REMUERA RUCTIONS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 106, 3 May 1912, Page 7

REMUERA RUCTIONS.

______ o I gATEPAVEBi OUT FOR FUN. j gATEPAVERS OUT FSR FUN. | HEATED SPEECHES. J MV , LE SLANDERS • ALLEGED. SCAD 30AEE ASKED TO ; EESIGX. J Tißa were -~,,;.;,..:, a: tj,e annual; ';-;. ~.;,.;.. Krii;;:-- i m■..-.•..;..-:■.- l.ir-i •^'■ v "":'"''' '■,'.', ,'■ . i;;■::..i:i. and Mr. ' *<"" Zti'-v "'■::: ■■--i i: :f-;- t':.i; .... :,:rr ;;;,'',;.■;...,. '."" ,:, i; ,i . - '. I,- '.■< a:i ;;:i , »• >!.i:» - - ' Cl ".'. ".,. . :.. ",-. : ,.:i .-f i: ■■ .- it'.'erin? o: - tl ,,..n a ■■ ■ - ■ ■ > / l y iCk *. „. Jlr. Ca«kw.-.: .;- ■ ■ ■■■ ~.■_,,.. ratie: unusu.l - _• ;^fii,w\t STaotonc from i> point <* the fixiom- . . ... As soon a* a lull ;lrr <' a in the Tiudbab Mr. Diclaon called upon.the clerk ; Md the I :■:- was « : "dedlr tea-oils process, and occuped lie ihr-e-qu»ne« oi an hour. ■ i> chairman next invitea 3 dUcuseion : m the balince-sheet. , THE STORM GATHEK?. j imid a slight disturbance, Mr. Wru-'u ' T .- -,-, his lee: anu ihmni-ueii a she..; ci questions, which he -said he. wished lie ctainnan to answer. : Mr. Dkkson. after glancing through iU questions, said be *»« nothing in «em that had anythin- to do with the bi].L3f?-sheet. ' Mr Wright attempted to speak to tho meeting, hut was compelled to subside amid such exhortations a? "Shut up. ; and "Sit do™, father." I \ ratepayer: I want to know. Mr. | Chairman, why the balance-sheet hat- not i been printed? 1 Hear, hear.) A motion to such effe-t was carried at the last , meeting of ratepayers. ; Hi. Bond: What fort of chance have ] v? jot of discussing the finances when ; we have hid no chance to examine the ! fcrnres? ! "The chairman replied that he was pre- ; KEnably quite willins that this course ' should'be taken, and it was thereupon moved by one of the ratepayers that the ; balance-sheet should be printed, a copy fonraidM to each ratepayer, and that ( a special meeting be called a month I hence to discuss it. The motion was readily seconded. Mr. Spencer drew attention to the fact i that the compilation of the balance- ! sheet took a great deal of trouble, and ; i; this quite impossible for i" to be ! Hinted and circulated in .-efficient time ■ to allow of its perusal by the ratepayers before the annual meetins. the date of triich was fixed by statute. lAptfanse and dissent. ■. Other speakers contended that copies of the balance-sheet should have already been in the hand.* of the ratepnvers. and introduced the question of auditing the finances. One ratepayer suggested that the services of a private auditor be obtained, as he would no for £5 -what ivoold cost the Board £30 in the ordin--117 cours? of event.-. Another ratepaTer instance .1 the ca=p of the One-tree ElHoadßoard vUc'a had placed its h.il-mte-aheet before the ra"°r-ayers a week before the annual mpptirg. Alter simdrv speakers had ventilated tkeii view? on the matter the mot. '3S put and rarriei amid applause. ME. CAW ELL RISE?. I Mr. Cawkwell \vq- tho next speaker. Mr. lawkwell wn- the next speaker. Be received a warn- welcome as he ffioant»d the platform. He explained at We out."- ;; m he 1,,; washed his lands entirely of the Road Board for the present, and wa> only a' that meet-ng 21 the papa.-ity or a rateP7?r. I: -- ; a.