Opunake Town Board.
The ordinary monthly meeting of the above Board was held on Monday, June 10th. Present: Messrs G. W. Rogers (chairman), D. McGregor, A. O’Brien, H. H. Seccbmbe,, and J. Stewart.
The minutes of the previous meetwere read and confirmed.
CORRESPONDENCE. From Public Trustee. G. W. Rogers, Esq., Chairman Town Board,
Sir, —From a clear conception as well that the motive for the suggestions of your Board respecting the administration of the West Coast Settlement Reserves must consist with the principle of the existence of the Board, and thus be in the interests of settlers, as that the promotion of these interests at the expense of the reserves might be very disastrous to the beneficiaries, I should have regarded with less satisfaction the expression which your letter of the 27th ult. conveys to me of the Board’s pleasure at learning that I am about to offer leases of a large additional area of the reserves, if my arrangements to do so had not been made before I was in communication with the Board on the subject. Notwithstanding that I, as the trustee of this really private property, am, of course, influenced by no interests but those of the beneficiaries, and that I am glad to receive any suggestions how my administration may best accomplish its purpose, I must naturally be slow to adopt even a good suggestion which, coming from those whose laudable desire to promote settlement, might have a tendency to make them insensible to the just interests of the private persons to whom I am responsible. The wider publicity, which your Board has suggested, is not proved by the result of my experience in the advertising for the purpose of the leasing these reserves, to ensure that large competition and greater benefit which the Board has no doubt would be the consequence. And with regard to roads, these cannot be made without considerable expenditure. Such expenditure must be largely speculative. But even where no reasonable doubt might exist that an expenditure of capital in the making of roads would bring such an increase in the rental of the land as would more than pay the interest on that capital, and I might be justified in authorising such expenditure, the settlers who should lease the land would be paying indirectly for their roads, and paying more probably than by a direct expenditure of their own means.
Then as to the last paragraph in your letter. While I may agree with the Board that roads are necessary to the successful settlement of the lands of the beneficiaries, I can yet conceive successful settlement which should owe its consummation to too large a contribution from the reserves as being even of less profit and advantage to the beneficiaries than settlement which should be unsuccessful.
In short, the Board, true to the principle of its constitution, would only suggest what, in the judgment of the Board, would be in its own interests ; and as those interests might not only not suffer, but might be promoted by a sacrifice of the interests cf the beneficiaries of the reserves, every suggestion of the Board respecting my administration must be considered by me with a due regard to the natural tendency of the Board to subordinate the interests of the beneficiaries. With a conviction that the administration of the trust and the interests of the beneficiaries will profit by the correspondence which is taking place, and with an acknowledgment of the assistance which I cannot but derive from such suggestions as those which you have offered. (Sgnd.) J. K. Warbtjrton, Public Trustee.
From Taranaki County Council, stating they were not in a position to agree to levels as no plans were sub* mitted with the request. Return ; Estimated number of dwellings and shops, 94 ; number of ratepayers, 160; number of rateable properties, 539; capital, value £23,324. From Treasury, forwarding half difference cost of licensing between the present system and the one previously in vogue. Resolved, that the action of the works committee in accepting tenders be confirmed. [McGregor-Seccombe.] Mr McGregor drew attention to the water table on the Beach Road. Resolved, that the matter be left to the works committee to deal with. Mr Seccombe called attention to the channelling in front of his premises. Resolved that Messrs Seccombe, McGregor and Rogers, be a works committee for the ensuing month. Mr McGregor said he thought the time had come when they should take some steps towards tree planting. He was in favour of dealing with Mr Smith. Resolved that Mr Smith be communicated with and asked to state terms on which he would undertake tree planting, and suggesting that he might if convenient interview the Board. [McGregor-Rogers] Resolved, that the Justice Department be written to asking £ls a year for the use of the hall for Court purposes. [McGregor-Seccombe.] Bank balance, credit, £55. Accounts were passed for payment.
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Bibliographic details
Opunake Times, Volume II, Issue 98, 11 June 1895, Page 2
Word Count
815Opunake Town Board. Opunake Times, Volume II, Issue 98, 11 June 1895, Page 2
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