ROTOKAURI RATEPAYERS

Waikato Times, Volume 100, Issue 16816, 7 June 1926, Page 6

ROTOKAURI RATEPAYERS

MEETING OF ASSOCIATION. RESENTED STATEMENT. A meeting of the Rotokauri Ratepayers’ Association was held on the 2Gth day of May, 1920. The president, Mr S. Fullerton, presided. Deputation to Minister. lion. R. F. Bollard, Minister for Internal Affairs, regretted being away from Wellington when the Association’s letter arrived as lie had just returned from Hamilton. He would lie delighted to meet the members on his next -visit to the district, and asked for information regarding the wishes of the deputation. It was dee.idcd that the president supply the information as requested. Statement Refuted. Messrs Mac Diarmid. Mears and Gray wrote: S. Fullerton, Esq., To Kowhai. Dear Sir, —We are writing to you ns we understand that you arc the chairman of the RotoUauri Ratepayers’ Association, and in connection with a meeting of iho Association which we understand was held on Monday, the 10th inst. It has been reported to us that during a discussion which took place at the meeting in question certain statements were made' in connection with our firm which are distinctly damaging to us. The statements to which wc refer are as follows: —Mr Duck is to have said that ho understood that £3OO had been handed over by the Newcastle Board to the County Council at the date of the merger of the Road Board. A certain gentleman is reported to have replied that on the merger being carried out there was no sum of £3OO available for a certain road, as all the County took over in cash from the Road Board was a cheque for £23. This gentleman is further reported to have said that it would lie true in a way to say that the County got £3OO worth of assets in plant, etc., but that instead, of tticir being in a favourable position they had received an account from Ihe Board's solicitor for 10 years back (or runniOg back 10 years) ; that they (meaning cither the Board or the solicitors) had let the thing drift and Jiat Iho 10 years' old bill had then to bo paid, giving the meeting to understand that this bill practically swamped the whole of the cash and left the Road Board with nothing. Wc arc informed that the impression conveyed to the meeting was that om bill of costs ran into some hundreds of pounds. The above is the effect of the statements, which, according to our information, were made at the .meeting in question. If these statements, or similar statements, were indeed made, the implication is quite clear- —namely, that through our action or inaction, the Road Board and llic ratepayers were left with practically no money at the date the Road District merged in the County. There is also a serious reflection on our business metho'ds. Wc desire to give these allegations (if made) an emphatic denial. Our Mr Mac Diarmid acted as solicitor for the Newcastle Road Board for a number of years, and indeed right up to llie time when it went out of existence. From time to time we were instructed in various matters by the Board, the majority of the work being the collection of unpaid rates. Wc had a special arrangement with the Board in connection with this particular work, which was done on a commission basis. During the time wc acted for the Board our accounts were rendered from time to time as occasion required. The last two bills of costs (which included certain work in connection with the merger of the Road District) were rendered in 1921. The first of these two .bills of costs was rendered on March 21, 1921, and amounted to £lO lls Gd; the last one was rendered on .inly IS, 1921 and amounted lo £l4 15s Gd. ’ Our lotal charges, therefore, for the final work carried out by us, including debt collecting and work in connection with the merger of the district, amounted lo £23 7s. This amount included disbursements. The last bill ran back for a period of seven months and no further. IWc feel strongly that our reputation, should bo cleared in connection with this matter and we should be grateful to you if you could arangc to have the information contained in this letter communicated to the members of your Association sc that the same publicity may be given to this letter as was apparently given to the statements made at the meeting to which we have referred.” 0 , „ , An animated discussion followed. Some of the members spoke strongly on the statements made by a certain gentleman at the previous meeting. The presideut said lie knew Mr MacDiarmid for many years and he had no hesitation in saying lie was a business man and a gentleman. It was unanimously decided to submit the letter to the press and the secretary was instructed to write to Messrs Mac Diarmid, Mears and Gray, thanking them for their very valued information. General. A deputation was appointed to meet the Rosedalc Association and report. Mr Fullerton moved a vote of sympathy with Mr Baghurst in his recent sad bereavement in the loss of his wife. The motion was carried in silence, the members standing.