OUR THAMES LETTER.

Ohinemuri Gazette, Volume I, Issue 28, 25 June 1892, Page 5

OUR THAMES LETTER.

'One of the principal topics of conversation during the last day or two 'has been the meeting of the ratepayers of the Totara Ridiug,\of the Thames 'County, held at Puriri, on Monday night, when the following resolutions were; carried unanimously: (1) That the Council be asked to re-adjust at the proper time the representation of the Ridings of the Thames County. (2) That a letter be sent to the Council from this meeting asking that the funds of the County be allocated according to section 143 of the "Counties Act, 1886;" (3) That a Committee be formed to carry on this agitation, until the object ■sought for be attained, and that Messrs Gillon, Quinn, A. Alley, Granger, Cooper, Townsend, and Bagriall be the CommitteeVthe latter to'be convener.

It Would appear that as the result of the renewal of this agitation, almost the whole of the members df the Thames County Council have now expressed themselves favourable to Totara being allowed two members. Their idea, however, is to create an additional councillor, instead of taking one member away from Waiotahi which is not likely to meet with the wishes of the Totara people. The great, injustice done to Totara will be readily recognised when it is pointed out that at the last adjustment, Waiotalhi Riding paid £IB in rates, with 118 ratepayers; while Totara paid nearly £500 in rates, with 132 ratepayers, but could not j*et more than one meiriber!

The latest report in connection with this matter iB that an effort is to be: at once made by the residents of Parawai to 'have that riding incorporated i with the Thames Borongh. This can be accomplished upon three-fifths of the i esident'heuse'holders of Parawai signing a petition to that effect, and it is claimed by those moving in the matter that ■ 'more than the requisite signatures can i be dbtained. A public meeting of the ratepayers is likely to be called in a 'week or ten days. Parawai would then have three representatives >in the Borough Council.

Mining matters show a great im-| provement, and the sharemarket has been brisker than for some months pask The Hazelbank Co. have during the' week obtained 9Ulbs of picked stone, worth over an ounce to the pound, and shares have risen from Is 4d to 2s 9d. The Magnolia is looking better, and there are %ayers at 7d, while dt is expected that the Alburnia will shortly come to the front. May Queens are worth "2s 4d, and Moanatairis have advanced to 4s 3d. There are buyers of Crowns'(iKarangahake) at'9s 6d.

The house of Mr Craine, at Malatoke, was struck by lightning dnring the heavy thunder-storm last Tuesday morning. The corpent smashed through the roof with terrific force, making a break about 18in. wide, and breaking right down through the ceiling and 'marking-all the windows, and otherwise spoiling and wrecking the place. As good fortune wonld have it, the occupants were in another portion of the Ihouse, and 'escaped injury, but, stranger still, no part of the uuilding was fired.