The Waipukurau Press. Tuesday, May 8, 1906. THE LIGHTING MATTER.

Waipukurau Press, Volume I, 8 May 1906, Page 2

The Waipukurau Press. Tuesday, May 8, 1906. THE LIGHTING MATTER.

[n reference to the lighting loan and the public meeting held on Thursday evening, we desire to tnaks clear one or two points in which this paper is concerned. In the course of his remarks from the platform the Hon. W. C. Smith apparently conveyed the impression that the chairman of the Town Board “ made it right ” with the proprietor of this paper to keep silent on the error that had taken place in connection with the preliminary advertising for the loan. Mr Chambers did nol do so—never mentioned the matter, in fact; neither did we inform Mr Smith shat the Town Board chairman had said anything on the subject; so that the hon. gentleman’s supposition must have been erroneous. Another matter we think it our duty to mention is this: Some of the ratepayers are under the impression that the advertising error was a lather expensive affair- Not so, however ; so far as we know, i he expense incurred is very trifling, and it was a m stake such as often happens with even old-established local bodies. The chief complaint in the matter, however, appears to be the delay which was threatened in the installation of the lighting, which decided a section of the townspeople to take steps to “skake up the Board.” At its meeting last night the Town Board carried the necessary resolutions to take steps to give the ratepayers an opportunity to raise a loan of £4OO for streetlighting; purposes, and the Board’s solicitor will see that proper procedure is adopted. The Board seemed to think that the resolution sent from the public meeting was ultra vires, because [Lj no light was specified, [2] it is the ratepayers, not the Bonid. who decides the whole matter at. the poll, and [3] the meeting recommended what the Board was alieady doing. The chairman confessed he had made a mistake by taking proceedings under the wrong Act. At the poll the ratepayers will probably be asked to specify the number of lamps and the system of lighting to be used.