MR J. E. BROWN AT ASHLEY BANK.

Press, Volume XXIV, Issue 3220, 27 December 1875, Page 3

MR J. E. BROWN AT ASHLEY BANK.

Mr Brown addressed a large and very attentive audience in the school room on Thursday night, under the presidency of Mr C. Ff. Pemberton, chairman of Kowai Road Board. Having fully explained his views as already reported, Mr Brown replied to several questions as follows :—That the Width of Tires Bill would pome into force on the Ist of March, 1876. He distinctly denied the many floating rumors as to the unpaying character of the Eyreton Railway, proving by Government statistics that the grain area of the district, 34,000 acres, was only 1000 acres less* than than that returned for the provinces of Wellington, Taranaki. and Hawke's Bay, or 5000 more than that of the, province pf Auckland. Road Board statistics were' also given to show that the amount of, ordinary traffic quite warranted the small expenditure for construction, wliich was barely equal to the amount required by. the Road Boards for maintaining main roads of district for one year. Also pointing out that four miles of easily constructed line would connect Kaiapoi with the Oxford Forest.. That educational ,a 4 dministration by the Minister was very unsatisfactory, and that though he voted for the abolition of tbe Education Board in the Provincial Council, he voted in Wellington for its being reinstated. V Mr P. Fawcett proposed a vote of thanks to Mr Brown for bis very satisfactory stntemeat, explaining that Mr Brown expressly wished the resolution to go no further in the face of the system of voting by ballot. Mr. Brown proposed a L vote of thanks to tln> chairman, aud the meeting closed.