URENUI.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 4068, 15 June 1882, Page 2

U RENUI.

[PROM ODR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] June 13. — The annual meeting of ratepayers of this district took place on the Bth June, at 2 p.m., in the School-house, for the purpose of electing seven Commissioners for the twelve months ending June, 1883. Mr. H. Irvine was voted to the chair, and called on the Secretary to read the balance-sheet, &c, for the past year. Mr. G. Kyngdon proposed, and Mr. J. Pigott seconded, " That the accounts for past year, as read, be passed." Carried. The following ratepapers wore then elected as Commissioners for the ensuing year :—: — Messrs. P. Bell, G. Kyngdon, A. Telfar, F. Bayly, P. Burke, P. Chapman, and J. Bayly. Auditors : Messrs. H. J. Honeyticld and H. Irvine. A vote of thanks to the Chairman closed the meeting. The main talk in our district at present is Land Courts, railway to the north, &c. As regards the Land Court at Waitara, re Poutama Block, from what I have heard, and from important native evidence given hist week, I should say that the Ngatitawa will get most of the land south of Mokau awarded to them. There is no doubt they were the original owners previous to Waikato driving them off ; but it now appears that Tawhiao and Manga both gave Poutama back to Ngatitawa. Whoever it is awarded to, it is the first step towards opening up the country north. I have hitherto refrained from writing on the railway route, but, from information I have received, both from natives and Europeans, I think it can be brought from Totara to Upper Waitara and to Mimi without any great engineering difficulties, and likewise open up a largo extent of level bush land and fern flats. We all here trust that our Members will be united with the Auckland ones (as they seem to bo) in this matter ; tho one that is not so is simply a traitor to the cause, and should be called on to resign at once. I should like to see a stronger staff of surveyors here than the West Coast Commission have at present (only one party). There is a mass of work to be dono, and I I trust the Lands Department will put I more strength on at once. The natives now thoroughly believe that Hiroki is dead. I think it will weaken Te Whitism. Some few of them are clearing and ploughing for cropping across the river here, and do not say much now nbout Parihaka. Manga (Ngatimaniapoto) is expected to attend the Land Court at Waitara this woek. I believe the Court, re Mokau lands, opens again to-morrow (Thursday.)