PUBLIC MEETING AT KIHIKIHI.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 2766, 5 April 1890, Page 2

PUBLIC MEETING AT KIHIKIHI.

On Monday evening'' last a meeting was held at the Kihikihi Town Hall, to consider the advisability or otherwise, of' merging the Kihikihi Town District Board in the Waipa County Council, and forming Kihikihi into a road district. Mr Dinneen was voted to the chair, but declined the position as being chairman of the town board, and at length after several gentlemen had refused,, Mr Thos. Archer accepted the position. Mr Farrell, as a member of the Waipa County Council explained the steps that would have to be taken to merge into the County, it being necessary to present a petition to the County Council, signed by at. least two-thirds of the ratepayer. If the Council agreed to the prayer of the petition it would require to bo advertised for a m.mth at the cost of the petitioning body. The ratepayers could then elect to remain under the County Council, or petition to have a road board formed. If they remained in the County the Connty Council and its officers could administer the affairs of the township very cheaply, but that the license fees would probably go to the County fundi One of the great objections in the minds of tho promoters of the present movement was the payment''of a license fee of £'40 by hotelkeepers in town districts.—Messrs Tristram, Maunder, and Kennedy spoke disapproving of the proposed change, as it would be. considered as a retrograde step.— Mr Moncrieff spoke in favour of the proposed change and championed the cause of the publicans who had to grind away daily to make the license fee, which he thought too high. Mr Dinneen expresses himself as opposed to any change as it would necessitate considerable expense. He explained that only a majority, not two-thirds of the ratepayers, would require to sign the petition, but as a number of the ratepayers lived outside the district their signatures would have to be verified, creating additional expense, should the County, he said, agree to the petition, thay would have to submit to the mangasement of their affairs by the County Council. Again if a road board were formed the same machinery would have to be kept up, whereas, now the town has all the solid advantages and dignity of a corporation. Ho said that instead of being an advantage, the proposed step would be a loss, as the town would then revert to its former position of a village. Mr W. Bond saiii lie would be sorry to injure the place and would try to pay the £40 for his licensc rather than do so. —Messrs Thomas, Anderson, and Farrell having spoken, the proposal to merge the town in the county dropped) and in lieu thereof, the following motion, proposed by Mr Moncrieff and seconded by Mr W. Bond, was carried : " That the Chairman of the Kihikihi Town Board be requested to communicate with several Town Boards in the Waipa County with a view to united action being taken by those bodies during the next session of Parliament through Mr Brvce, 'M.H.R. for Waipa, to obtain a reduction of licensing fees in town district by amending the Act. This was put and carried.—A vote of thanks to the chairman terminated the proceedings.