CORRESPONDENCE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 8242, 14 June 1905, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE.

PROPOSED NEW COUNTY.

(To the Editor.) Sir, — I am surprised to notice in to night's Star that a meeting of ratepayers has been, called by Mr J. Marx at Mangatoki to deal with the above matter. Surely it cannot be that Mr Marx is so unreasonably bitter in bis opposition to the proposed new county that he is endeavoring to get his fellow ratepayers to prejudge the whole •question- without getting an opportunity of . nearing both sides. _Yet this is the only conclusion that can be «orae to judging from his action in this matter. . , . ... Mr Marx was Chairman of the public meeting held at. Eltham on the sth inst., when the following resolution v was pawed ; •'That the present. conunittee; with Mr J. U. Murray, be appointed to further the proposal, with instructions to call meetings in the differeirircidmgs. and? place' the data before the- ratepayers." ' And on the Bth inst. I wrote to Mr Marx telling ham that so soon as Mr Parlane, who is one of the two Mangatoki riding representatives on the committee, returned home 1 would call a meeting to consider # the whole proposal and arrange for meetings at Mangatoki and other centres, and that I would again communicate-with him on the matter, so that lie cannot plead ignorance of our intentions. This, howeyer, apparently does not meet with Mr Marx b •approval. Evidently he has no wish for the Mangatoki people to hear the committee s data, but having constituted himself sole judge and arbitrator on the question, he ignores the committee entirely, and calls this meeting on. his own, without giving his neighbors the opportunity of hearing, the other side, which any fair-minded man would consider necessary before any just decision could be arrived at. But I shall be very greatly surprised if, the ratepayers of Mangtstoki riding. .^ow ,Uiemaelyes to be placed in any such-, false -position; to. please anyone. Of course Mr Marx's action inthis matter won't influence the.comJnittee in- the slightest in : the?carrywg out of tntfr duties. *So soon as we can meet arrangements/will be. made' for a meeting at Mangatoki and other centres, when the Idffihfdrmatton will be Md before the ratepayers, %nd>y*ry. opportam^ raven to oS tn£wnofe proposal; bot* for and against. TJnttt that -has been done I have aSfficient confidence in the good sense and flonnd iudgnWt of the peottk" of Mang* tokito befieve that they will reserve their

' * Cfiairniftn of Committee.