-- "unoscjl. he said. ! »r a chairman of the Board to attend the annual rric-tincr of ratepayers « one of the audieiKP. It \vs= al=o"unisial to attend a meeting at which the diret»l pr-r-pi-dincs from the Press table. As they were doubtless •"are. he was no longer the chairman the Beard, but he had thought it that he ?ho il,; prepare a consatement 0; \U E-iuv.iV :! :"n:r- as he tad been more r!-vo!y -. fi; ii with thiffairj of the Eonrd than nth'-.- meml<f s- iHear. hear.l ; Mr. Cawkwell then r-vie«e.! the his. «*: 01 hi; r?;,-.-i.iTi -,n with the Bonrl "PlWisof wrich hn= Mresrlv been pub"■'Kdi.and de,,lt «:!'. -;., y ork of the fa rear, nnrl » t r.J ..,.).,.;,-, ~-■ ,-,.,>. *:te f-Uiaent 'was" u'.ri'lv ''~ pUod« o . ', 1, ' ■■ "- .'.'i! «tii : . .n 10 remark ™- naturally in P! ,.-l, a Un ? thv sitalffie M a nurnht-r of qn»?tirns were r:ii—.l Wici required r ,, v ; r ..-. He woul 1 ileil "*PBly twn marterr-. owl in th- firM P»«heTroii!d T:ik ' ■•• : ' Lupine Estate. ** Mr. Bond'? m»-?tincr c. n the previous faiiag he bad f. tH i, 1 th.-.. The Board toi .KUxPrt it* bylaw? i.v niHkin, con ----- --•-■ .»« a?u;: ..,,,.,...; f .;. v.'| "I;:--!, * engineer had =«i,l would .-r.st £i;, 000. : speuk-r ~-,-,,,1,. „,,-,-, th.it ♦„,... *«« flat contra.!: ■■-,- l> -,- ■~» m !? of tt-;;.,,.:,d0U "an.l : x .,,: lon that had i.,,-n .-ir-ulaW -o fe tw e !v e r , t -,. -: . p".,,v:-;f w ., to C -■' - ' ■;"'"','""' ''I ■ to t .;'-: v,,!: : o f l, is: d : " ; Mr. EM,? l.\,d :W.i J , ::'.,,:,--,,.-,,^;, wise* rr-rui-i- -,' ''.' ■ .'i ' ".'." Bi, k iiro ;,-..- : ;:.. ; ;: '''■*' '-' '' '' ■** .rtitraw ,'' 7-.■"•;'; MV■. , .i' ir ..: , !VI, .■ ■ :;.; ■.■■; 85s «wmarkH -' ' •..• . "■ i " '.' "i .' "• • , ;-. , ... ,■.,.;:.;;,;: of, he ;,;;;; . ~; " ■ •■-;i- l Ti •':;■■ ;. : '-."•■;■-- ?M»d wi. ;: :::;■"■ " s!i<if rs to the ■~'■ "■ ■ ' ,ii. "- , ft , ',.*- rV a ,i ! ;;;, LT* !i - statin, >..- ~ !,...! ~.-,-■ - I ', •'" 1 , ' ,'■■'. «pj^ e ]l !TO ? a 'ions that had been made ■ Win. iHear, h?_r. and applause.) (

i - WHAT ABOUT THE EXGIXEER? , j Someone at the back ejaculated a re- * mark about Mr. Cawkwell getting rid erf j j ! the engineer. (A voice: Hear, hear.) t J Mr. Cawkwell retorted with warmth I that those who were so fond of criticising j i 'the Board should come forward and de- ,j ' vote Themselves to the work of the Board j . that the present Board had done. (Hear, i hear, i It was all very well for them to ' hurl innuendoes, but they took '"darn ' good .care"-" that thpy didn't come for- > ward as candidates for the Board because ! they knew ( they wouldn't get in. (Up- > roar.) Ever since he i the speaker') had j> taken the chair at Sir John Findlay's j ' i meeting, some three months previously, I • ' he hail been a marked man. (.Hear, hear, 1 j ajd uproar, I i Conciliating wilding, a ratepayer rose i to his feel, but his \ok-e was drowned in ' the Jin. ! Tim Chairman: Sit down; sit down. | An iiiiptf.il :'.'!• s.lonee by Mr. Dickeon ■ jxu-.~ed unhealed in the babel. One made :m-mi.i-r v! i:ic audience w.ls particularly ■ ran -hi:.-. A i-unsUiMo promptly attend- ■ ■ .1 in him and i'undjed linn um-ereinoni-mi- v i.in inlu the night. When order had been restore.!, Mr. ( .:•'■!■. ,Mii said in.it another matter he would like t< , refer to were the terms i-f iuij>!uyine:)t i.i the Board's engineer. ! T!'e e'i.:i:ieer \\a.- entitled to retaining ' i ~■ fruai lilt- r.nar.l of .i.'4-JOO or 5 per t< , :!i. .'ii I he :.>.i.i "f JL - 84,0011. He had been •mi.l.■■:'■.■.