MANAIA.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume IX, Issue 1605, 21 April 1887, Page 2

MANAIA.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

On Monday evening next the annual meeting of householders will be held ior the purpose of receiving the leport of the outgoing committee and electing a committee for the ensuing year. I hear that several of the members intend standmg for re election.

Mr. Wilton, who has lately started next to Lewis' Hotel as a chemist and druggist, has made a ffr^at improvement in the mteiual appearance of the shop, having bad it nicely pniniert and fitted up with shelving aud counters. He has choseu a first-class position, and no doubt will find that the Plains people will fjive him as liberal a support as the salubiious climate iv which they dwell will permit.

Mr. K. Kappely, formeily baking for Messrs. Htill Bros., has erected an oven ou the seetiou at the rear of the building just opposite the Bank of New Zealand, and has had his shop fitted up for the convenience of country visitors, who can obtain a cup of tea or coffee and refreshments at a, moderate cost.

A requisition signed by about a dozen Manaia ratepayers has, I understand, been presented to the Chairman of the Town Board asking him to call a public meeting to discuss the effects of the propused merging of the road boards into the county. I am not sure that a definite reply has been given to tho request, but it seems 'o me that the M.uiani late-payees have u-itlung whatever to d<> with the matter as there is nothing in tho proposal which will effect rbein as ratepayers. As townspeople it it is tiue we may have a certain amount of interest in s-eeing that a fair share of the public money spent in the district, is paid over at wh,ifc is the central township, and not at one extremity of the ounty, but bojMnd thia natural desire for what seeui3 a fair and reasonable request, we have nothing to do with the mutter, and it i 3 to he hoped that if a meeting is considered dcsiiable the requisition will bo sent to tbe Chairman of the Road B ard.

It is a pily that the Chairman of the Conuty Council does not place the matter of fimvnce plainly before ratepayers, when, if it were shown that there would be auy considerable saviug, he could depend upon having a lar^e majority iv favor of the proposed merging. At piesent, one is met on overy t=ide with the peitiuent question, " What will it save us?" and the Chairman of the County is the proper person to give as clear nu answer as may be given by undone. There are numbers of rate payern ou\y too wiWing to sign khe petition when they are assured upon that point, but who naturally do not think it ordinarily prudent to sign the petition and find out the reasuia for it afterwards. Something will have to be don Q , as the new Couuties Act places the care of all the piincipal roads iv the county in the hands of the council. It is hoped that the County Chairinau will set out his case for the adjustment of the finances at ouce, and tlius afford ratepayers an oppoitnuity of intelligently graspmg the main questions at issue. In these dull times, eveu a year saved is au important item.