RAGLAN NEWS

Waikato Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2310, 30 April 1887, Page 3

RAGLAN NEWS

During last week, Mr Biss, Chief Postmaster, was staying here for the benefit of his health, returning on Monday last. We have also had Mr Kiely, Inspector of Police, and Mr Hill, Homestead Inspector. A large number of visitors returned on Monday, Mr Sutton having to put on an extra coach. , The grass requires rain, the ground being dry tor this time of year. Oats and other crops for winter use are looking well. The insect pests still continues active upon all the cabbage tribe, mangolds, turnips, sugarbeet, etc. The latter crop has in previous years seemed to escape, but now they are attacked by a moth which deposits its egg under the leaves, presently turning into a small green caterpillar which eats away the under portion of the leaves, in many cases entirely destroying them. At the last meeting of the Town of Raglan Highway Board, Messrs A. Gilmour and J. Wylie were the two members fixed upon as retiring from the present board, and the election for new trustees takes place on tho 7th of next month.

At a meeting of the householders of the Raglan school district, held in the schoolroom on Monday evening last, Mr Stephenson in the chair, a report of the past year having been read, it was resolved to postpone the election of committee until the boundaries of the district had been extended, taking in the N.W. portion of Karioi. A unanimous opinion was expressed by those present in favour of the resolution passed, and the Board of Education was requested to accede to the wishes of the householders present.—(Own Correspondent, April 27 th.) HAMILTON WEST SCHOOL COMMITTEE election. ■# TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —A Waikato correspondent of the Herald makes a statement in Friday's issue of that paper which is entirely inaccurate. With reference to the above election he says that the chairman ruled that " all male persons 21 years of age living in a house were householders within the meaning of the Act." I happened to be the chairman of the meeting at which this fatuous ruling was delivered. Will you kindly allow me to correct the misstatement of the Herald's correspondent? „, Before commencing proceedings I read to the meeting several times the section of the Act in which the qualifications requisite to constitute an elector are clearly defined. After the ballot had been taken objections were raised as to the legality of some of the votes recorded. Discussion ensued, during which I distinctly pointed out that I conceived it to be no part of my functions as chairman to .interpret Acts of Parliament. Eventually the objections were withdrawn,_ but I ventured to suggest that if doubts existed as to what constituted an elector the matter should be remitted to the Board of Education, and the opinion of their solicitor recorded for future guidance. It only remained for me to announce the result of the ballot, as placed in my hand by the scrutineers. l am not very conversant with the conduct of public affairs, but it occurs to me that the ruling of any chairman on a point of law should be of precisely the same value as that of a private individual. Wherefore, as chairman, I declined to commit myself either way.—Yours truly, Frank H. Templer.