-■ lor i>unie months past t.i li:;vr iin- engineer placed upon a proper ;".<i:::i_'. and at a lens percentage. A meeting .-ailed to dbsc'.iwj the question i.a-d ended in a fiasco. Only on April 16 he id siiaimoned a meeting of the Board to new the batch at Brighton-road, but only Mr. Spencer had attended. He certainly considered that the Board should have an engineer iwho would give his whole time to the work of the Remuera district. The engineer had. on one oe-i-aision. attended a meeting of the Board I and ins:ilte-.l the chairman, and he con- : sidered that he eiiould be called upon to I apologise. ! A CHALLENGE. 1 Continuing. Mr. Cawkwell said he had v!ii;i:-_- ■."... Paul ui.iatli 'ix.cv subjected to r--oaie\if the vilwl slanders ever hurled i ! at a man on a local body. If there was j 1 any man who would come out of his r-iiel) and make those statements against 1 him. up would be only too glad of giving , him a chance of proving them in the ' Supreme Court, i Applause.l It had been state.! that he hal tired hits influence on the Romuora Roa<l Board in his own in- : ;pre>ti-. Ths?e 'landers had become so [ tvu+e that he had Tint felt ! justified in sitting en the Board. ! So serious were they that he had given instructions for writs to be ! issued against the two of the Board i in question. He regretted to state that ■ on? of the members was Mr. .1. S. Dick--1 son. who was at present sitting in the ; hair, and he challenged him to get up at. I that, meeting and make the accusations ' he bad previously made. It had actually been -stated that he had asked the , K-ncinper to pay him a fee for obtaining him a position 'on the Board. (Applause and boohoos.l ! A voice: Don't turn the meeting into a bear garden. MR. DICKSOX APOLOGISES. ! Mr. Diokson rose to reply, but it was : some moments before his voice could be ! heard. In a little while, however, he 'was accorded a hearing. He said that Mr. Cawkwell had made statements regarding himself (the. speaker), and certain slanderous statements in recard to . the Board's engineer. He had beun makin? inquiries, and was now satisfied that the statements were not correct. A Voice: Did you make the statements X.r. Diekson: "I repeated the statement.-, upon hearing them.' Voices all over the hall): "Apologise! Apologise!" Mr. Dickson: "I certainly apologise to Mr. Cawkwell. I wish him no haxin." (Applause.) , In reply in a quest ; on from Mr. Cawkwell. Mr". Difksori said he knew of no statements of a generally slanderous nature that had been made by himself. Amid applause Mr. Cawkwell left the platform and returned to his seat. : Fun grew fast and furious when the : chairman asked for questions. He got them in battalions. Several people rose to the-r feel, and nttempted to talk eavh other down. Someone handed in a handful of written questions which , were handed to Mr. Cawkwell. Mr Cawkwell snnned them, and in a second was on his feet with the light of battle in his eyes. , - I absolutely decline to answer them, he said, with much emphasis. " This man has been sent here to annoy mc. I know the handwriting They are too coward!-- to ask the questions them- , selves, but send a poor old man ' , The "'poor old man" rose from hie seat. anl beaming benevolently, denied j th- soft impeachment. ' ; - You're wasting time." shouted on . , angry ratepayer. " and we all know it. ; ; "IT , ? SO USE, CHARLIE!" '] Mr Bond was the next speaker who,; asVired l 0 make an impression on then aud'iencp. He strode briskly on to the , nlitfoni with th- air of one who was . Un? to Co rjhli'l". and was ac-1 . cor jei! -i. good •■-■ -iO3. Ho S4.at.