TAUMARUNUI'S PLIGHT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17178, 4 June 1919, Page 8

TAUMARUNUI'S PLIGHT.

TOWN TENURE, PROBLEM.

DISCUSSION BY .. COUNCIL. t

"A DESPERATE SITUATION." [fiV TttEGKAPH.— CORRESPONDENT.] TAUMARUSUI, Tuesday. The town tenure problem was referred to at last night's meeting of tho Taumainnui Borough Council. A letter was received from Mr. 0. V. Einlay, Mayor of Te Kuiti, offering to co-operate in any way possible with the Taumarunui Council to obtain some, amelioration of tho difficulty.

Tho Mayor, Mr. 0. Steadmon, moved that the council bold a special meeting on Tuesday, June 10, to discus* the matter fully and arrive at some decision. . The matter, he said, was so complicated that it would require- a whole evening. The people were looking to the council for a lead. *

Mr. W. H. Fletcher, in seconding the motion, referred to .tho. question as Hie most vital they had had to deal with. " What is the uso of our continuing i\& we are under these- conditions " be asked. " For us to spend' money in building up tliu town is to penalise the community. Our interest is becoming less and loss every year. I would like to see a referendum' of the ratepayers token to see whether it is desirable for us to continue operations. Wo are in n desperate situation, and only drastic measures can get us out of it. 'We can mark time. I certainly object to striking rate.* and trying to build up the township. The whole thing is a farce." . . Mr. J. K. Ward expressed the opinion (hat tho valuer must have had Rome instructions, and it.might be that tho instructions did not fit the local conditions. The present poiiition did nob suit any of the parties. The natives .were receiving less and less each time, and as the values went up the natives would receive nothing at all. The land was held in trust by the Maori Land Board, and it seemed to him that if a private concorn got into a. similar position it would s have to liquidate. He we'eomed the motion. The proposal was adopted. The tenure problem cast its shadow over much of the business before the council. This was illustrated when a letter was received from the officer in charge of the Labour Department, Auckland, asking for information as to whether workers' dwellings were required in the borough, and as to whet' l ?!- there were any buildings that ought to be condemned. The Mayor moved that the council invite the Department to send an officer down, as the position in Taumarunui was peculiar. Practically the whole of tho township was leasehold, and the Government would not advance money on the sections. The officer conld investigate the question on the spot, and he might be lab'e to urge the Government to erect , Government- bouses on Government land. 1 Probably there were a few houses not i altogether fit for habitation, but people coming to Taumarunui could not obtain houses of any description, and were placed in an awkward position. The re* sult was that a lot of people had been prevented from coming to the place. Could the council allow any doubtful house* to be destroyed when people had absolutely nowhere to go! Mr. 0. E. Maiison: No. Mr. Q. Y. Canton seconded tho motion. It was decided to inform the Department that, at leant fifty houses ware ureent'y required to meet the needs of the borouch. but that, in face of tho difficulties of the tenure, the council would like an officer to visit Taumarunui to report to his Department.