RETRENCHMENT MEETING AT WARKWORTH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9140, 23 August 1888, Page 5

RETRENCHMENT MEETING AT WARKWORTH.

A rcßLic meeting, convened by the chairman of the Upper Mahura-ngi Highway District Board, was held in the Masonic Hall, Warkworth, on Saturday evening, the ISth instant, to take into consideration the decision of the Otara meeting re Government retrenchment, and to give an opportunity to the various Road Boards in this part of the County of Rodney to express their opinion thereon, and to take such united action as may be deemed desirable. Considering the importance of the subject, there was a meagre attendance of residents. Amongst those present were Mr. James Mathews and Mr. C. Greenwood from Matakaiia East, Mr. James Snell from Mahurangi East, and Mr. John Parry from Lower Mahurangi, all members of the various District Road Boards. Mr. C. Thomson, chairman of the Upper Mahurangi District Board, presided, and after reading the notice convening the meeting, he read Colonel Dawson's letter calling attention to the Otara meeting, also copy of letters which he had addressed to Road Boards in the vicinity.

The subject of education was first touched upon. Mr. G. F. Such said he objected to the public schools being made into a nursery, and quoted Mr. 0 Sullivan's opinion that children under seven years of age were better out of school. He proposed, That in the opinion of this meeting the school age should be raised to seven years."

Mr. J. M. King seconded the resolution, but said ho would be prepared to go further than Mr. Such, and thought that standard live ought to be the limit of free instruction.

Mr. Nathaniel Wilson said, although £50,000 might be saved by raising the age and reducing the standards, he did not consider it would be advisable to raise the age in country districts, and as to lowering the standards he differed with Mr. King, as, although much was very good, it wanted intelligence to direct it. Children ought to be taught not to despise labour, but the more education the child had the better. He was in favour of Mr. Cooper's scheme, and the public of New Zealand should thank Mr. Cooper. He moved, as an amendment, " That the Government reduce the expenditure on education in accordance with the suggestion contained in Mr. Cooper's resolution laid before the Auckland Board of Education, with the exception of the retention of Education Boards, which this meeting thinks ought to be abolished. £130,000 could then be saved per annum." •Seconded bv Mr. Voakes. The amendment was carried by a large majority. On the suggestion of Mr. King, the resolutions passed by the Otara meeting were read aud taken neriatim.

Mr. Nathaniel Wilson moved, and Mr. King seconded, " That this meeting endorse and adopt Mr. White's resolution passed at the Otara meeting." Carried unanimously. On the motion of Mr. Pulham, seconded, by Mr. L. Thomson, " That this meeting adopt Mr. Hall's resolution as passed at the Otara meeting." Mr. Nathaniel Wilson spoke to the resolution, and moved, as an amendment, "That the House of Representatives be reduced to thirty members, and the Legislative Council to fifteen members, and that they be elected on the ' Hare system ;' that the Assembly be the only law-making body as at present ; that it deals only with general affairs, such as foreign relations, justice, post and telegraph departments, lands, customs, etc. ; that all local affairs be handed over to municipalities and County Councils ; that the counties be endowed with a landed estate out of the public lands, of from 20,000 to 50,000 acres each, in accordance with the value of the lands for letting and the extent of county; that the municipalities, where not now endowed, be provided for from lands as near to them as possible." Mr. Douse seconded this amendment, which was carried unanimously. Proposed by Mr. King, seconded by Mr. Such, " That this meeting adopt part of Colonel Dawson's resolution, viz., 'that, in the opinion of this meeting, taking into consideration the financial condition of this colony, the present expenditure of government is far in excess of common sense.'"

Carried unanimously. The l-esolutions of Messrs. Bell and McGeehie were passed, and although the meeting agreed with much in them, they were considered rather vague. Proposed by Mr. C. Thomson, seconded by Mr. Parry, and carried unanimously, " That a reduction of all salaries of civil servants should be made on a sliding scale of, say, 5 per cent, on salaries of £150, rising to 40 per cent, ofl' the highest." The chairman thanked the members of other Boards for their attendance, and a vote of thanks to the chair terminated the meeting.—[Own Correspondent.]