TO THE EDITOR

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume IV, Issue 1199, 13 December 1904, Page 2

TO THE EDITOR

i Sm.-Assomo misapprehension may arise i in the minds of the good people of Waihi ovor the fiction forced ou the Katikali , Domain Board in making a small charge forwent licenses upon the land under its jurisdiction, will you allow mo to recapitulate the facts as bristly as possible, and at the elevenib hour suggest a remody, Soma two years ago, your Borough Council agreed with the Domain Board to tnko a leiiso of the Heads for a torrn of two years, with first option of renewal, at twenty pounds per annum, the consideration being free pasturage, with free rights of ingress and egross, The proceeds to bo ?xponded exclusively upon improvements, which wo stipulated should be subject to tlio approval of your Council.' The Council's solicitor reported this agntemouk to bo "ultra viros;'' his opinion was confirmed by the Auiitor-General, and on the facta having been reported to the Lands Department, I was officially authorised to offer legal powers by Act of Parliament, free of all oxpense to your borough, to make tho agreement to bo carl'iod out. This offer after somo correspondence, was declined, and tho agreement tfas virtually repudiated. Tho Domain Board feals that it holds this property in trust for tli9 benefit of the publio at large. Wo have no salaried officer; no paymonts aro charged for administration save to tho riding overseer, who is paid a Email commission on all certified work executed by publio tender, and we consider the'proporty should bo made more attractive for visitors, Bathing accommodation should bo provided; security against sharks should bo effected, and also provision made for. shelter and cheap accommodation. All these desirable objects oannot bo ao» complied without funds, therefore if the Domain Board should appear to bo imposing an irksome tax upon the holiday seekors it ia simply acting for tho permanent benefit of the gold field and other residents who ore not Katikati people. If lam not mistaken, tho incomo of .your Borough Council last year from gold fields rovonuo amounted to some 120,000. This must leave a large margin for unauthorised expenditure, out ot which the terms of tho original agreement could bo legally carried out and your good people could be 6aved the imposition of a small tax mutually vexatious both to the payer nnd to the Board, If, however, tho amount of unauthorised expenditure shou'd haye already been made (which I oannot possibly imagine to bo tho case) it is most probablo that with the assistanoo of the Government Department, mutually satisfactory arrangements could be made beI ween your Borough Counoil and tho Domain Board, and thereby save any unnecessary friction over such a paltry matter.

I tunke this suggestion, to remove any anicrepensce that might exist in the minds of tho Wnihi people Wo at Katikali led that our destiny is bound up in the tore of your borough, and that instead of being at loggorhoads over ttiflos of tho kind we should come to some sensible arrangement of manors in which our public intoresln aro mulually coucerued, This suggestion brings ino to another raattor to which Imiy brieily refer, being the present and prospeotivo state of your main rovl from Waihi lo Bowentown, tho Uwiohaad Katikati. ThnGjvemuionthas appointed a commissioner to arbitrato between your Borough and tho Tauranga bounty Council. It is in your interests as representing the public of Wnihi and our interest that tho condition of this road should ho improved, which has hitherto been mainly eflected by Government grants from tho Mines Del partuiem, but not availablo at presen] through tho impecuniositv of the Public. Exchequer. Tho legal and othor expenses MMnecied with tho hearing of tho case bcJoro the Commisroner will certainly amount to a considorp ble sum which might bo f« uioro sensibly egpemled in the road maintenance, and though I havono authority as a County Councillor for making tho aiiggssiion, I should poraomilly M a mcmlmof the Committee oe satisfied if some suoh compromise was made to the cflVct that the borough Council should take charge of tho road say from County boundary to Bowentown,' and tho Tuuranga County Couuoil from Athenree to lUiltati. Under boiuo compromise of this nature, your people could rost satisfied that theij

funds Would on spent to th» best advantage undot the chargo of your nbla -Engineer,'Jdr. MoAttbur, whose work in the Obinemuri County Will long remain as a silent but «lo(juent momonto to bis ability and skill,—laineto,, '■■■•, Grohqe Vesey Stewart, Chairman Katikati Domain Board. Mftrtray, December 10,1904,