PROPOSED BOROUGH FOR CAMBRIDGE. PUBLIC MEETING.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2132, 9 March 1886, Page 2

PROPOSED BOROUGH FOR CAMBRIDGE. PUBLIC MEETING.

Pursuant to a lequmtiou signed by a nuni ber of ratepayers Mr tFulin H<uurhton, Chairman of the Ciiiibiid/o Town Board, convened a public meeting, wlncli took place last night, ti> con-idrM thu .id\i-.ibility of constituting thu town a boiough. About 100 persons were picsent. The Chairman, Mr lionghtnii, road tlic ad\eitisemeut calling tins meeting. He '•aid they weie a<*ciis«»d of being asleep, and that it was thought it would Ini step in advance to become a boiongii. Whether that would be so or not was a matter of opinion. The subject had not been lost sight of, but they had been expecting the new bill uitioduced last s<;-sion would hays parsed, guing more facilities for mich a change. As it was uncertain it was thought better th.it the meeting bo called to \entilatc the .subject. He called upon those present to address the meeting. Mr G. W. Russell rose and naid he had not drafted a resolution, but he had one t<» propose, which was as follows: — '' That it is ad usable to form Cambndge into a borough under the Act of 1870." He would state why he thought so. In justice to himself and others who took an active pait in public matters, he would state why he advocated the movement. As Burns had said : "() w.id some power the ijiftic gie us, to see ouiseh as ithers see us." Those who had seen other towns in other parts of the colony progressing under the benefits and advantages of the Act, would iigreo that it would bo well for them hero to do the same as they had done. When he camo to Cambridge and saw such a nice town and nice district, and decided to make his home amongst them, he wondered why they were content to remain on a par with such small towns as To Awatnutu. With such stores and institutions as they possesspd, why did they not adopt the Lugcr powers confeired by the Act? He had endeavoured to stimulite that feeling since he had been here, and uoint out the necessity that exit-ted for .1 water supply, gas, etc. He was now acting consistently with these efFoits to stir the people up to adopt a more energetic course. Only List night a house in the heart of the town and near buildings of thousands of pounds in \alue had been burnt down and not a soul knew anything of it till they were goiug to chinch in the morning. This was not a proper state of things for a town like Cambridge. As a borough they would enjoy higher rank. He instanced the success attending the town of Hamilton, and tho push they displayed, because they had acquired those larger powers, ranking as a boiough, which fact was circulated throughout the colony to its credit. It would be the same with Cambridge. One objection against the proposal was that they would have nine councillors instead of five in Town Board, and it was said that they could not get nine good men here. It was an insult to the town to say so (applause). If these proposals were adopted and a vigorous system of public works were undertaken, it would be far better to have nine men to administer their affairs, and if any log-rolling was to be done, the 103 had better be rolled by nine than five men. (Applause). They were not to consider anything about any loan ; that was quite distinct from the question of forming a borough. It was said that there would be an increase in the cost of printing, advertising and salaries, but the expense would be the same as undir the Town Districts Act. If they could obtain these advantages and rank as a borough, why should they hj debarred from doing so? (Applause). He doubted if the proposed bill would pass ne\t session, as a dissolution seemed inevitable, and no Government would take up such a bill in a moribund Parliament. Hamilton was pushing ahead, and they should put their shoulders to the wheel and take their proper position. ( Vpplause). Mr T. Wells seconded the resolution pro forma, and reserved his arguments. He thought it due to Mr Russell to say that the meeting ww under an obligation to him for the logical manner in which he had placed the subject before them. The Chairman invited others to speak to the motion, but the meeting seemed diffident for a considerable time. Mr Wells agam rose, and said it would be as well to state the ourse that would be followed if the resolution were carried. The Town Board would forward a petition signed by a majority of the ratepayers to the Governor, praying for the town ta be proclaimed a borough. It did not become the gravity of the subject to allow it to pass without a full exptcssion of opinion. He suggested that a petition signed by a larger number of property owners bo obtained. A silent vote to-night would not avail the object m hand. He hoped som» of the large property owners present would give their views as a guide to those who were working in the matter. Mr Clements, in response to Mr Wells, would say a few words. Three years ago Mr Wells had introduced the Town District Boatd, which had promised great things'. He was quite satisfied with tho present order of things, and could not see the advantage of having a borough, except that the council would have power to borrow. (No, no.) Well, those who formed the council would. (]No, only by direct vote of the people.) Well, he was misinformed, but he could not see that a borough was wanted. Mr Russell said a loan could only be raised by a vote from a majority of the burgesses, and unless one-half at least voted in its favour it could not be raised. A year ago the town board tried to raise a small loan, and although all the ratepayers voted for it, it could not be obtained owing to the number of absentees. Mr Isaacs asked that a show of hands be taken. Mr J. S. Buckland proposed as an amendment, " That Cambridge be uot formed into a borough." He was uot a speaker like Mr Russell, though he was not backward when Helling cattle. He did not think they should be dictated to by Mr Russell, who had only be*m here a short time, and was onlyot mushroom growth. (Criesof "Order"'). He did no think the hre would have been put under any quicker if the place had been a borough. Mr Johnson seconded the amendment. Mr Wells said the cost of working a borough was no greater than with a town board, as the methods were identical. In all probability a new Act would become law next session. He was quite sine that it would be one of the measures Parliament would deal with, therefore the town would become a borough without any petition or further trouble on their part, and he thought it better to wait till then, when they could obtain what they wanted cut and dried. The best men were unwilling to enter into public affairs. They all knew that the Hamilton Council had been a laughing-stock for years, owing to one or two narrow-minded selfish men getting into it and making it so intolerable that the best men would not remain, and even the mayor himself was shut out from all committees. Unless immediate tangible results were to be gained, why not wait a few months until the new Act came into force ? He thought consideration should be deferred, and would vote against the motion. (Applause.) Mr W. S. Stewart was not surprised at the tone adopted by some of the speakers, but was surprised that Mr Wells showed such distrust of the ratepayers as to think nine good men could not be obtained. He had heard the greatest dissatisfaction expressed on all sides with the present condition of affairs. Mr Asher was surprised that Mr Buckland, who was soon leaving the colony, should propose such an amendment, and thought theie was a good deal of party spire in it. He knew there was a bad feeling because Mr Russell had opposed his obtaining the site for the sale-yards. (Cries of " Question " and " Order.") He thought it showed spite. (Commotion). [Mr Asher was called to order. He asked the meeting to weigh the matter well, and not be led away by such remarks.] The Chairman said, in reply to Mr Stewart, that the Town Boaid was not to blame for the universal flatness that existed. It was answerable for many misdoings, but thnt was not one of them. Mr Russell, in reply, said that Mr Buckland showed he was more at home amongst his cattle and horses than at a public meeting. Mr Buckland was a mushroom that was dying off, but he (the speaker) was a mushroom that was just .spiinging up. (Laughter). [The speaker \va« referring to the subjeot of the sale yards when he was called to order. J He thought the question had met with good treatment. Mr Wells asked that they should wait for an improbable Bill to pass, but he asked t\em to take advantage of the Act now

