GREEK MEETS GREEK.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 3078, 10 December 1888, Page 2

GREEK MEETS GREEK.

At Friday's meeting of the Whareaina Road Board a lengthy discus-1 sibii ensued, upon the Chairman (Mr E, Meredith) proposing tbb'payments of £154 15s, mb)iey ; : diie to 'Mr Oirdwpod for a road contract on the East Poast.'- : The Chairman stated that'art injunction to stop payment had been 'granted' by the 'Supreme Gpnrt.; Since then the' injunction had been, heard and dismissed, there-fore-he hoped the aooou'nt would be passed to-day, andihe'oheque could then be held over ufl'tii the money was 'placed to the Boord's;credit- by the Colonial-; Treasurer ,■■ flemdved '-' That ;Mr>/.Girdivood's ; contract certified to by the County - Engineer bo passed for payment, cheque for same to be held over by the Treasurer of ths Board till tho loan of £2OO had '.l - .

* ' < . ' 1 J >i">V.i.'f *' i [been placed to credit by the -i • jt'oloninlTreaßureri"■ • ~."■ * 1 1. At tbo Chairman's request Mr i K. Meredith seconded ' ■ Mr Moore alluded to what ib«P J - r i plaeo with reference to tbeinjunotion ' leferred to ,by the Chairmau. The 'Natives objected to-iho road, and 11 both Judge 'Jlackay and Mr Mar- ■ chant contended Iho road was not a ' legal one through the Native reserve,. » The recent judgment of the Supremo , Court was givon ou' a technical I point and did not recognise the road # as a legal one as the following ino- ' \ i morandmu would show: ' E. Meredith, Esq., Chairman Wharo y-jjk ' limaltoadßoard. ~:\ v'i-:*'l< '';~y'; : >s| ' Attorney Gfciicmi ti Ymimlf;'' I Sir,--Judgment has beori given ;, ,U . herein in your favor on'the ground that :.:'•; you could not personally be restrained by :.:■ .'"'• \ ordor of the Court from committing': ,;,> what;would be. a corporate: act,-,Ko ■.'.;' 1 deciswu was given as to the legal p6Bi ; v: i ttoii of the roadj and wo consider; it,ouri i /:;. •, duty to point out that you .will be per-■:•"; \~ ; sonally:responsible for any;iU^V ;& pendituroto which you may blMM.tV' : ' , It is:a, pity, iuour opinionHPPßo .. . 1 judgment of the Cnurt.was'noMatenTn; ■■;, the real point at issue; but that was not '}';& '■ done aud we are unfortunately 7 as I froni a decision as ever. . ..',,• :;.-'■■ i ...'.'".'._ rYpursFaithfully,-- : : : T!^ '■' ' ;' i "... '•'■■■.'■;. Bkll, , Wellington, 30th Nov, 1888.■'■'•;" 7;.:.''■.'.:.'; '. Mr Moore, continuing,;read a copy;:. \ of a petition presented 'tp.the Bbard>>; -^ in: M ay: last: from Messrs Donald : • Donald, E;E'Tathara,^H; Nitz.and^:;:; ; G. Moore,- in which tlieyj as' special 1 ; ? ;'■. , ratepayers.'for,the:sum; of"£200; "^ botfowed,: expressed their cordial ' , approval of Board iii' adopting \o; i the-line of road laid 'oft"by-Mr,j&^ r ; Bawson, as the District road, and *;';; . most strongly protested;against any . ■; portion of that, sum being, expended '- on the.old line of road through : : Aparainia. -These petitions,'reprej;'■ I sentod an area of 10,680'; acres, : . " , valued; at £19,147, as. againstiM 1 :,:;; opponents; 2,716 aofes yiJueWt: ;• f; £6,138. There'was : an pid;adago;'y ; ;; " those who paytbepiper are entitledl ;■ , to choose the tune." In like manner ;:■ . lio considered,those who paid.the ... greater portion' of rates sbould have - : ;'; the most ;to say in choosing which;,; lino of road was most suitable.'-, Tho '■. ■ :'; road chosen by the majority of rate-.. payers was -the most favorable and 7'.;-: , not likely to suffer from the effects of . ■ flood as the old one. He also.read a'" , copy of areporfc received by tho.Masterton Board.from Mr.Bronineria,'' 1884 favoring the route, From this' ;,. ' it/was clear the-Masterton Boad 7 ; : Board considered this road hue should.. 7 be changedi and after considerable "; ■- delay, this Board, with two exceptions,:. '■;■'* consented to it. "Mr Moore /<-'; wardens if they,.voted,against / : £ what was originally proposed, ,ihey would be held personally responsible. . ;'■'.•.' The Chairmau said he would not .;' attempt to reply to Mr Moore's argu-; ; ments.^Tließoardbaiacoepted'Mr; Girdwood's tender, 4 the wliichhadbeea'appealdjg|fc|^^H P J s«HmWbiii;rMis:was ;c6ucluV- |'Hl ■ -Mr Moore differed.;:";'; : The Chairman:' Well, we wiU;soe^- : ■ If the money is not paid MvGirdwood 'hh will take steps to recover whioh '• ■ would inour further legal expense." ' ■Mr Moore:,. The ratepayers who borrowed the money have always,, : ; been,opposed to its being spent on Mr Girdwoo'd's contract, ; , :.

