ones. He thought it far proferablo to divide the Counties North and South, and he did not think they would ever carry tho amalgamation of the Counties.

Mr Chamier said he was glad to hear tho meeting express such a decided opinion on the subject, and thought if they did not do something of the kind they would deserve to have tho name they were credited with. Ho hoped tho views they bud expressed would reach the proper authorities so that they could seo that the settlers of Pahiatua wero fully ware of their importance, and thoir right to express an opinion on affairs genorally.

Several other gentlemen expressed their opinions in favor of the resolution, which, on being put to the meeting, was carried unanimously. A vote of thanks to the chairman ooncludcd a very enthusiastic meeting,

The new paper wheels which art coming into use so largely in the United States are about to be introduced into Germany. The Yossicht Ztitung states that the celebrated establishment of Herr Krupp at Essen has just received from a Prussian railway company an. important order for railway wheels, for which the box only will be of metal, while the spokes arid the felloes will be made entirely of paper. Paper wheels are admitted, howevor, to involve in the outset a greater expense.