COUNTY OF EDEN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIV, Issue 4789, 23 March 1877, Page 3

COUNTY OF EDEN.

' '.; -NEWTON RIDING.! r>, A LAKGE meeting of the ratepayers of JHigh.way Boards, in. this Riding, .was, held last evening; in the Ponsbn^yHaU,'for the purpose of hearing addresses from the representatives in the Council (Messrs: Thome and Muefield), arid generally to consider the question of suspending the pennieeiTe clauses of the Counties Act. Mr. J. A. Tole, M.H.R.,.was oalledto the chair. The bainiMAN, in opening the proceed- , ings, narrated the.movements made^ in the district both before and since the elections •■ t or T th6 County, with » view to obtain the sense of the ratepayers upon the effect of the Act if brought into operation. That meeting was convened in consequence of a requisition sent to him by a. number of ratepayers of Poneonby and the two adjacent. Highway Boards. Thus the whole of the Newton Riding was represented at that meeting. He thought that at a meeting of that'kind every opinion should be expressed that was in favour, if any, of the Act, ao well as that oppoaed to it. It would be a, great conquest for the Abolition party: if the Act were to be adopted in the County of Eden. Th« : opinion of the public appeared to be that one effect of the Act, if brought into operation, would be to impose double taxation. An it was included in the programme that the ; County members .should' express their opinions, he would ask Mr. Masefield or Mr. Thorne, in what order they pleased, to address the meeting. (Cheers.) Mr. Masefield said he. thought that the postponement of the decision upon the "hanging np" the Act had tended' to mature the public deliberation on the question;. The ratepaj'era .were aware that; he had always held the opinion that either ; the Counties Act should come into'full operation as a whole or that they ahonld fall back upon the old Highway Boards. He believed that the Counties Act did provide a plan of local government. In throwing it away they threw away a great many sources of revenue. (Dr. AVallie:. No.) He, held that opinion riotwitnstanding what had been said to ithe. contrary. It was .said that the Act was {expensive, but he contended that the County of Eden could. have. been carried on ifor about £800 a ye*r. He thought that wasr. a yery . moderate . expenditure, considering ' the work' that would have to .be..dpne,r and ,the , extent of the district ' Hβ regretted' that the speakers who had addressed the public on this subject were prejudiced. (Cries of "No, no.") He believed that thoße people .who proposed to go to'the County Council the next evening, carrying the representation -of a coffin before them (laughter) were not persons very likely to form an unbiassed opinion. The opinions of Messrs. Rolleston, Ormbnd, and others had been quoted, but each of these \ men. owned .ihalf •a: 'county. They were the persons, upon , .whom the charge for local improvements' would ;fall heavily, although.they would perhaps bene : . fit most by them. He must say, in respect' to ithe operation of thiii.. Act, ,■ that ;the populations of the districts we're yet yery small. He conceived that the full scope of this Counties Act contemplated very considerable populations.,, And ,as population would increase, it would be found that this Act would have more complete application. Mr. Masefield referred at, pome length and' in considerable detail to the action taken by-the County- Council on various matters, viz., the Bank tender, the seal, the adjournments of the Council from time to time, and the conduct'of.iparticnlir.members of that body. He had expressed his own convictions, and he waa prepared on the present occasion-'to sink those convictions, and to act as the delegate ' of the/; ratepayers. -,; He, . felt : that public opinion was, not only very positive, but was now in a very mature state, and he would prefer' to 'consider'the rights' of jthe ratepayers rather : 'than his own personal opinions. He would vote for the suspension of the permissive-olauses of the Act when the matter came to the vote the next evening! Y (Gheersl) T He'"Would' bring''another matter'' to'! the the ratepayers. He hoped . they would ipay. their rates before -the 31st of March,' so that they might get the .largest possible amount of; subsidy for-the^foeal'board. ■ He would not occupy) the time of jthe meeting. But if it should come to pass that the Counties year, beebme compulsory, he- would again appear before them, and he would-be able to show that the Counties Act. was not so bad as some people teUiJojßftfeß. itt.ou&afXCJieersjJ} j Mr. Wμ. Thobke eai(p.