MEETING OF RATEPAYERS AT RAHOTTT.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 9668, 10 April 1893, Page 2

MEETING OF RATEPAYERS AT RAHOTTT.

PROPOSED SEPARATION OF COUNTY.

[FROM ODa WARKA CORSESIMNDENT.] A meeting of ratepayers in t'io Parihaka Riding of the Taranaki County Council, duly convenod by advertisement, wis held .t Rahotu on Wednesday, April sth. Messrs Price, Bayly, and Gray, members of the Council, attended at considorablo inconvenience. Mr McGloin, chairman of the Road Board, occupied tho chair. Tho room was well filled, and lluoughout, though several refrained from voting on the resolutions, the mooting was most orderly and attentive to the speakers, and showed that the district is alive to tho momentous nature of tho presont position. Although called to discußS County affairs, from the first the tone ot the meeting showed that nothing short of separation would meet the wishes of the district — not so much as from any objection to Taranaki, but from a determination that the tnonoy raised in the district should bo spent to more advantage than has lately been the case. The Councillors present, however, fought hard to prove t.ie ofneioucy of tho overseer, and Mr W. Gray desorves great praise for the way in which ho doggedly persisted in showing the overseer to be thoroughly capable, but one indictment followed another from each successive speaker to prove neglect, mismanagement, want of foraight, and culpable oxtravagance in County matters in tho Taranaki Council. After a long dissuasion on each resolution, the following were agreed to as shown. These resolutions, if strongly worded, will speak more forcibly than a lengthened roport of tho meeting.

Mr F. M. Ciiapman moved, and Mr W. 0, Phillips seconded : -" That the ratepayers in the Parihaka Riding disagroo with the proposal of the Tarant>ki County Council to declare the Puriluka Riding a special rating district for the purpose of raising a loan of £2000 uodor the Loan to Local Bodies Act, as we have lost all confidence in the supervision of our roads and general adminstration by that Council. ' This was carried, the votes boing for 17, againßt it 2.

Mr Maxwell proposed and Mr Morrison seconded, "That the ratepayers of tho Parihaka Riding emphatically decline to agree to a special rate or to the raising of a loan so long as this dißtiict remainß part of the Taranaki Council.' — Carried. 17 voting for it and 2 against. Mr J. Morrison niovod, and Mr W. Pennington seconded, " That this meeting of ratepayers strongly protost against the reckless statements made by Mr Prico at tho special meoting of the County Council held on Wednesday^ 22nd March, to the effect ' that tin majority of ratepayers in the Parihaka Riding was not iv favour of separation, only one or two who could not get into tho Council.' Such a statement made by the chairman only shows his gross ignorance of the opposition of the ratepayers in this riding. 1 ' — Carried, 17 for and 2 against

Mr J. J. Elwin proposed, nnd Mr T. Flynn seconded, " That as the South Road is v County road, and as most of the damage was caused by defective work in constructing tho bridges on bad foundations, not attending to cleaning culverts, d rums, and watertablos, &c, wo aro of opinion the wholo County is liable."— Carred by 1 7 voteß to 2

Mr \\\ Gray moved, and Mr E. Sullivan seconded, "That a committee of tho Egtnont County promoters and a'so a committee of the Taranaki County Council be appointed to define a boundary for the new County. '—This resolution was not carried, only 4 voting for it and 14 against. The mooting then separated.