ADJOURNED PUBLIC MEETING AT PATERANGI.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2219, 28 September 1886, Page 2

ADJOURNED PUBLIC MEETING AT PATER ANGI.

Puisi ant tn an advertisement in Tmk W vikaio Timfs an adjourned meeting of ratep,i>eis was held in the Mangapiko Ivoad Board office on Satuiday, Mi Ryburn in the chair. The object of the meeting vms to discusH the advisability nf stiikmg a i ate m oider to get the ( Joveinment sub Mdy, also hospiU' .iff.ur-,, and the action of the (io\crtiinc<nt wftli reference to the alleged rabbit nuisance. There was a f.nr attendance of ratepayers fiom various ptrts of the distnet. The Chairman, having read tije adi n ti^ciii'-ut c illmg the m< < tmg, said U»e fii.st business w.is to consider tin' advisability of levying a rate for the cmrent ye.ir. The reason the boaid \vi>h( i| to call the meeting was that they did not in tend to levy a late, but a-, the (Joy eminent had promised a subsidy he thought it advisable to strike a rate in ordi r to get this subsidy. If .such rate, were not stiuck the loss to the distiict would be t'lL'O ; u/., £110 to the county council, and £110 to the highway board. Mr W. Jones : What is the balance in hand ? Tim Cleik said, the balance now in hand is £ir>7 18s 4d. Mr Roche : Arc there any outstanding liabilities again-t that sum ? The Chaw man said nothing more than a few pounds, there would, he thought, be about £150 to go on with. Mr Foster : If a rate were struck, would it be enforced in time to claim the subsidy ? The Clerk .said the subsidy would be paid on the rate collected. Mr Foster .said, if that were the case, and a rate were struck, payment should be enforced. He thought it would be unfair if one man paid his rates that another man should be let off. Mr Roche told him the boaid would not enforce payment. Mr Roche said that was not the impression he intended to convey to Mr Foster ; he intended to convoy the meaning that the board would not enforce immediate payment. Tho Clerk said the rate must, in ordei to get the subsidy, be paid by the 30th June of next year. In leply to a question, the chaiiman said he thought £100 would not be sufficient for the year, if any accidents occurred, such as broken bridges, otherwise he thought it wou'-J. In the event of any accidents a sp >ci,il late would have to be lev icil, upon which a subsidy would be paid if it was collected by the 30th June. But supposing the meeting decided not to strike a tate, the loss to the distnct would be as statpd, £220 m subsidy. Mr Westnev said half that -irn would be paid by the distuct, so that the actual gam would not be so much as stated. Mr Finch proposed and Mr Fry .see »nded "That no rate be struck." Mr Xabbs pioposed and Mr J. H. Scott seconded. "That a rate tie struck."' Mr Roche said if there was enough to tide over the present year thpre was no reason to go to any more expense. Some yeais ago he paid 2d per acre, and he could take as big or a biggei load than at present, when the late was Gel. If this system of taxation goes on we shall be taxed out of the countiy. The Chairman did not agree with Mr Iloche. He used the road-, more than any other farmer, vet he objected to taxing liiuisjlf to improve the r.>ad-« he used so much. The amend'ii >nt was then put. si\ \otmg for it. Tne motion, being put, was earned by an o\ei whelming mnjoutv. The next business Ivfoie the meeting was the consideration of the mode of administering the Rihbit Nuisance Act. Mr Uldh im, who was pieseut, ptodur^d and le id his latest instructions from Wei hngton, bo irm_r d ite of iVth August of this yeai. His com sc of action was laid down in this wan ant, tht^ piovsims of whti-h weic veiy stimgent. He Mmi lead the Act beai ing upon the mittei, bv th» piovisious of this Att tho people c mid foi m boaidfor the piupoMj of keeping down the ia!>bits, such boards however would b> under the su|iei \ i>ion of ti.e chief nispcctoi. Mr Ligertvxood c >ut >nded that by the warding of tiie c including clauses of th" \et all Acts weie >o;h> iW>d, aud the \ct itself was virtually killed by such wording He contended tint th ■ p >uer to 11 1 1 c -teps to keep down the. labbiti sliould they at any tune l>ecoine a nui-.inc — which tiiev an; not at piesent --hould be vested m the local bodies. In ie,i!y to (ju"-tions Mr OMhani s iid, if anv'Jie called his attention to the labbits it was his duty to attend to the m.ittei. Even if his ittontion weie not directed to it, if ho s.nv them hiirself it w is Ins duty to take action T.'io firm he hul adveiti-od was not lucked out because theie were moip rabbits on it thin on othei , ; as a. nutter of fact many other fai.iis had far more rabbits on them, but tin- one was adveitned because he could find neither owner or agent for it. He thetotoro had to proceed aecoiding t • tho Act. In other cases he could cmiiin i incite duett with tho owner oi occupiei Referring to the laving of p uson not !,oin,' successlul in killiug off the rabbits, Mi Macky s.iid that on Mr Hall's farm at Te Kore, where it had been laid, not one rabbit had taken it ; in fact it w,is a failure in the district, as there was pluitv of other feed. Mr Oldham : It was a fa luro on Mi H.iH'.sfaim, because there wis plenty of grist. He had «een Mr Tisdall that mom ing who told him that on the p.nt of his farm between the Mnngapiko cieek .uid th" Alexandra load it had killed a gi.vit num her, but on the upper poitiou wheie thete was grass it did not answei. He (Mi Oldham) had poisoned them almost to a labbit in pi, ices in R igl in. Mr C. Alexatvdet slid th.it at one turn he and another settle! u-ed to si-nd off L'OC* rabbits a week to the Auckland unrket <>win;f to their being killed m such numbors they weie soon reduced in number, so much so th xt they could not, of la'e years, send anything like tliat numliei. Xmv all that was dime, as people weie afiaid to kill for the ninket since poison was laid. In obedience to instructions fiom the inspector, he had laid poison on his faun without effect; in f>ct_ it assisted the incieisp of labbits instead of reducing their numbers because no one c.ired to risk shootir.tr them now, and they would nor take the poisoned oat«. He condemned the inspector's abntrary manner in hay mg jxuson laid. The rabbits were not numerous enough to become tioublpsome, nor would they be while settleis shwt for the, maiket, but it suited the inspector to lepresent matters differently to the (Io\ eminent in order to keep his billet, In doing this however, several of the small farmers were deprived of a means of adding to tl.eir incomes. Mr Maunder said he had laid poison on his farm and he did not soe a single dead rabbit. He deprecated any attempt to lav the blame on Mr Oldham, who was only carrying out his m. ti notions; it was not his fault if these haidships were entailed. Soveial of those piesent igieed w ith Mi Maundei. Mr Oldh-un to Mr Alexander, " I have allowed you to have yom own way for some time; T let you kill the iabbit> at voiii convenience, which was duung the winter when them was a maik. t foi them and when they mcieased again during the summer vo-i killed none. Yon have liad your way foi some tune, now I shall have mine, and 1 shall compel you to kill next summer, and if you do noc 1 shall take proceedings to make you do .so." Mr Westney said he had heard of poison having been laid in Southland m November and December, when feed was plentiful, and as many as ]100 labhits weie killed m a day. Peilrips the poison was prepared in a different manner to that which was hid here. Mr Oldham s U il the poison was prepared according to instructions. Mr Roche said Mr May had received ordeis to kill the i ihbits on his faun, he got a (log to do so, and the nvistiai eh u god him ten shillings for rogistiation on the ground that it was a sporting dog. Tn obey mg the law he was chargul double price for his dog. (Laughter.) Sever il poisons hne bore testimony to the mctlicacy of the poisoned oats. Mi (lormaun in nod and Mr Finch seconded, ''that in tho opinion of this meeting the inspector should be asked not to enfoice tho laying of poison, <s it his not [uoved ilhcient. ' Canied. Hospital Contribution? Mr Lake, MTU, who i trended m ■espouse to an umtition, it this st ige of aie proceedings was asked to gi\ ( > h,^ • pinion on the subjoc"- !I ' -id ho sip 'osod the sub|oot winch interested the noting most w i-, t!ie payment of fie Hospital and Charit\ble Aid rate. As

