PUBLIC. MEETING.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2324, 18 June 1886, Page 2

PUBLIC. MEETING.

A public meeting, convened by the Mayor, was held last-night at the Institute'.' ''"

.The Mayor presided, and stated the meeting'was to" consider the proposal to raise a loan of £IOOO for the purpose of obtaining a steam fire engine and an irn.proVed'Wat'er suppiy'/'Thero were about eighty persons present, but before the meeting terminated, tho number had been increased by another,fifty. ;-.' A plan, of tho ,of Masterton was exposed to view, sub-divided into wards in accordance with the proposal laid before the Borough Council at its meeting last Tuesday. The Clerk read the advertisement convening tho meeting, and'its objects.. Tho Mayor said tho Counoil had pasßcd a resolution that it was desirable the Borough should havo a steam fire engine, and the Aot.had been complied with in calling them togothor. He knew a great many objected to inoroased rates, but the timo had arrived when increased means were required to extinguish fireß. He knew a great many would object who resided in tho outlying districts of tho Borough. But the most of the rates came from tho centre (Mr Woodroofe: No!) Well he- (the Mayor) would deal with that by-and-by. He agroed with Mr Woodroofe 1 that the Borough was too large. ButUhere it was, was, and as it existed so would they have, to deal with it. The plan before them showed the Borough divided into four parts.' The two centre ones, or Masterton proper, represented £IB,OOO of the rateable value of the Borough, and the two outside portions only £6,000 in round numbers. He felt sure they would see the justice of the proposal that a sum of £IOOO should be raised for a steam fire engine and a better water supply, although it would only dire«4ly benefit the business,

portion of the totfu, when they remembered that the, business part contributed three-fourths of the rates. The money could be borrowed m six per cent., and a rate of one penny in the £ would provide a sinking fundand pay the interest, But it would not necessarily follow that they would have to strike the penny rate, as they might be able to pay what they wanted out of the ordinary or out of Government subsidies which they would most likely obtain again this year At the worst they would only have to strike a penny rate. The division of the Borough into wards would allow each ward to strike its own rate according to its requirements.

Mr W. Perry asked if tliey wore not wandering from the purpose of the meetins;.

.The Mayor said they were not, he only wanted to show that the burden of repaying the loan would, if the proposal were adopted fall upoa those benefitted, That could be done by dividing the Borough into wards and ho felt sure that would be done. He thanked them for their patient hearing. He thought he had shown them how desirous it was to have a steam fire engine, and he hoped he had convinced them of the advisability of authorising the loan, If time permitted when the present business was concluded he would endeavor to give an account of hii stewardship, He invited discussion,

Mr G. W. Woodroofe.whowasreoelved with cheers, said he differed with the chairman in all his remarks. He objected to the Bhort notice-twenty-four hoursthat had'been given of the meeting. The Mayor Baid that was not the case. The advertisement was inserted in both papers on Monday last, and the notice of the proposed loan once a week for four weeks, in accordance with the Act.

Mr Woodroofe: I .say, Sir,, it wa» advertised yesterday for the first time. The Mayor: But such is not the case; Mr Woodroofe, Appeal to the editors; they are both here.

Mr Woodroofe: I looked carefully through the Star, sir, and it was not in Monday's paper.. I never read Mr Payton's-paper. (Laughter.) The Mayor: But you are wrong in your statements, and should apologise. Mr Woodroofe: Oh 11 know 1 am an unwelcome visitor here.

The Mayor: No; I like you very much, _ Mr Woodroofe went on to say he considered if was very unjust, on the part of the Council to try' and impose farther liabilities on the ratepayers, Mr Gapper: Question.

Mr Woodroofe said he' was in order. Mr Gapper had a lot of things to answer for in his actions as Councillor. They tried to smooth things over with their "Oh, it's so pleasant" and "Oh, it's so smooth" (laucrhter), but it was like putting their hand in a man's pocket and saying it would not.hurt him. In regard to the necessity for a fire enpine, what was their town ? There were two or three Banks, three or four publiehouses, and a few Btoreß, These were all that v;ere interested, and why go to the outsiders to pay for it'/ (hear I hear!) They wore going on at a fine rate, they had paid Mr Eenall £2OO for land, and bought land from Mr Perry for street-widening, The first Mayor was thought extravagant, but he would not have plunged to the extent that had been done since, (laughter) To put it to the vote without proper notice was unfair, The gas rate was not paid yet, The outsiders, aB well as the insiders, would have to pay £SOOO out of it before it became a paying concern. Kerosene, the Chairman' had told him, was better than gas, (Laughter,) Maatprton was getting too big for its boots. Borrowing money waß ruining the country. The funds of the Borough could be seized to pay debentures when due. He trusted the meeting would give its unanimous vote against the proposal. ';

Mr James Eqaaell thought they were rather premature, The better course was to divide the borough into wards, and then they would be able to got what they wanted, provided they had funds. The Mayor: " Address the chair please." Mr Russell apologised and continued: Five-ei?hths of the Borough hadnobei.cfit from the Fire Brigade, Library, Water works and River protection, Ho would certainly urge the meeting and ratepayers to divide the Borough into wards first. He pointed out the injustice of the present application otherwise. MrPaytonsaid he had not intended to speak that evening, Ho thought the proper course to take was to move that a poll of the ratepayers be taken. Possibly there might be on 9 or two on the confines of the town who could look on afire raging in the centro with a smile of indifference. He did not think there would be more. He had no doubt they would be glad to assist them in procuring the best means of extinguishing fires. Mr Woodroofe: Ha I Ha I

Mr Payton said his friend on his left (Mr Woodroofe) laughed, He might be one of the smiling exceptions he had allowed for. Ho thought the ratepayers were entitled to a poll on the question, and moved accordingly. Mr S. S. Gapper in sacondiug the motion said he should hare thought his fellow townsmen would have been convinced of the necessity of getting a fire engine from past experience. He referred to the fire brigade and its working. He said the Council were expected to look after the interests of the town, and they did so to the best of their ability. He pointed out the justice of the present application, and hoped Mr Muir would point out them, as he had often done in the Council, the advantage of having a steam fire engine. He sat down after some further remarks amidst cheers.

