Municipal Rtatepayers' Association.

Taranaki Herald, Volume L, Issue 11933, 5 April 1902, Page 2

Municipal Rtatepayers' Association.

The adiou.rried ahtiiki meeting of the Municipal Ratepayers' Association Was held on Friday ni&nt at the Farmers' Club. The president, Mr Alexander, was in tbe chair, and about a dozen other members attended. After formal business, Mr C. W. Govett moved, that owing to the want of public interest, the Association be dissolved. He much regretted to bring forward such a motion. It was obvioua that either the committee vas not approved of or the Association was not needed. Personally, he still thought there was the greatest possible need for such an Association. Mr R. C. Hughes also thought it would be most regrettable to disband so useful an organisation as this Association could be. Ho thought if quarterly meetings were hold, however small the attendance, and matters of interest discussed; the interest would increase. . THe f act that the Borough Council had in hhe past treated their efforts with something like levity did not prove that they were of no use. Considering the interest taken by the TAranaki Herald and the articles which have appeared in it written to stimulate the Borough Council, they ought to support the paper. They said " no one was doing anything to help." but the Hekald was doing much, and it was rather cowardly of them not to back it up. The paper was working on their lines; they also should endeavour to arpuse public interest. At the present time, in face of the proposed large public expenditure, the Association was specially necessary. They should meet often and discuss '• live " questions, and the public would soon back them up. The Chairman said he may; liave been at fault in not calling the'quarterly meeting as provided for by the rules, but he had been hanging on, waiting for the loan proposals to cyme out, that they might have sdmethirig .definite to discuss. He was loth td see the Association drop: It was a good germ, a healthy germ, and could be very useful. He was glad to see Mr Tiech, a progressive member, of the Borough Council, piesent. It showed that the Council were not treating* them as antagonists. They were certainly not that. They wished to work with the Council for the public good. They were really an extra eye. . . ' After some further general discussion, Mr F. W. Richmond proposed that the question of disbanding be held over, and that a meeting be called to discuss the Henui Bridge question. No society, he said, could live on formal business. They must have some i: live " question to discuss or they would never get meetings together* Ihe discussion again became general asd conversational, and occasionally irrelevant as far as our report is concerned. The chairman suggested that a small committee be formed to-work up interest in tbe Association and its objects, and to bring forward matters for discussion. Mr M. J. Jones proposed that a subcommittee of three be elected. This was carried, and Messrs'' 'Hughes, Jones, and West were appointed to gither all available information in regard to the two matters decided on for discussion, viz , the Henui bridge and the electric power scheme. The balance sheet read' at the beginning of tbe meeting showed the receipts (subscriptions) to be £10 l?s 6d ; the credit balance being £5 4s.