-that,-nB % member of the County_3Gonncfl/he had done all in his power towards what waa called j the ",hanging-up".,of ~thjs ..He .was rather surprised that the'advocacy of the Counties Act had not been 'more effective. He 'had heard a greatdeal about Provincial roads, or "through roads," as they were sometimes , called. •. It was .. said , .that ! the Government would ' withhold the ' eubsidy if the Counties Act. were, not-brought into operation.''" They would, they said, maintain these roads out of the money that would otherwise go to the County. If. it came to the worpt for the ratepayers they would pay their 'rates' for the local roads, and these roads would be left out in j the cold. If the Government had any sincerity in their intentiona it wqnld be seen in) the manner they'would 'act with'respect-to .this subject. HeJbelieved there was a great desire on the part of the Government to ;v get thie r Act into operation in ' the" County of Eden. | He , thought that to .work r this. County system' efficiently a "great deal' more than 'cine paen would have to pnt their shoulders to j the wheel. He believed that it would take| the whole tuna of double that number to attend to' , what'-would-be rcquire'd; "-He did j not think that the management could be carried out unless for a very much' greate'rshm than had been mentioned,.by Mr. Masefield. jHe belie»ed that it "would cost £2400 at the least, notwithstanding that the estimatejsent up to the Council was £1200. He thought there would be.about £1100.left, for.piiblici purposes' after the" expenses" 'were paid. : He had considered the whole of this question of roads very carefully, and he came to:'the conclusion that itrwould be to the disadyan,tege.ofJho..ratepayers to apcept the!full operation of; this;; Act ;, He would'vote on the following" evening 'that the permissive clauses ehould_be_Buspended. (Cheers. )| ■,-. Dr. Waiais then addressed the meeting. -He-reviewed the .proceedings, of- Council hitherto, and 1 said he believed'that the councillors would be.personally liable for the paymentofthosechargeswhichthe Council had inAfter, expressing, his (Opinion about the Act at considerable length, Dr. Wallis pulled a rope out of hisjracket, with/which he said he was prepared 'to perform ' the operation of "hanging-up." This mjove--ment .appeared to create some surprise, and, as subsequently appeared, gave considerable offence to several ratepayers. :- ■ ==: - ._Mr. ABBOT-asked-permission-to-address the ratepayers,, .and was received with: cheers. He-referred'to the proceedings of the meetings which had been previously held at Parnell, Newmarket, and elswherei j He drew an .extraordinary picture of what he called the immolation of the advocates of the Act being brought into operation. ! -•;Wfc ■Field moved; "That the>ratepayers of the Newton, Riding are of' opinion that the permissive clauses of :,th'e'Counties Act, 1876, should not be brought":into",bperation in the County of ■ Eden.'. , - (Cheerst) ■' | ' Mr. Staines secondedthe resolution. ' He criticised the conduct .'of ;*he iOounty Cpu'n-' \ ciilors in . Council with: great -point, [and hoped the ratepayers would' "irott up" to the County Council the next evening to witaess.the"', hanging" of the permissive clauses. " •■; Tiieresolution was: put,' ahd?carried uiianimouely.v ; t '■'"'"''-.: :■ "---•■, ..,-?; ■;/.:' ■ VMr. BAbton moyed, s i f Thai ;: this meeting' -vjts thinkT to Messrs.: Thornei and Masefield fo.r having expressed, thie evening, their opinion of the, .Counties Act, ind their intention to vote against' the\introduotiin-ofe the permissive clauses in the Connty of Eden, and tiiab- , these gentlemen, with' Dz.. Wallis, deserve the confidence ; of the ratepayers." . -i •" - ; ■

Mr. Abbot seconded the resolution, which was put to the meeting and declared to be carried. "•■••• " '

Mr. Thorne complained of the conduct of Dr. Wallie both in and out of tbe'Council, and was followed by Mr. Swansok in , the same strain. 1 It was said that Dr. Wallie had insulted Mr. Maaelield by the production of the rope. Mr. Wood, Mr. Swanson'; and Mr. Thome vindicated -. Mr.- Masefield from the imputations whichhad been'made against him. ' •:■■•-•■. f •"■ ' : \ A vote.' of. thanks to the chairman concluded the proceedings. ; j