The. Ohairinau said personally lie' did not care ■ whether Mr Girdwood was paid or not. They could throw ' his proposition out if they liked.'" _ 'Mr Cm-swell said when this que3'.tf. tion came upon a previous he retired, and would again, aski '.'.'. Chairman to allow him'to do so.* ; did not wisli his name to be mixed up .-' in squabbles of this kind. This dispute was looked upon outside as a : private one between the Messrs, ~ Meredith and Moore. ;'.. This the latter gentleman denied/ . Mr Carswell: Well I am under ■.. that impression. _Mr Moore: An impression of that kind has been circulated, but it is '' false,

Mr Carswell felt convinced that the persons who signed the various ' petitions.did not know their.own ■'.■'. minds. Ho felt sorry the matter ■', Lad not been mutually agreed upon ■■■„ without implicating the ratepayers. They had no legal roads in that district, and parliamentary stops would have to bo taken to legalise them. Mr Moore: The road laid off by Mr Bawsonis a legal one, Tho Chairman asked Mr Moire . not to interrupt. . \Pf Mr Moore considered the ratepayers should be consulted as they would have to contribute for the next 26 i years lo the loan, by which timothoiaA'-. money would be washed out to He would move as an amendment: \ J' That before Mr Girdwood's account ' is passed the amount of *620 due to ' Mr E. Donald for timber be paid.' 1 Mr Elder did not think that™ an amendment. Mr Moore argued if Mr Girdwood'u" account was passed, the timber which he (Mr Moore) wbb authorised to procure should also be paid. Mr Carswell: Certainly. (To the ' < Chairman). What is the position of the loan? The Chairman said ho had applied to have the money placed to the : credit of tho Board.and expected this' to.be done almost immediately. Mr Moore: If my previous amendment is out of order I will move that before Mr Girdwood jsnaid the special ratepayers be an opinion. ' ' j. • ■ The Chairman did not thinklfr Moore's amendment had anything to do with the question now before' Mw Board.

Mr Mooro was still of opinion if. - the mouey was spent on the road it ;. .- would be thrown away; The Chairman: Then your views ~■ differ with Messrs Breniner, and McLachlan, three of the best' engineers in the district, . . ' Mr Moore then moved a further amendment" That before Mr Gird- - wood's account be passed for payment the special ratepayers for the loan of £2OO lo requested, by circular, to ■ •'"'. express their views upon tlie expen. '■ diture thereof," This was seconded by Mr Elder. ; .The Chairman declined to'piit the ' ampMment,bnthp ground' that jl [■:, "'."■; was intended to call ju question the '• -: validity of the action of the Board in i~- "'■ accepting Mr Girdwood/s tender, as ■'""' ■ V •also of the. depisiop of the, Suprep i; '■:':,) Court in the case^-' ;;i ■'< ,■:'. :^-r'^.% ">,/,;N&

: Mr Modre'aaid that if : 'they|c6uldV'K£i j not agree/it lypnldb'e better td appeal :i ';'*- », : jto the ratepayers; "All/this , rested'on tUe ohaitmaiij \vlio '.wasfp.;j 1 ! absentee.; '■■ in : tlie'.di s I neighborhood.;..^--:?•';■ • r ?.'■;■ \ : .m- ' ; ■ ■■ ;V -4si< I -Mr E. : B;'Meredith 1 That^matter' has been fashed out long ago. , %tf Mr Moore: Not by a long way! Thero is ,a good deal moie to bp fM heard of this mattty •;fl

'■'■; ' V., Mc Oftvawell) sdoihg•. that ,tho| . Oliainuau was about to'put his resolution, intimated his intention of ■ leaving the room. Ho thou retired .. accompanied by Mossrs Moo'ro ami Elder, V The Board being left without a , quorum, the Chairman rusliedrtiftor Mr Carawell, who returned with him to the Board r00m,.; - The Chairman and Mr 11 E, Moredith used every persuasion to try and iwluce Mr Carswell to resume ;; ' . his sent, MrCarswellwasproof against argument and declined to take part in the . . passing of Mr Girdwood's account, \ and again left the room. After considerable delay the Chairman assured the trio if thoy wonH return to sign cheques lie' would, withdraw'his motion, This was approved of, and after signing ohequos and adopting Mr Bremncr's report on the further extension of the Blairlogie road, tho . ineMing terminated.