PUBLIC MEETING.

Northern Advocate, 20 October 1888, Page 2

PUBLIC MEETING.

i It will be seen by advertisement that " Mr Thompson has called a public . meeting, that he may address his 3 constituents on Saturday, the 3rd of November. We are glad that Mr I Thompson lias given timely notice, , and hope the people will respond to c it. This hope is not the outcome of 3 any feeling other than to see a spirit of general patriotism exhibited, and questions which concern us and our district taken in hand with some little enthusiasm. This is no party meeting. Mr Thompson is our representative, and so long as he is so lie is responsible to the electors who returned , him, friend and foe alike ; and it is I the duty of all to meet him. There ■ are many important matters to be c talked over, and on which, it is necessary to elicit Mr Thompson's views. Now that Mr Hobb's Puphi- . puhi Eailway Bill has received a blow c which, must forever consign it to the fc waste basket of the present administration at least, it is expedient that we come to some understanding as to what is to be done in the future in this respect, especially as Mr Thompson's presence in the House D should largely influence its destiny. With the palpable tendency of the Kauri Syndicate to build up a i. monopoly in that- trade, and the, - consequent springing up of smal easily worked mills to supply at least local demands for timber; with the j." ever growing traffic of the settlements ,r along the line of the proposed raili, way ; with the known deposits of coal L r and other industrial minerals ; and, i U above all, the tracts of rich land in and t, about Puhipuhi; all point to the suicidal policy of not extending the ~ Kamo line to that point, by which the I s present traffic would be trebled and s the country developed. So firmly are _ we convinced of the vast value of this >f undertaking, that we believe, . apart d from all land grants, as common; lt carriers, any company making this 12 miles of railway would work it to :_ large profit. Other matters for con>r sideration are, the permission of deposits '" in our harbour and the propriety of tho deep water extension. Increased - activity at the Kamo mine, and the increase in our shipping, points to the necessity of very considerable harbour improvements being made ~ to facilitate our export trade. Yet c another grave sub j ect for consideration & is the working of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Act, and the propriety c of more simple machinery for the adP ministration of funds for purposes of J charity. If the present costly and reckless system, combined with the - heavy hospital charges, are longer con- " tinued, this tax on the resources of ' the people will become a burden intoler- - able to be borne. We see no reason why all local administration should ~ not be centered in our County Councils, j None of the associated counties of the North Auckland Board object to coun- - ties adminisitering to their own poor save 1 Hobson, and this for the very palpable reason that their expenditure is very large and their contributions very small. In the County Councils we have bodies constantly meeting, who > are in a position to carry on the administration of the funds of the Board free of cost, and more efficiently carry out the principles of the Act than any more recently constituted body can do ; less liable to error, andless < exposed to fraud. We could go on enumerating ad libitum tho many and varied reasons for which this meeting should be a large and representative one ; but refrain. Zeal for the public good is the spirit we wish to see more , general ; how manifested we care but little ; whether it bo in friendly efforts , to aid our representative, or in the more common expressions of dissatisfaction, and the public indulgence of an Englishman's privilege to grumble.