they v\(,iil<l hi\ii scpn liy a report in Tho Waikato Time*, he had .itti wltiJ «i meeting of delegates m Hamiltun. and L';i\c it as his opinion there that the conti iljutinii would Law to ho paid, and hestu no lensdu since then to alter his nii'id. If" c .plained the reason of his opposition to tlic Act. He and his colleague. Mi Wh^te. -aw no me in beinpf attached to Y'kU.whl « itlio-it deriving any benefit fioin tin; uiiKin .tnd still have to pay the rate. He tlun gave, a n>uim' of the Act, .md the severance of the Waikato, Waipa, I'i.tko and Raglan from the city. Mi (Jeimmn asked if it wai compulsory to have ,i hospital, or could arrangements be made with anothei di-trict having one to tike patients . Mi Lake thought there was nothing to prevent our sending our patient* to Auckland ; but that could not la«t long, as even now the, hdopit.il v.is so crowded that fever patient^ could not be kept out of the ordinaiv ward*. An.in^ement> would have to li m ide foi pioviding for the sick. If Mime ~,tr])N wcie not taken in tliis direction, it would .ippeai to the (iovernnient that we ueie not any better off than before the Art of union, a^> we would still have to se.nd^ our patifnt-. to Auckland. One V'mi s ratei which we would have had to pay tinder the Act would amply provide all the uecp-siry accommodation. In reply to a question. Mr Lake paid that if patients c.unu to the hospital the authorities could claim from the di-tnct in which the patients had been living for six months pipviouMy, m other words a hx months residence hi a distnet was required to give a person a claim on that district. Under the new arrangement the district boards would be able to hand over th« collection and distnbntion of the charitable aid rates to the local bodies. This was very desirable, and wo::ld, he thought, .save expense. He explained the object of the resolution passed at the meeting at Hamilton, by which the Wai pa County Council was to make an appeal to the Colonial Secrecary as a test case, the other bodies to have a share of the expense. We were a part of th'wVuckland district until the 31st March, 1-Sis7, and though the appeal might be mistained he still thought the Auckland board could recover under Section 11 of the Act. No action was taken or resolutions pa-<-ed pending the result of the appeal. Votes of thanks to Mr Lake find Mr Oldham for their courtesy in attending and explaining so clearly the matters with which they were connected were passed. Votes of thanks to the chair and the trustees of the Highway Board were earned. In moving the latter Mr Roche said the ratepayers were indebted to the boird for their kind consideration in the matter of striking a rate, for though they were in favour of it, and could legally do s<> without consulting the ratepayers, they waned then ughr. and agreed to abide by the decision of the meeting. Vv >m the hearty reception of the resolution, it was quite r\ 'dent that the meeting was fully in accord with the mover. — (Own Coi lespnndent.)