CORRESPONDENCE

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XX, Issue 3876, 19 March 1877, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE

»— Tha Editor dooa not hold himself regponsibla for opinions expressed by correspondents. THE WAIPAWA COUNTY SEPARATION MOVEMENT. Sir, — It appears to have escaped the notice of your regular country correspondent that since the separation meeting held at Waipawa on the 6th inst., tho committeo appointed to carry out the object of the petition then adopted, finding it troublesome and inconveniont to properly fulfil the duties entrusted to them have, under the powers they held, added the names of Messrs Soldierofficer, Woodhome, Bouewrath, Vernongreen, and Quiver to their number, and excused themselves ; from further attendance for the present. The first meeting of the new members oE Uie committee was held in the snug back room or! the Waipawa Court-house. Mr Soldierofficer being voted to tho chair, said he would very willingly act in that capacity. He had no prejudices on the subject to be brought before them ; it was a matter of

erfect indifference to him whether Waiukurau or Waipawa was made the ounty town. He gave them the support he did for old association's sake, 'hey had worked harmoniously together 1 more important matters ; he would not esert them now. He trusted, however, hat the members present would conluet the business of the meeting in a luiet and orderly manner. He had atended the late separation meeting, and lad been greatly scandalised by the anguage of one of the northern members if the County Council. It was neither efined, courteous, nor gentlemanly, and le hoped the present meeting would ;ake a higher tone. He would call upon VEr Woodkome to move the first resolution. Mr Woodhome said, — Sir and gentlemen : Wholly unaccustomed as I im to public speaking, and being by lature of an extremely retiring and liffident disposition, you may perhaps iorm some idea of the distress of feeling [ labor under in addressing you. But gentlemen, I should be wanting in that patriotic feeling which should burn in ihe breast of every lover of his country, jould I stand unmoved and witness the 3[ross attempt of the Waipukurau members of the County Council to remove the seat of local-government from this snug, oozy little room, replete as it is with every social comfort and official convenience, to a low, common corn shop (order, order), in an obscure road side pillage, without openly and publicly entering my solemn protest against it. .An outside attempt had been made to show that the late separation meeting, held in our hall, was not exactly an expression of general public opinion ; it had even been asserted that a meeting held at 8 o'clock p.m., on a moonless night, partook somewhat of a packed affair ; and now that they were formed into a snug little committee, and all their deliberations would be sitb rosa, he had no hesitation in throwing off all disguise, and telling them candidly and honestly that he thought it was very much of that character, and that it was therefore necessary for the ultimate success of their scheme they should push on vigorously for signatures to the petition before the ratepayers became alive to the real object they had in view, which he need not repeat was Waipawa, the county town ; an entire chaDge in the present staff of officers — incapableshe might cal them — and a veto put upon all rates and taxes. A county rate,withthe G-overnment subsidy attached, would, of course, open up the country, stimulate settlement and population, and. advance the prosperity of the prosperity of the whole country. But what do we care for settlement, population, or general prosperity. We nave all the roads, bridges, and railways we require for working to the best advantage our own private affairs, and we are happy and content, and strongly object to be rated or taxed in any shape or form. He would move, " That this committee use every exertion in their power to secure the signatures of all county ratepayers to the petition for separation before they become aware of its real object." Mr Bonewrath, in seconding the resolution, remarked that he fully concurred in all that had fallen from his friend Woodhome. He had taken an active part in the late meeting, and had so exhausted the subject of the resolution then entrusted to him that he felt it would only be trifling with their time to go over the ground again. He would give the resolution his most cordial support. Mr Vernongreen said he also had much pleasure in supporting the resolution. Waipukurau was an unappreciative, carnal place. He had once offered his valuable services as a member for that riding, with what result he need not tell them. He was happy indeed now to think he had escaped the degradation of associating with wine-bibbers and publicans in a low corn store, where he would have come in contact with immoral sacks of oats, loose potatoes, and other tile things. He would vote for the motion. Mr Quiver would have no hesitation whatever in giving the entire weight of his influence in favor of the motion. He was not born yesterday. He knew what he was about. It was maddening to think of what he was and what he might have been. He knew that the Creator, in fashioning New Zealand out of nothing, made special provision that Waipawa should, in the fulness of time, come into being, and develop institutions of so marked a character as to point her out as the chief town of any future county. And now that this Heaven-decreed state of things was almost realised, no effort on their part should be wanting to bring it to a happy issue. The remainder of his life would be devoted to defaming the characters of the Waipukurau members of the Waipawa County Council. He gave his most unqualified support to the resolution, which was carried by acclamation, and the meeting separated.— l am, &c, Youa Random Cobbespondent. March 15, 1877.