ELTHAM ROAD WEST.

Opunake Times, Volume I, Issue 16, 24 August 1894, Page 3

ELTHAM ROAD WEST.

(Our Own Correspondent.) After the Concert was over on Friday night, a meeting of rateyaj'ers was held in the schoolroom to consider the proposal of the County Council regarding the taking of the land fund in loan area to build bridges across the Puneho and Mangwhero rivers. About twenty were present. Mr G. Watson occupied the chair. Mr Moloney said that the matter had never been properly explained before the petitions were presented ; that many ratepayers had told him that, when signing the petitions, they understood that the main part of the funds required for the purpose were to be refunded from Waimate on the divison of the riding ; that they had no idea that they were voting themselves into a special rate. He contended that after the promise made by the Council that no rate would be levied till the land fund was exhausted in paying interest on loan (estimated at 14 years),

that it was a great hardship and injustice if the present proposal to levy the rate in less than three years was carried out, it would be very hard especially on those ratepayers who were residing on bye-roads, and on the Opu-nake-Stratford road, who were liable for this rate, though separated" from and prevented from using the Eltham Road for five or six mouths in the year by impassable mud canals. He considered that Mr Hemmingway, when he undertook to consult the ratcyayers, should have called a public meeting, instead of drafting petitions, when the pros and cons of the subject could have been properly discussed, and thus ratepayers would have been bettor able to judge how to vote, after hearing both sides. Mr Hemmingway said there was no time before the next Council meeting. Mr Hemmingway was asked if he was aw'are when counting the two petitions presented to the Council, and adding the results to make up the total majority, that a great many signatures on both petitions were identical, and were thus counted twice over. He replied th: t he was net. Mr Roully then moved, “ That the Council be requested to delay action till the riding is divided, and the credit balance to this riding (if any) ascertained.” Mr Moloney asked him to include in his motion, “ and that a public meeting of ratepayers in the loan area be convened in the meantime,” but he declined to do this, and eventually the latter was carried as a separate motion, notwithstanding that a large majority of the Mangawhero people dissented. Mr Hemmingway was asked to convene a meeting, but declined ; so I suppose the matter will be allowed to lapse, as it is hardly probable that a private ratepayer will take the subject up. Mr Hemmingway promised, iu response to a unanimous request, that he would move at the next Council meeting that the matter be postponed for a time to allow further inquiry as to the wishes of the ratepayers. In speaking at the close of the meeting, Mr Hemmingway said it was strange that in the past the settlers had not more closely watched the Council iu the expenditure of loan money. Not only had the land fund been illegally spent, but part of the loan money as well. As. a promise was made that this would be refunded, and a portion had already been been so, it was thought advisable not to refer the matter to the Auditor-General.