THE PROPOSED COUNTY.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume I, Issue 49, 29 September 1880, Page 3

THE PROPOSED COUNTY.

"With regard to the new county, the Chairman said he thought it premature to discuss the matter.

Mr. Quin said a .committee had been appointed in Hawera, and he understood the object was to have discussion. If the County of Egmont were formed, the Act provided for division into ridings, which might comprise the boundaries of the present road district. They had the power to make by-laws, and they would have local representatives to look after their interests. It was notorious that New Zealand was over-governed. Some people were afraid that, if the new county were formed, it would enhance the interests of Hawera. But, in his opinion, Hawera was not likely to grow much larger than it was atpres nt. It was a •cold, bleak, uninviting place, and he (Mr. Quin) believed it-would never grow much larger than it was at present. It might be urged that Carlyle was also a bleak place, but it had the river, which Hawera had not.

Mr. C. E. .Gibson asked where the county town would be ?

Mr. Quin said- he believed Normanby would be the proper place. Mr. Allen thought it premature to discuss the question. It would be unfair to the new settlers whom they were expecting on the Plains. The county was not yet sufficiently settled to discuss the question.

Mr. Gray pointed out that the Hawera people had already appointed a committee, and had subscribed money for the object. It only remained for those who, like himself, disagreed with it to express their views. He could not see that it would be any improvement to have ridings instead of road districts. He was glad to hear Mr. Quin speak of Normanby as being the right place for the county town, because he (the* speaker) had thrown in his lot with the place, and was of the same opinion as Mr. Quin. It was too premature to discuss the question of forming a new county, and he (Mr. Gray) hoped that all the people of Normanby would refuse to sign the petition.

Mr. Quin explained that the Governor had power to proclaim new ridings. In Hawera, four-fifths of the people were in favor of the new county, and he should like to see it discussed. All the hotel and other licenses would go to the county, whilst the road boards could not get them. Mr. C. E. Gibson considered the matter altogether premature. It would not be just to the new settlers on the Plains. The matter had originated with a few people in Hawera, who wished to make it a county town.

Mr. Quin said that, as Mr. Finlayson was on the committee, he might be able to give the meeting some explanation. Mr. Finlayson said his name had been placed on the committee without any person asking him. He thought that those who wished to sign the petition would do so, and those who did not believe in the new county would not sign the petition, no matter what was said or done at the meeting.

Mr. Stewart thought the more discussion they had, the better. There were men in Hawera who were active in the matter, and some fine morning they would wake up and find Hawera the county town. With regard to the remarks made by Mr. Quin as to New Zealand being ■ ewer-governed, that was not, the way to get rid of it, by creating'Jaiotlier new county and another set of officials. He objected to, it on the score of expense. Mr. Southey said that if there was an interchange of ideas, the time of the meeting was not altogether wasted.

, Mr. Gray proposed, " That this meeting desires to enter its most earnest protest against the movement originated in Hawera for ti separate county, as it considers it is premature:" Mr. Allen seconded the motion, which was carried, only Mr. Quin voting against it. A vote of thanks to the chairman concluded the business.

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