CONFERENCE OF ROAD BOARD CHAIRMEN.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume II, Issue 159, 14 October 1881, Page 4

CONFERENCE OF ROAD BOARD CHAIRMEN.

A conference as above was held on Monday at HawUra, at 4 p.m., to determine what would beafairi'epresentation of each riding' on the Hawera Goonty Council. Present— Messrs. Morrison, Mai-chanty and Yorke. '

On the .motion of ,Mr. Marchant, Mr. Torke took the chair, t lit iwas agreed votes of any two out of the three should be,considered binding. , An examination 'of the .Hawera roll showed that there were 281 ratepayers, who, if a Is. rate were levied, would pay 3s. and upwards ; the total valuation for these being about £14,700, the absolute total on the books being £14860. The Ngaire was estimated to have a rate roll of 1177, the number of ratepayers paying 3s. and upwards being 136. The Waimate roll showed 291. on the roll, of whom 225 would pay more than 3s. if a rate of Is. were imposed ; the estimated amount rated for the above ratepayers being about £6150, the total assessed value being £6252.

From tho above it appeared that on the several rolls there were ratepayers paying 3s. and upwards on a rate of Is. an the £— on the Ngaire, 136; Waimata, 225; flawera, 281. It was pointed out by Mr. Yorke that both in the Ngaire and Waimate districts the valuations were misleading. In the latter case, they had been assessed before any improvements had been made. Besides land was now being sold on Waimate, and much had been sold since the roll had been made.

Mr. Marchant agreed that in the Ngaire land had been absurdly undervalued, tho reason assigned for the valuation being some decision given in a court of law.

Mr. Morrison proposed that the representation on the County Council should be four for Hawara riding; three for Waimate riding; and two for Ngaire riding. The mover thought that even though the valuation of Waimate road district were doublod, it would not equal Hawera road district, and he was in favor of appointing the full number of councillors, viz., nine members. The motion was not seconded, and lapsed. Mr. Yorke proposed that the representation should be three councillors for Hawei-a, three for Waimate, and two for Ngaire. Seconded by Mr. Marcbant, who slated that he voted for the amendment, because it was, he thought, the fairest method of division possible. Had the numbers proposed by Mr. Morrison been adopted, the Ngaire would have had a disproportionately large representation as compared with Waimate. He objected to eight members on a council, because it gave undue force to the chairman's casting vote. However, it would be open for the council to re-apportion the repi'esentation whenever occasion required. He also recognised the force of Mr. Torke's argument that by the time the county council came into existence the ratepayers in the Waimate district would far outnumber those in Hawera district.

Mr. Yorke thought it would be well to have only eight members, because he felt sure that very soon a new road district would be formed in the bush at the back of tho Continuous Keserve. If that were done, an extra representative on the County Council could be given without disturbing the arrangement now proposed. He was of opinion that members from that part of the county would really strengthen the Ngaire end of the county, as their interests would chiefly lie at that end of the district.

Tho resolution was then carried unanimously. It was resolved that the recommendation re tho reprcsention should be forwarded through Mr. Parrington, who bad been in communication with the Colonial Secretary on the subject.