existing and become a boiough within two months. Ho hiw Hamilton was pushing ahead unl lit hid tfood ii'.Hoiiii fm s.iMng tli.it eifoits wniilil be made to i leut c tttle sih' y.ii rl-. .it Franktoii in oidci t" ill iw th'j whole of the W.ukato trade, th.ii 1 . There w. it only mom f<« one big town, a'ld that mu^t be uthei Hamilton or Cambridge. He conJudi'd with gnat v .ninth, .mil a^ked tin- iu> t.inu p ii"t t«i listen to ,i man who w.is ,■ , , x m^ up his tr >]>- 'uiil li ,i\ me the c i\n t >. (Appl.uw. ) Mi I»ue!vl md ro-. • [ , ~,i ik but was rult-d out of I'idci, the Cli.iiiii'.ui s.ivinj,' there had been tii'iii^h (ice 'iialihe-i Tl.eie were tomo hsrly j)i->,ig,>^ of arm-. .1-. to the .iMie'idiniMit. The Ch.inin in exnituilly mlid lh.it it \\.\t nut in ordt'i <indcille<l for .1 thow of h.mds fni th«' in i^i'i.il retolntion, ulnuli w'iu carried by 1?4 m f.iMiur, .is .ijfu'n-t 11 m o|)p i^itio'i to it. The motion was declared cann'd. Will- ino\ed ,i \ote of th.inks tn Mi Riitti'H foi biin^in^ (.In; matter fniw.ml, md lnfii-injT i new -.pint into tliu town. Mi J). Richaidiou --ucond'-d, and wished he was a speaker, but could not find words will) which to clotlio hw ideas (A voice: "Whit! Notaftei 22 yens!' Roars of lauphtea). After a \ote of thanks t>> the chair, the meeting dispensed in good humour.