NORMANBY. TOWN BOARD MEETING.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume III, Issue 245, 8 May 1882, Page 2

NORMANBY. TOWN BOARD MEETING.

The Commissioners met at 6.30 p.m. on Friday. Present — Messrs. Gibson (chairman), Quin, Rowe, Treweek, and Miller.

The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed.

CORRESPONDENCE.

The outward correspondence was read ; also inward correspondence, as follows : — Major Atkinson wrote " In reference to your telegram of the 25th inst., enquiring if Town Districts are entitled to hotel and other license fees, and if so under what authority, I beg to say that in my private opinion — which of course is only that of a layman — town districts are entitled to such fees. I come to this conclusion after consideration of the proviuions of several recently enacted laws — viz., The Town Districts Act, 1881, section 35, coupled with section 109, and the definition of borough in the 4th section of the Licensing Act, 1881; the Dog Registration Act, 1880, definition of borough therein, taken in conjunction with sections 6, 7, 8, and 24, and the first sohedule. I would draw your attention to an opinion on this subject, given by Mr. W. T. L. Travers to the Hutt County Council, and published in the New Zealand Times of 15th ult., which is also in favour of the town districts receiving the fees. [This will be found in to-day's supplement.] Permit me to suggest that the most satisfactory way of ascertaining what are the legal rights of town districts in the matter would be to take the opinion of the Town Board's solicitor. I gladly give you such advice as I am able to, but of course I cannot speak authoritativoly on a question of interpretation of Statute law." From Clerk to the County Council, informing the Board that it had been resolved by the County Council to give the Board £45 in respect of main roads ; and also dog-registration fees after Ist July. — Mr. Quin said it was "anderstood that the Board Bhould occupy the same position to the County Counoil as the Road Boards ; and that should have been stated in letter. — The Chairman thought the grant in effect did that. ESTIMATES.

Deducting the £74 required for abovementioned purposes, that left £120 to be spent on public works, and 'he proposed that should be spent in the following manner : —

Stafford-street, gravelling £40 0 O Keteniarae road (from Staf-ford-street to hollow) ... 10 O 0 Ketemarae, forming and gravelling two chains ... 20 0 0 Ketemarae, forming road and footpath, 7 chains... 10 10 0 Mawhitiwhiti road, forming and gravelling one chain 10 O 0 Blake-street culvert ... 10 0 0 Egmont-street, cnlvert and clearing 15 0 0 Fitzroy-street 4 10 0 Total JBI2O O 0

He explained that the Works Committee had not met, and therefore could not report, but such was the proposal he should have made and which he now made to the Council. I Mr. Quin— There is nothing for the | Extension. The Chairman — No. Mr. Quin said he had made up a rather different estimate. He calculated that the total amount receivable from rates would be £120 11s. He would charge against that one-third of the whole expenses, which left about £95 for expenditure upon works. Now, one-third of the rates would be raised upon the Extension, and when he was elected to the Board by an overwhelming majority, he promised the people that he would see that the rates were spent, as far as possible, where they were raised. On that ticket ho was returned, and he intended to give tho people what was fairly their duo. The Extension's share of £95 was £31 135. Bd., and he proposed that that should be spent j upon Wynyard-street, from the church to the corner of Atkinson-street, five chains, at 205., £5 ; Atkinson-street, from Wyn-yard-street to the railway station, 16 chains 42 feet, at 305., £24 165. ; contingencies, £1 17s. Bd.— £3l 13s. Bd. He might mention that in accordance with his theory he quite recognised that the license fees should be spent near to where they were raised, while the County Council money must be spent on the main road. It would be unfair not to allow everyone to have a share of the expenditure — not to allow them to receive the benefit of their rates ; and he claimed on behalf of the people of the Extension, one-third of the total rates. The works he had pointed out wore absolutely necessary. Ladies who got out at the building which did duty for a station, could not get to their homes without going through the bush. The Chairman was opposed to splitting up the township into wards, or dividing the money to be spent into small amounts. He had been placed on the Board to protect the trade interests of the town, and he was of opinion that they ought to start to work from the centre. It was their duty to preserve and push the trade of the town ; but they could not bring trade to the town by making roads where they were not wanted by people coming to the town to do business. He had estimated the expenditure as low as possible, but he thought the money should be spent where it would be most useful. As to the Extension, he did not see there was any necessity for public works there. There were very few settlers thore, there were no fences ; there was tho whole country to come and go upon. Mr. Quin said he should look upon it as a robbery if the people were compelled to pay rates and get no works from the Board. They had been done out of their proper station (he would not say by what moans), and they were now denied a road through the bush to what did duty for a station. The Normanby people were

