MANGAPAI HIGHWAY DISTRICT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XII, Issue 4297, 21 August 1875, Page 1 (Supplement)

MANGAPAI HIGHWAY DISTRICT.

The remnant <£.the late District Board (who * re all absentees} having neglected or omitted •tr> appoint an annual meeting of ratepayers ■ during the month of July last, £ar the purof levying -a, rate, electing trustees, editors, &c., as required by the Highways Act, the residents liavi: convened a. meeting, wiich was held is the Wesleyaa /jhurch, &n -Saturday, the tth inst. Ten of the were present. Mr. R. Hjnagga via unanimously eleqied as chairmaq, and read the notica convening the meeting, sfiiich far the purpose of nominating live -persons eligible and willing .to act as truafeea, jko tuc auditors and twe fence-viewer*, to sub«tjtted to his Honor the Supeheatendent for appointment. (Considerable reluctance was Bhewn in accepting office ac trustees. Only four could i>e prevailed "I 1 0" to aft. Five others svere named amongst wh«n to canvass toe another to Wake up the number required to form a "GarJ. The following were unanimously nominated, viz., Jleasrß. A. Freeman, J. W. t v - Fraser, and \V. Harrison as h/t'™ ' W '" l OEe more to add to the num--r); T. P. Hewlett and A. Wintle as audiwrs, tnd T. P. Hewlett and W. McAllister fr f<--uee-vicwers. A rate of one penny in ,' fc u " the value to sell was recommended. A vote of thanks to the chairman brought r ? 10Q ' OUB meeting to a close. was 'f"l>osßiL)le to avoid contrasting the Lm i mett ' fl g with the one held in the bf-f-n j e t *° >' ears a fi°> whea proxies had for t , mdUßtn ou«ly sought, and were used, W® purpose of jepuring office AS trus

Irees, when, with one exception (that of teconding a proposition), every resolution ] assod at that meeting was proposed and i iconded by the two ratepayers, who used r.U the proxies except two. This proceeding led the majority of the residents to suppose that the absentees v ero ruling the affairs of the district, and objected to pay the rates levied. Two of ti em were summoned to the Petty Sessions Omrt for the amount claimed. In both cises the plaintiff was non-suited, because the Bard had not complied with the Act. At this annual meeting two years ago a rate of 2d in the £ was levied, and an acreage valuation m ule, the waste lands of the aoseniees, at ju :t one-half of that owned by residents, and th sy have never been able to understand why they should be rated at just double the account of those having land all around them of similar quality, only because it was owned bj absentees. Last year a rate of Id nx the £ ras levied, and a valuation made, shewing th-. land of double value frem the year previous, and the absentees' land again valued at • inly one-half the amount of that of the oc( apiers. The whole affair was so absurd thf.t the Board never went so far aa to make out an assessment list. The consequence is th»; £45 cash in hand has been held over this yej ', instead of being expended for the ben. tit of the district as it should have been. No rates have been collected, and the £30 odd, apportioned to this district by the Goverr roent, unclaimed ; and 1 believe the use of proxies has led to this result. I don't think it could have happened without them, and ; would respectfully ask those absentees who cannot attend the annual meetings personally, to consider whether they really woul 1 not be consulting their own interests by 1 saving to a majority of occupiers the manngement of all highway matters ; for if such would not conduct the affairs so as best to conduce to the benefit of the district, I can oily express my opinion that the absentees are very unfortunate to own any land amon|.st them; and if the late management | here i, likely to increase the value of your | property, then continae your proxy voting, 1 but yea must also make up your mind to take ti:e offices if you rule the affairs. The time reenpied therewith, I know by experience, to be of far more value than the amount of rate levied.—fCorrespondent.]