-a , th,- th* ratepayers had heard one Bide i ; <■,■- -he' question" about the Lucerne Es- : . Uxte from the "H-oral sharks." Now he , wo id put his side of the case. Mr. Bond then traced the negotiations that, had led up to the purchase of the as- j , taiP remarking that he hed strongly , o'mectcd to £5.000 for roading being paid 'to .-, wealthy syndicate. They; had hern committed'to that amount,,. and ha it afterwards been called upon i ; to par another £7.000 to complete the work." He hid never heard the En--"nVr say that the roading could be ,one for " £-1.000: the engineer had re- | ueatedJy told him that it would cost, from ti12.00.i to £ 15.0U0. The Board full oi le ? al talent, .md a poor farr-rr l:k<> ■■!-.-■:; had a hard row to hoe (Hear, hear • | ■ ■- will , ,-,' ;]-,-.;■.•■ mv man to come, ■or, i-,pi-p aril malic , .- mc." said Mr. Bond, v .,..'.,. -,-. up -> his =übjcc-t. "If the: ■ n';;d ;-r- = : In it ?-.!.k. If they want ; .'■."■_'.'..„,.'-', n: e !r-i 'hem do it. If 1 : h ' AV to so to Mo-i.u Eden. I'll go. I'm.' user] to hard work. and I'm nor afraid,; or it •' " iCheers and disturbance^ : 'l-rom '.ho front row of the audienre.' ; Vr Cnwk'-e'.l r.i-p .mi pr.v'pf-ded to nut a,!,- r,",-,V'i ;'-r-.'ij!i ■' ■■ross-'-xn.minatio-n. -.':■',. '■'; -,!-,.•■.■ .Inn .ins ,l !" Mr. Bond : ,- ,'.'. 1-. ,1 ':li)i •':•■ .|-.l!>*t'Ons were per-.: ~ ,1 ~,.. ■ I'"- lii' u-e. i h.iriie." h A • ,■,.,',' ■;.,.,! \i-.i\i:ic , deprecating &*&: ,',- \;V.' , ~■,.,,,.]' "Yon i-bii't set th i i ~,, : ,, . _." -jjip r p-t of hi- romark wa> ■ ,'• ' in,.,! in ~ burst of laughter .-.iii.-el 1,-- the ,-onfKl.ntial style he had sudden-, ~,'. ;,«'.ined. ! ' .\no:h"i- po.-er was put by Mr. Cawk , \% -:: ipganiing roading matter?. i Mr. lVmd: "Look her?. Charlie, you; know we vent on a flying visit, and you j were graVoJnfr as much for your roads'; as I was for mine." (laughter loud . ,and long.) I

A moment later Mr. Bond again adopted a reproving aiXitude. towards ■M-γ Ca-wkwelb "I \ront hacve it, Charles. I won't have it. Don't pot lies into my mouth." When the thrusts and coontertfanists had finished, Mr. Bond retired from the platform, amid a storm of applause and groans. KO-COXFWESCE. At this stage Mr. F. B. Winstone made his way to the trout of the hall, | and remarked that the meeting had been | nothing short of a farce. He would move to bring the matter to a. state of finality: "That this meeting of: Kemuera ratepayer.-- has no i-oulidence: in the Koad Board as at present consti- ! tuted, and calls upon the niemlwra of 'the Board to resign." This was seconded by Air. Julian. Mr. Spencer pointed out that Mr. ! Winstone probably did not, realise what the carrying of Mi.-h a motion would i mean. The date fur the nomination of! members had now passed, so that lie and Air. Dicksoii would have no opportunity to vindicate, the.ir position in the eyes of the ratepayers by contesting the j election. An attempt was made to mow tin amendment, but wa-s unsuccessful, and! upon a vote being taken on Mr. 'Winstone's motion, it was declared oarrii-.1. ' Mr. Dickson promptly declared the meeting closed, but lor norm , time after ratepayers waged wordy warfare, only dispersing when th<' caretaker threatened to turn out the lights. ]