already a by-word, and this would not improve matters. Mr. Eowe was an advocate for spending money where it was most needed. It was absurd to expect that the rates received from each cottage would be spent opposite that cdttage. Mr. Quin did not want that. He wanted to see people on the Extension able to get to the station without crawling through supplejacks; and he could not think that members would be so dishonest as to deny them that : no doubt there was a majority against him, but a majority was a tyrannical thing. Mr. Treweek did not see any necessity for the road on the Extension at present. There was no business doing on the Extension. Mr. Quin said he knew he was in a minority, but ho would continue to lift up his voice against such injustice. The Chairman complained that Mr. Quin's language was too strong. There was no desire to do injustice. Mr. Quin said he accepted that statement, hut would expect the Chairman to act up to it. The Chairman had no desire to prevent the town extending, but it was of no use to spend £80 or £i 0 for the benefit of one man. Mr. Quin said it was not for the benefit of one man. There were plenty of people living there. He moved that an extension of time bo granted to the Works Committee to bring up its report. Motion negatived. On the motion of the Chairman, it was decided to adjourn for half-an-hour, in order that the Works Committee might meet. After half-an -hour's adjournment, the Board re -assembled. The Chairman then brought up from the Committee in the shape of a report, the estimates already submitted by him to the Board, and reported as above. The report was received, but Mr. Quin protested in the following words "I, Charles Quuij hereby lodge my solemn protest against the disposal of the funds of this Board, as shown in the report of Works Committee, as I regard it as a species of robbery, that none of the funds are spent on the extension, being fully onethird of this town. — Charles Quin, member of Works Committee." On the motion of Mr. Miller, the report was adopted. Mr. Quin moved that his protest be entered on the minutes. This lapsed for want of a seconder. The Chairman moved that the protest be not received, because he considered it was insulting and disrespectful to the Council. Mr. Miller seconded. Mr. Quin said there was nothing insulting in the protest, unless it was insulting to ask for your own, because the protest was certainly full of that. The Chairman — You speak of it as a species of robbery, and I consider that insulting. If you had put your protest in gentlemanly language, no doubt it would have been received. Mr. Quin — Bobbery is taking that which belongs to another ; and in that sense this is robbery. The motion was agreed to. BTKIKING A KATE. The Chairman moved that a rate of Is in the pound be struck. Mr. Treweek seconded. Mr. Quin moved that the rate b e 3d. in the pound. A shilling was too much to throw away. Amendment negatived. . Motion agreed to. OFFICE. A conversation occurred in reference to an office. It was mentioned that Mr. Hunger would give his room for nothing for six months ; but it was not known what he would charge after that. The Institute rdom could be had for £5 a-year. It was decided to retain the room at present used. MOUNTAIN TtOAD. Mr. Quin moved that the chairman ■write to Major Atikinson, asking ; him to have placed on the estimates a sum of £2000 ior forming and gravelling the Boylan road from Brett's corner to Te Boti, and thence to Mangawhero ; and reminding him of his promise at the last election, and informing him that the member for New Plymouth had promised to assist in getting the road finished. Agreed to. NORMANBY-MANAIA ROAD. The Chairman moved, That Major Atkinson be requested to have i! 1500 placed on the estimates for making approaches and bridges, and gravelling the Normanby-Manaia road. At present, the work done was useless for want of a few bridges. Mr. Quin feared this motion, if carried, would defeat the other. The Chairman thought not. Both were main arterial roads, and if anything the latter was more important than the former. Mr. Eowe seconded the motion, and it was carried. The Board then adjourned till Friday, 19th, at 6.30 p.m.

Bread is the staff of life, and when it is good it is light, sweet, and nutritious; but good bread cannot be made of yeast, nor with inferior Baking Powder ; these irritate the stomach and the alimentary canal. Yeast and inferior Baking Powder generate deleterious gassos and is a fruitful source 6f indigestion. The Moa brand Baking Powder is recognised by physicians, physiologists, and chemists as being perfect flour-raising ferment. It is a simple phosphate, and restores to the flour the essential and nutritive properties removed with the bran— nothing else, Inquire of your storekeeper for Shetland's Baking Powder. — Advt.

The revenue he estimated as follows :— Bates £90 0 0 Licenses (Idas JBI6 expenses 104 0 0 Total ,£194 0 0

The Chairman said be estimated exlenditure something as follows : — Stationery 13 6 Seal and furniture ... 8 11 G Map 5 5 0 Advertising, stamps, &c... 8 5 0 Salaries 32 4 0 Eent 5 0 0 Contingencies 6 10