WANGANUI.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4427, 6 August 1901, Page 6

WANGANUI.

PROTEST AG AINST THE COUNTIES BILL. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) Monday, 6.56 p.m. At a meeting of the Waitotara County Council to-day the chairman (Mr Ritchie) came clown roughly on the local plague hospital. He characterised it as the biggest abortion in Wanganui. “It was not the slightest use,” he said, “for the purposes for which it was intended without considerable additions. They had started to build a cow and had only got the tail.” He added that the Council had never passed anything so reluctantly as its contribution towards the plague hospital. Speaking at the same meeting, Mr Ritchie said the feeling at the Counties Conference was that the Maoris should be compelled to pay full rates for their land if it was occupied. At pre. sent Maori lands within five miles of the road have to pay half rates, and lands beyond that limit are exempt. There are four or five blocks of Maori land close to public roads in Waitotara county, and even half rates are not collected, the difficulty being to find individual owners. In response to applications made by a deputation of Wanganui library directors, the Waitotara County Council today de.cided to contribute £ls towards the funds of th e institution. A meeting of ratepayers of the Waverley district was held on Friday evening, for the purpose of protesting against the proposals contained in the Counties Bill providing for the abolitioW of town boards. The following resolutions were unanimously carried: - (1) That this meeting strongly opposes the proposal contained in the new Counties Bill providing for the abolition of town boards, and it is'of opinion that if passed into law such a proposal will be disastrous to the welfare of the town of Waverley and surrounding districts, as the whole of the property of the Town Board, the Waverley DonlSin Board, the County Board, and the Wairoa Domain Board, would vest in the Patea county without any local control; (2) That the Government be requested to make provision in the Bill for the retention of town boards similar to those now constituted under the Town District Act; (3) That a copy of the resolutions be sent to the Premier through the member for the district.