OPUNAKE TOWN BOARD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 9539, 4 December 1889, Page 6

OPUNAKE TOWN BOARD.

The ordinary meeting of the <v was held on November 17. Wo John Newman (chairman),flS=C , • Middleton, and G. Rogers W ceedings then i Clerk of House of RepreStW * a ing report of Public Petitions cl **'■<*<*<*■ - petition for a grant of £2000 for re ' ve., # ' Cannot recommend thenrd tty h «e ; petitioners." Prom Audit DeK!E of «* ' ■ ing for the sum of £1 3s to*ftl nt ?*■ being cost of audit. From League asking for co-operation -^. Refot A. Cross re his stock having been sl i ro,n Mrvhich he considered were Intit] e ?? Kmne ?a i ; on the township, he having mid f!° Board., From % Cap_len, g S0 0 toth « explaining that in the event $'&*«b road being declared a district road ti, district would be equal to a bornnJ?t?*> ' charge of said road. From J J p? • lu -' ; vocating the formation of a companv t **' ■ struct a jetty, say, about 400 shares *°°" each, the same having been doim »-■ v 25 Brighton. From Blair Anderson .! i *\ e * ' Mcßeynolds' (chairman Parihaka P z Board) opinion re county matters'■■ n ii iKui correspondence :—To Mr. H. &X a Tenders for formation of Napier smf' t footpath King-street to the town fall De Forges and Co., £19 4s; J. McKeS? £• 5s (accepted). Gisbotne Terrace X' lj gorse : & Taylor, £1 (accepted?- J srie, £1 123. Layard-street, carting Jγ 6 ? - J. lUcKenzie, £3 ss, with 2s per varf Vel " for metal (accepted); G. Taylor "M» : gravel, metal 2s 6d extra. Corresnnmi • From Mr. Cross and the RailwaWf 1 " ••. League was ordered to lie on the table "i ! long discussion took place re getting' ,l I foreshore vested in the Town Board °\i McGregor considered it high time sten's w* A taken, for this district would never to aW* until it had a jetty of some sort Th [i was the Taranaki breakwater of no use ''" ' cost £2 per ton to get goods to and from if and Opunake people are: naviri" a ■ thi- "' farthing rate to it. The Premier%eemedt be either utterly helpless or indifferent M : having anything done with getting a i e .." so Mr. McGregor proposed, Mr. 5 Ko- ri seconded, " That application be made to th Minister of Marine for the foreshore to V- , vested in the Town Board." Carried. Th Board could not understand why Mr \i Reynolds' opinion had been forwarded'toi- •'- as the Board was not represented &t L"' meeting. Some other business was don? and the meeting terminated. ' The Board is to be congratulated at th« action taken by them at the above meeting re endeavouring to get (and it is to be trusted will be successful in applying) the foreshore •■ ! be vested in the Town Board.„ If thev at- ■ successful, then steps can be taken by private enterprise to get a jetty; for it is an acknowlodged fact that the district has been livin* in hopes, and hoping in vain, for the Govern' ment, having a representative in the position of Premier, to show and convince the other members of the House the_real necessity of something being done. Why not take all the rates that : are paid south of Okato to the Taranaki white elephant Harbour lioard and expend it here, givintr us something in return for our money? The Premier hag been rather free, as far as his vote was concerned, in voting away money which we j have to help to pay—£soo to each of Mr McAndrew's daughters. Was not Mr. Me' •'Andrew paid, and well paid, for what he did for us? If he was not satisfied, he could ; have gone farming, as others did. There ! was £iO,OOO for the Dunedin Exhibition£looo for the Governor as pocket-money while in Dunedin. -Then there is any amount of matter going through the post franked free by the secretary of the Exhi- ' bition; but as soon as ever a small settle- ""' ment asks for anything it 13 not to be gotsettlers who have to pay the wages from ti.. Premier to the lad, pensions to Civil ser- { vants, rotten railways, and any amount more ■;'} ways. Oaonui, a small settlement near ;, ' ; here, applied to have a post office, a settler offering to act as postmaster for the i::. nificent sum of about 3kl per day, makins up a mail daily: but the authorities seem, far as their work is concerned, to do nothing for nothing, and a very little for a farthing! as they sent back to say that an office would , be opened if the postmaster would act with- ' out salary. I was amused to read that ii a settler received the sum of £5 per ! annum,.it was regarded as a salary. Are ■■ any of the Civil servants, the Premier or Postmaster-General, willing to act without J ; salary? No, neither of them. This is the r ,i way the Government encourages settlement. by not giving the settlers the facilities of a post office when a settler offered to make up r.»i a daily mail for the coach for £5 per annum. ' I trust when next the Premier cornea round to see us (if ever he does) he will explain this ----- little affair of £5. Having some JinoirJedgt \ of the Oaonui district and the number of settlers there, I have not the Jesse doubt tin the outlay would be reproductive manyfolf; but, if not, the Government should eiicoi-, 'i rage settlement and give every facility to :, settlers. In this particular locality they are handicapped, having no port or railways, ,j i although heavily taxed for botb.-f.Oini Cor- -, j respondent.]