A LIVELY MEETING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20968, 3 September 1931, Page 11

A LIVELY MEETING.

ROSKILL RATEPAYERS, j

BOARD'S ADMINISTRATION

REFUTATION OF ALLEGAT ONS.

The interest of IFe ratepayers of ! tfount Roskill was thoroughly aroused last evening in a meeting at which membjrs of the Road Board were called upon ly the Mount'Roskill East Ratepayers' Association to reply to " certain inform ition" received by the association concerning the board's administration. The ex chairman, Mr. C. M. McCullough, wa i also invited to attend. The Mount lloskill Hall was packed to the doors. When the/meeting opened Mr. H. Wells took the chair, and with him on thn platform was Mr. F. J. Newbery.. They were preparing to proceed with tin business when there were cries for thn election of a chairman, the noise at times bordering upon uproar.

Mr. Newbery attempted to explain the purpose for which meeting was :alled, but with little success, the calln for s chairman being continued. The name of Mr. McCullough was proposed amid cheers and clapping, but it was ruled by Mr. Wells that Mr. McCullough wan not eligible, as some of the allegations concerned him. V Questions Asked by Association. The noise continued until finally it was agreed that Mr. R. Sheath should take the chair. He did so, and after he had made an appeal for a fair hearing :or th» speakers, order was quickly restored.

Mr. Newbery stated that cert; in information had been given the association which had warranted the calling of tb« meeting. Her read a circular l;ttnr sent to the members of the board by tbß association submitting a series of questioni it desired to be answered.

The questions were:—Whether 1] specified vehicle crossings had been laid down by the board since May 2, and -vhether the work had been done in ace< rdanc® with tKe by-laws and duly charged for! Whether 300 yards of spoil h;wl been placed on a section belonging to Jlr. W. H. Thomas, a member of the boaid, and whether payment had been received for the work and material? Further,:vhether certain earth filling Bad been deposited on the property of Mr. McCulloa ;h and whether that also had been paid for? One Oiise Not Investigate. With reference to two of the ciossings mentioned, the chairman said Jie had owned one of the properties fen about three years. It had a crossing then and there was a crossing to the property next to his which was among thoie mentioned.

A member of the board, Mr. ,T. Barclay, whose property was mentuned an being supplied with a crossing, said definitely that there had not been ono put in to his place.

Another man whose property was cited said he had paid for his crossings about 22 years ago. They had been reconstructed by men working under ihe No. 5 scheme. - 1 »

Mr. Barclay said the board lad put in piping to stop the water from goinj down his drive. The Chairman: I shall ask M". Newbery whether he can refute that statement.

"Mr. Barclay's is one of the cases I have not investigated," said Mr. Newbery, amid laughter and derisive cries. The chairman then called upon Mi*. McCullough to "enlighten the meeting on the work going on under tlin No. 5 scheme and give some idea oi! the reconstruction of the crossings." Question o! Crossings Claud. "I know nothing of the crossings," said Mr. McCullough, who took up a position on the platform. "The crossings were there before I was born." The Chairman: In view of that statement, and unless the Mount Rosldll East Ratepayers' Association can refut? it, w« will have to take Mr. McCullougli's word and dispose of- this question.

At. this stage Mr. Newbery loft th® platform and took up his place amonsc those vrho were standing near the front. "Here," Mr. McCullough called after Ijim. "Stay here, stay here." ' , ' Mr. Newbery: not be far away. Do not worry. Mr. S. I. Goodall, a member of th® board, said that some time ago information came to him fjom a ratepayer concerning the crossings so he considered it was his duty to Jookr through the books and make inquiries from the stiff. Instructions had been received for work to be done on crossings and there was an account lor £29 for piping. In closing the first question the chairman said no member of the bourd had come forward to give the information as to who had ordered ,the crossings. Deposits of Spoil Not Waatud. Asked, N to give an explanation' of "th® depositing of soil on. his section, Mr. Thomas said he had given permission for soil to be placed on his section when requested to do so before he became *a member of the board, and it had . been deposited there afterwards. Thwy could take it. away if they like. He did not want it. (Laughter.)

Mr. McCullough said that in order that the cutting down of a bank in Hillsborough Road might be proceeded with as quickly as possible he had given permission to the late board to duimp some spoil On his section. The spoil was a danger to the public and it was open to anyone to take it if they would. anyone thought he had received ;:my gain from it he. could come up and have a look at it. It had made a mes!i at tb® back of his place. Mr. Newbery said all the association had wanted was a free and frank discussion. When a ratepayers' meeting was called for a big matter and it could not get the information there was something wrong. The meeting was then closed.