The Lighting Question.

Waipukurau Press, Volume I, 4 May 1906, Page 3

The Lighting Question.

*—. PUBLIC MEETING.

There was an attendance of between fifty and sixty persons at the meeting convened for last night by the Hon W. C. Maith to consider the lighting quest ion. Dr Godfray being unavoidably absent, Mr P. Barrie was voted to the chair on the motion of the convenor. The chairman expressed pleasure at seeing so many present, which, he thought, indicated an earnest desire that the town streets should be provided with a system of lighting. He called upon the convenor of the meeting to address those present. Hon Mr Smith took the platform amid applause. He*remarked that the attendance was satisfactory in view of the fact that only ratepayers were interested. He would liked t • have seen all the members of the Town Board present, and as it was understood they were all eager for a lighting system he wa* surprised that only one member [Mr Williams! had come. When the Town Board was formed, the chairman had promised that lighting would receive prompt attention. The board had taken up the matter, but after a notification convening a

/meeting of ratepayers had been adWvertised for four weeks, great dissatisfaction was felt because the proposed meeting had to be postponed. as ihe chairman discovered that they were working under the Act of 1886, which act had been repealed by the re-enactment Act / of 1901. If Mr Chambers was so strongly in favour of the scheme, he ought to have taken the ratepayers into his confidence and convened a meeting three months ago and talked the matter over before taking the supposed statutory steps to raise a loan, then there would have been a chance of getting the light before winter. He (Mr Smith) had seen the minutes of the board’s meeting, and it was simply stated that the board intended to raise a loan of £3OO, but did not specify for wbat purpose. As a matter of fact a loan could not be borrowed under the Town Districts Act for lighting purposes: the money would have to be raised from another source. He noticed that the board had passed an account from the Government Printer tor £1 8s 9d —that amount ought to have provided all members with copies of the necessary acts. According to the local paper, the chairman had made a lucid statement as to the procedure for raising a loan, but unfortunately he was working under an Act that had ceased to exist. Mo wonder he was not present that night. Instead of calling a meeting at once when he discovered the error, he simply had a Juotice put in the paper postponing f he meeting that had been convened for that night. Mr Smith explainI ed that the Treasury was very parI ticular, and no error in the official I announcements could pass it; the I chairman sought legal advice (which I he ought to have got before) and I*' then stopped the proceedings. It ■ vMs proposed that the matter should I come up agan at next meeting of I the Board on Monday, but unless I this present meeting had been held I the board would still not know I the mind of ratepayers, and further I unnecessary expense might be enI tailed. Unless the question were ■ dealt with at once, there would be ■ no time this winter but if properly ■ gone about the po 1 ! could be taken ■ in ten days. He was sorry the ■ chairman or the board were not ■ present; if they were really interfl ested they ought to attend. [The H speaker also referred to the striking fl of the 2d rate, which he explained H had not been properly done, and ■ would not be accepted by a magisB trate, as the Act specified that estiB mates of proposed expenditure B must be advertised at least seven B days before the rate was struck.] ■ He was not antagonistic to the H board in this matter, but desired M to facilitate the immediate lighting/of the streets. He moved ■ the following motion That this IB meeting of ratepayers requests the Board to at once raise a loan ■| for street lighting purposes, and ■that lamps be erected throughout the township at or near the folplaces: Tavistock Place, ■near foot of Town Hall ; corner of or post office; n< ar railway in main street; corner of ■■Oddfellows’ hall in Norlhumber-"Aland-street; corner MarlLoroughnear end of traffic bridge; gjßNapier road, near Catholic Church; • \Hcorner on terrace near rt sidence of Lomas ; at foot of street oppohospital; Kemp’s corner in BBlhurch-lane;' centre of BedfordK^flerrace; opposite Mr Cook’s house, •Nfl&acecourse road ; one unplaced 12).” (Applause.) Mir P, Gow seconded the motion. ■j e thought the time had arrived adoption of a good system lighting. On being put to the meeting, the declared the resolution carried. Mr Smith further moved, that a of the resolution just passed forwarded to the Town Board. ■-Seconded by Mr Nelson, and !§|gfl Replying to chairman, Mr Smith ||i|Bid he' left the system of light an HflHLen matter for the ratepayers. Of

cour-e, the amount of loan would have to be sufficient to cover the cost of lamps? He suggested that any advocates' of lighting systems address the meeting. Mr Rose, representing the Kitson light, gave full details of his system, some of the particulars having appeared at different times in these columns. The lamp near the bank corner had consumed l| gallons of kerosene for 23 hours’ burning. For street-lighting and large building purposes he challenged competition with any other light. The Kiison hau been esiablished about ten years, and it did not require the attention of an expert. He recommended twelve lamps for Waipukurau, which could be erected complete for £348. In reply to a question Mr Rose said there was uo danger with the Kitson light. Votes of thanks were passed to the speakers and chairman, and the meeting terminated at 9.40.