Impressions of a Ratepayers’ Meeting.

Northland Age, Volume VIII, Issue 26, 16 February 1912, Page 5

Impressions of a Ratepayers’ Meeting.

[By “ Tub Idiot.”] Tha other evening Smith invited me to attend a Entepayerg’ meeting at a place called Perin, •o I went, arriving at a large Hall, well lit up, and half filled with fieroe and very determined looking men half of whom were talking loudly at the same time. I found these were Batepayer*. There were men present from all part* of the country, a town up North oalled Awauui being repreaented by a publioan and a •inner. Surrounded by savage Eatepayera, were a g-nall body of men, who were very quiet, and did uot appear to know unything, who when questioned by the Eatepayers, persisted in knowing nothing. These men they oalled Councillors to distinguish them from Eatepayers. Councillors ware allowed to sit down whilst explaining that thay did not know anything, but Eathpayara had to atand up whilst talking. One and all, Eatepayara and Councillors alike, seemed anxious to shed the blood of gome one they all oallad “ Dick,” who had no desire evidently to be the sacrifice that night, and was not to be found, although several Eatepayera went out into the night, presumably to look for “ Dick,” and oame back to the meeting looking fiercer than ever, and wiping their mouataches. As tha Eatepayers could uot kill “ Diok ” that night, some one said it would be a good idea to build a conorete life-boat for use of the Mangonui Harbour Board. Here a Batepayer sternly asked a Councillor if be was a Harbour Board ? The Councillor said he was cither a Harbour Board or a whale, he did not know which, hut would ask “Dick.” Several Batepayers now got up at once to speak. I asked them who they were talking to ? They replied they were speaking to A. Besolution. They gave Eesolution a good dressing down, but be must have been a Councillor, as I did not hear him reply; probably he kept his seat, as I did not see him. A big man, who sat upstairs, and was a kind of referee, said “ Time ” and soma one put out the lights. The Eatepayers’ meeting was over, but these little functions must be very popular, as I heard several Eatepayers making arrangements to “ ’ave another.”