HAMILTON TOWN BELT.

Waikato Times, Volume XIII, Issue 1157, 25 November 1879, Page 3

HAMILTON TOWN BELT.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —It is now some time since the town belt allotments were leased, but nothing has been done by the lessees to* wards making the required improvements. Now that work is slack about Hamilton a few fencing and ploughing contracts would come very acceptable to working men. lam more than ever convinced that the plan under which the Norough Council disposed of those leases was a wrong one, and that had the proposal made by' a member of the Council been adopted—whereas it did not even find a seconder—many of these lots would now be in a condition of being improved. That proposal, was to give the poor man a fair chance to get hold of these lands by making the rent bid at auction commence only after the fifth year, meantime charging' the nominal yearly rent of one shilling per acre, and giving five years for the performance of the fencing. Had this been done I venture to say we should

have seen these lands in course of improvement before now.—l am, &c , Broom East Hamilton, Nov. 24, 1879. [Our correspondent i's scarcely correct in his statements, as to our knowledge there is one leased allotment—and there may he more—fenced and planted, viz., that leased by Mr Price, It was not, however, to he expected that lessees generally would set to work until the leases were executed, and there has been some unavoidable delay in the matter. As regards the proposal referred to it would, if practicable, have been a very fair and proper one, but the Domain Board which has to do with the matter—not the Borough Council as our correspondent supposes, though both bodies are composed of the same individuals—had no other source of income whatever but these rents. How then was it to survey the land, advertise, and sell the leases without funds? The cost of survey amounted to over jGIOO, and is not all paid yet, nor will be until the next half-year’s rent is collected. JH ad the town belt' been dealt with by the Borough Council instead of by a separate and independent body (the Domain Board), with separate powers and responsibilities, the idea could have been carried out, but without a shilling of funds to work upon beyond the prospective rents, and with the heavy expense unavoidable of survey, &c., it was impossible to have acted otherwise. The proposal was simply a shallow -electioneering dodge ito catch the votes of the unthinking at corporation elections. None knows this better than our correspondent; none knows better than he that the proposal was bound to fall to the ground as a practical impossibility under the circumstances.—Ed, ir.r.i

TO THE EDITOR. Sib,—To-night, at the meeting ot the Borough Council, Councillor Vialou proposed, and Councillor ■ Beaiiß seoonded, "That the minutes as read be confirmed." An amendment was proposed that an error in those minutes be erased, and for this amendment voted Councillors Knox, Harris, Dawson, Vialou, Peat, and MoDonald. Councillor Beale, as soon as the amendment was voted on rose to Bpeak on the subject, when the Chairman ruled that he (CounciUor'B.) was out of order, the amendment having been put and voted on. Councillor Beale exclaimed, "I won't take your ruling," and would not sit down, although Councillor Vialon, who ordinarily pulls the strings that move him, strongly recommended him to do so. Atlast he Bat down and then refused to vote at all on the question, although the standing orders were read stating that if any Councillor refused to vote on any motion he was guilty of an offenoe. Councillor Beale stated that his reason for not voting was " that he had not heard all the minutes read and confirmed, and consequently could not vote on the, amendment," and he would therefore leave the chamber " whilst the amendment was being voted oa" (after it had been carried, mind you!!)—and he left! And yet Councillor Beale had seconded the motion of Councillor Vialou to confirm those same minutes " which he had not heard." This is consistency with a vengeance, both on the part of Councillors Beale and Vialou, the latter of whom voted against his own motion. Kow, burgesses, I ask you if a man who acted in Council as Councillor Beale did is fit to take the place of permanent Chairman as Mayor ? How nice it would be for Councillors to be sat upon as Councillor Beale wished to sit on the Chairman to-night.—l am, &c,

UNLOOKEE. Hamilton, Nov. 24,1879.