Mr Muir eaid, although not altogether in favor of the motion he thought the the Council might fairly go in for a steam fire engine at a cost of £6OC. The other £6OO which was sought to be obtained he thought was not wanted. The creeka, by the aid of a steam fire engine, would be amply auffioient. The present manuals were old and all but uaelcas, and one steam engine would equal three suoh manuals, The cost of working was considerably greater with the manual. He would rather see the money raised bv the Council and Town Lands Trust without obtaining a loan and a rate. Mr Woodroofe moved as an amendment that a poll be not taken. The Mayor ruled that it was not an amondment.

Mr Woodroofe insisted, amidst considerable amusement, that it was an amendment, It was monstrous, he said, to carry such a resolution without giving him a fair hearing;, The Mayor informed Mr Woodroofe that although he had not moved an amendment he was at liberty to speak to the motion.''

Mr Woodroofe resumed. He asked were they going to saddle that monstrous burden upon the innocent f—(Laughter.) The people were trampled upon.—(Hear, hear.) ( The Mayor: Which people? Mr Woodroofe said those people who had no benefit' from the outlay. The Borough was muoh too large. Let them wait until the Municipal Corporations Bill was through the House. He had carried" a petition round to get the area of the Borough reduced, and a great many supported it He had met one man, though, who never broke a piece of bread without offering up a prayer, and he would not sign the petition.—(Boars.) The Mayor asked the Bpeaker to confine himself to the question. Mr Woodrotf* eaid he ajm cooing

director tp the proposal, HUavored a reduction of'tlie size of the Mftigh and division into .wards.,, He'H|] e d the people ofMasterton.would do justice to vote against, the motion. Mr fiussell;.. spoke upon' the works' done during the six years of hia office as Engineer to the Borough, Mr D. Carman thought one great reason why it should hot go to the poll was that if it did there.was no doubt but that it would be carried. (Nol nol) If it should be carried it would show A n> justice to the outlying burgesses/iJßhey had to pay eitra rates, which wo™ be increased, no doubt, by sewerage rates and water works, They would not be able to pay it. He Imped the question would not, go to the poll. MrT.P. Giidwuod moved, That the vote of those,present be taken as to whether the loan shall lie obtained or not. The Mayor said thelfiotion was not in order, There was a motion already before the meeting which accorded with the Act. Mr Lowes said the whether the poll should'be'taketi at .some future time. He understood the advertisement calling the meeting to read, so.. The Mayor the'n'read the notice, Mr Lowes Baid the notice, veto exactly as he understood it. Mr Paytaffl niotiou was in order,-anir Mr Girdw&oas could not be.put. .'He, thought it was only courteous to the burgesses to allow a vote to be taken on th& question, but he suggested that the advocates of the loan should provido sufficient data toJw them the advantage of steam over niaaaJ, Messrs Mereweather's illustrated catalogue was handed in, and extracts read showing the advantage of steam over manual engines,

Mr Lowes Baid that was not exactly the data he meant. 'What he more particularly wanted was facts in connection with the cost of the engine, and whether the insurance companies would reduce their rates one half provided a steam fire engine were obtained (hear I hear I). A fact like that, if ascertained, would no doubt materially assist to carry the poll, There were many other things which, ia the wisdom of the Council, they might see necessary to set forth. The Mayor said that he found in all the towns he had visited where steam engines were employed they were greatly in favor of them over Mannals,

Mr Payton in reply said he regretted the nature of the objections, It was "get it by all means, but don't let iu pay." (Hear! hear !■) His friend on the left (Mr Woodroofe) said " Hear! hear 1" Would he have all; the advantages but none of the expense. Histoid* if in the country would probably be from £5 to £6 an acre, but being in the vicinity of a populous centre was wosth £6O or £6O and he ought to be the laA to. grumble after what had been dpßot him by the town. V ▼

The motion was put and declared lost. Ayes 22, noes 85.

The Mayor had intended to bring thr question of the division of the Borough into wards, but. the auditneo had evidently had enough and stampeded* The question, however, Hia Worship stated, would be brought np at a futura time, THE WAIPOUA ENCROACHMENT, (To the Editor,) Sir.—l see by your paper of the lfth inst, that certain schemes are published in connection with the protection of Masterton from the Waipoua. The schemes referred.to are, however a little one aided as the damage, they would involve on my property has not been even hinted at. With regard to forcinajfea river baok into its original channel would like to know where this channol was and I think that any' works which may b&. undertaken should not damage one man's property to save another's. I have lost very heavily through engineering works, on this river hitherto, and can point out where more than ten acres of my best flats have been swept away ; through works being constructed which caused the river to enoroaoh on the north, wak. In the present instance I intend to make the matter a subject of litigation if my interests suffer.—l am &c, S t