MEETING OF RATEPAYERS AT RANGIRIRI.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIII, Issue 88, 13 April 1892, Page 2

MEETING OF RATEPAYERS AT RANGIRIRI.

The adjourned meeting of the ratepayers of the Rangiriri Hiding was held in the school-room on April 9th. Mr Milne presided.

The Chairman eaid that this was a meeting to consider the question of a Road Board, and he wished those who had anything to say to do so, only ho hoped they would stick to the point and not bring in any personal matter.

Mr A. Boss asked if the moeting wished to hear the report which he had read at the last meeting:, and tho approval of the meeting beinpr signified, he proceeded to read it. This report) criticised tho management of the County Council, and contended that large sums of money, amounting to over £bQO, had of late years been uselessly expended in tho Wairangi and Mabahura districts for want of a proper system of management. It was further urged that the ratepayers could not expect any change for the better so long as the business was managed by tho County Council, that body being composed of only one member to represent this large riding, and six other men who had no interest, in its bueinees.

Mr F. J. Johnson read a lengthy state ment strongly condemning the proposal. i lie ridiculed the idea of a Road Board being able to manage the riding better than the Council, and pointed out that different parts of the riding had such conflicting , interests that they would nob be found to work together, and the result would bo endles? commotion, and that the stumpers and agitators after all their reports could not prove how the Wairangi district could geb on with out the other portions of the riding. In anything he brought before the Council in 99 cases out of 100 he was always supported by the Council as a body, and troat.ed with the greatest reppeefc. Through this agitation carried on by the?e stumpers, the whole riding was kept in a state of turmoil, and the outcome of this would be that a special rate would have to be struck to meet the views of theae cantankerous men. Mr Johnson then read come newspaper reports, showing tnafi various Road Boards in tiie Auckland province were applying to have their districts merged in the counties, and that if tho Road Board were formed it would be a great calamity. The Wairangi I district during the past yeai had more I ■jQoney expended 0:1 h than tho total | amount of rftt-j? ot the riding. Mr Johnson '< continued in the san-.e strain at consider I ab;o length, amicieb grout interruption. j After werai -jf those ptesonfc had Bpclsor., j it was triovsd and seconded that a Comirit j toe be formed consisting of three from'

Rangiriri and three from Wairangi, with power to add to their number, so that tho whole of the riding would bo represented. The motion was carried and the comniibtse formed.

A vote of thanks to the Chairman for his hard and successful exertions to keep the meeting in order terminated what the oldesb ratepayer there designated the liveliest meeting ever held in the Rangiriri Riding.