PUBLIC MEETING AT CAMBRIDGE WEST.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2241, 18 November 1886, Page 2

PUBLIC MEETING AT CAMBRIDGE WEST.

A meeting of ratepayers was held in the school-room, Cambridge West, on Monday evening last, to consider the a J visibility of bringing that district under tho Town Districts Act. There was a largo at'endance. Mr Hyatt, sen., was voted to tho chair. The Chairman, after reading tho advertisement calling tho meeting, said the advantages of creating a town district wore, that they would be go\erncd by pc iple of their own choice, and not by the Pukokur.i Road 13 iard. Their rates would be spent solely upon the township, they would get the icvenue from do« collar> and slaughterhouses, and they would also get a proportion of the subsidies granted to tho Pukekur.i K> id Board. Unless .steps were taken at once it would be too l<ite, a^ the Act woulil lapse on December 31*t. There would be no chance again. If they decided to form the town disti .et they must be careful to elect "good men and true," who would look after the interests of the public, and not their own. Mr Cudworth said there had been a great deal of dissatisfaction expressed at the way in which the public money had been spent. In f ict, prior to calling this meeting no one seemed satisfied, bat now he found that those who had complained the most appeared to be the most conservative. He then asked Mr Russell to explain the Act to the meeting. Mr Russell, in a few brief remark I*,1 *, congiatulated them upon having such a large meeting. He was also glad to see the Chairman and several of the members of the Pukekura Road B urd, who would no doubt be glad to give them every information they might require. His experience \va*, that the more they cut up local government into sections the better it fared. It was better administered and more economically. Many people objected to town boards, as they thought there would be extra rates. That was a, mistake. The only "difference would be that they would rate, themselves, instead of the road board rating them. In addition to the advantages that had already been pointed out, there would bo the one of revenue from unoccupied sections, all of which could be leased by auction. For all purposes of local government a town district was the best. A road board could not hold endowments. Mr G. Keeley : How many does it require to form a town district ? Mr Russell : Fifty householders. Mr Keeley : There are not fifty houses occupied in the district, so how can it be done ? Mr Russell here read the section of tho A^ in which it is stated that not less than two-thirds of the resident householder.-. niii»t be in favour of it, and must sign the petition to the Governor. The Chairman : I believe there are o\er fifty resident householders. Mr Keeley : There are not. The meeting here became rather nony, someone proposing to adjourn and count the houses, and see if they were occupied. Mr Cudworth proposed " That a petition be prepared and sent to the Governor, praying that Cambridge West be foini"d into a town district." This was seconded by Mr Jay. Hicks. Mr Keeley proposed as an amendment, " That no petition be sent, but that we remain as we ara." The Chairman tried several times to get this altered, but was unsuccessful. Mr J, Chambers seconded the amendment. Mr Tho*. Jones : Shall we get any of the money back that has been spent by the domain board on the other side of the river ? Mr Jarratt : Shall we have to keep the bridge over the Waik.vto in repair ? Replies to both these questions were given in the negative. Mr D. McKinnon : Shall we have to get the consent of tho Wai pa County Council and Pnkekura Road Board to the petition ? Mr Ru«sell : You will have to get two thirds of the council with you. The road board have nothing to do with it. Mr Gane, (chairman of the Pukekura Road Board) : Your rates will bo about Jt'4o per annum. If they were £80 I don't think you will get more spent on your roads tfi mat piesent. The members of the road board are always willi >q to do wL'it is i wanted. He was not there in a spirit" of opposition, and should be glad to assist in any way that was for tl»? public good. Mr Cudworth : We have no recognised authority, look at the disgraceful state of the cemetery ! Mr Tuck : If you constitute yourselves * town board, the cometery reserve is discharged, and ceases to be such. The Chairman : It has been used, and was consecrated by Bishop Selwyn. Mr Jarratt : Shall wo still have to pay county rates? Yes ! Then what is the good of it. I thought we should get out of them. Ivli Chitt,, . How much will it cost to

administer? You will no doubt want a clerk, Hnd I don't mind taking a billot. Mr Russell : The road board clerk gets £10 per annum, ho yours would pet about £5. Tho expenses would be very small. Mr (Jane : The expenses are always morn in working a small district than a large one, in proportion. You would take a oontract to plough 100 acres ut a less price per acre than you would ton acres. In larger towns there are often very good billot*, as Mr Chittv seems to bo aware. The Chairman explained that they would have the name powf r a-* tho road board to de.il with the absentees' acres. Mr Fitzgerald (cleik to the road board) : It costs u.s about £5 to go through the formalities necessity to recover amounts varying from 3s to 10s on those acres. That is why they are not dealt with. The Clminnin then put the amendment, when nine voted for it ; and on the resolution being put, nineteen were in its favour. It was rhen declared cariied. Messrs Tuck, Cud worth, and Dillon were appointed a committee to draw up a poti tion Hnd get it signed. A vote of thanks to Mr Russell and the chairman, closed the mating.