Image TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage Tile
Image size: 4608x6656 Scale: 35% - PanoJS3
Page overview thumbnail

Article text

THE PROPOSED SEMAPHORE
CORPORATION.
A meeting of ratepayers was held at the
Exeter Hotel, LefevTe's Peninsula, on Friday
night, September 28, to considsr the subject
of a memorial presented to the Governor
praying him to incorporate that portion of
the Lefevre's Peninsula and Glanville
District Councils situated west of the
Military-road, between the north and south
forts, and to adopt any measures deemed
desirable respecting such memorial. The
meeting, which had been convened by a
requisition, stilting that the matter was of
vital importance to the Lefevre's Peninsula
district, was largely attended. Mr. A Y.
HALL, J.P., Chairman of the Council, said he
was the only Councillor who resided in the
proposed Corporation. He had taken no
part in any attempt to form a Corporation
while In office, and it became none of the
Council's duty to promote a Corporation.
Although under the Act he had the right to
preside at the meeting he should not
exercise it. Mr. Hall was then elected to
fcet as Chairman. He read letters from
Dr. Mackintosh and Mr. W. Hastie protesting
against the proposed Corporation,
fie had placed in his bands a programme,
evidently prepared by the requisitiomsts. but
that fact would not cramp any expression of
opinion by the meeting. Mr. Jonx MILLARD
moved—"That opinion by the meeting. this meeting Mr. JOIIN views MILLARD with
moved—"That this meeting views with
regret the persistent attempts made by a few
gentlemen at the Semaphore to secure a Corporation
regardless of the rights and privileges
of a large majority of ratepayers residing
outside of the present proposed boundary,
and ie of opinion that the memorial recently
presented to His Excellenov the Governor
praying that the strip of land comprised
within the limits of the seabeacb and the
Military-road may be incorporated is opposed
to the best interests of the district at large."
It was sn important question respecting a
large district which they had met to discuss.
This matter was before the ratepayers four
months ago, when they decisively said the
time bad not arrived to form a Corporation,
but some of them bad advanced somewhat
since. Why did the beach people try to
secede from the oentral part or the district?
If it conld be shown that the rates from the
beach properties hal been misapplied there
would be some reason for the application ;
but the facts showed that tney had
received a fair share. In 1878-9 the
rates received for that part were £229,
and expenditure £378. (Mr. Hack—" How
about the Bnbeidy ?") He would oome to that.
That showed an exoess of expenditure of
£147. In the following year the receipts
were £240, the payments £165, tbe rates
being £270 more than the expenditure. In
1880-1 the rates were £268, and the expenditure
£821. (Hear, hear.) In 1881-2 the rates
were £320, and expenditure £57L He had
been unable to get the last year's figures.
(The Chairman—"The rates then were £357,
and expenditure nothing." Voioes—" No,
and yes.") The requisitionists intended to
bring about an incorporation of the whole
distnet. (Hear, hear.) The last scheme
was infinitely better than any presented
to the public. The time was coming
for the amalgamation of tbe three districts
or incorporation of the whole. If that strip
were taken away for the present the rates
were £445, which did not include about £200
or £300 from the Glanville portion. It would
create additional expense to work that part
of the district under a Corporation not
less than £160. That would reduce the
amount to be expended within the proposed
Corporation. Two years ago £431 had been
spent on an esplanade, but no intelligent
ratepayer would object to the improvement
of the Semaphore. Without questioning the
legal right of the memorialists he doubted
their moral right to act as they had acted.
Mr. Hack had worked hard for a Corporation.
having perhaps a liking for the ermine.
He bad yet to learn that the whole of the
wealth and intelligence of the district laid to
the west of tbe Military-road. (Laughter.)
Several in the oentral part of the district
were determined to use their best efforts to
bring the whole of the districts into a
Corporation, but they must first educatc
the public up to that point. He had
much pleasure in moviog the resolution.
Mr. W. KVSSKLI. seconded the resolution
with some regret that one should be neces-
Baiy. He resided within the strip in question.
If that portion became incorporated,
the rates muet be reduced by the working
expenses. The expenditure during the four
years named amounted to £2,174. The
rates with the supplement, less 25 per
cent, for working expenses, were £2,046,
so that the the beach, property hau
had £134 more than it was entitled to,
if equitably divided. That portion had been
ably represented in the Council, and of late
years by the Chairman. (Hear, hear.) The
only reason that bad been advanced to his
krowledge for the Corporation was that the
beach properties had not been properly
represented, but did not the Chairman
represent them sufficiently—and they had bad
Mr. Lovely. (Hear, hear.) The movers had
acted unconstitutionally. They bhould have
called a meeting of ratepayers to discuss the
subject. InBtead of that, a meeting had
been called by circular, and the men were
picked out. (Voices—"No," and "Yes.")
They Baid they would have a Corporation,
and named the Mayor and officers. People
objected to taxation without representation,
and the unconstitutional way alluded to led
to the majority being ruled by thefew. (Hear,
hear.) Mr. TIIEODOKE HACK, J.P., was
quite satisfied with the gentlemanly way the
resolution had been proposed and seconded.
He had no ambition to wear the ermine. If
was firBt proposed to take in the tlift
trict of Lefevre's Peninsula — (A voioe—
Not quite")—with the South Ward of
Glanville. Mr. Lovely found it neceBBary
to resign the proposed position of Mayor,
which caused tbe thing to fall through. It
was then determined to get the three districts
of Birkenhead, Lefevre's Peninsula, and
Glanville. but at a public meeting there was
lg division, which caused it to be throwi
out. They asked the Government to recon
sider the previous memorial, but they discovered
legal difficulties in the way. The
applicants were recommended to memorialize
<k novo, and a preliminary meeting was
called. Seventy circulars were sent out, and
there was sucha large and influential meeting,
which adopted the memorial in question, that
a meeting of ratepayers was unnecessary.
(Voice—What about outsiders?") There
were not twelve within tbe proposed Corporation
who refused to sign the memorial.
They had carefully considered the question
of the infringement of others' rights, but
figures proved that they had not Infringed
any. During five years from beach properties
£200 to £500 had been reoeived w*th the
subsidy, with nothing expended. They did
not ask the amount to be refunded. During
the last five years the rates oollected were
£1,41G, Government subsidy £1,025, private
subscriptions £116, making a total of
£2.539, agairst £2,050 expended. (Councillor
Woolnough—"I challenge you to
prove the figures.'') In three years
the proportion of management was
£300, ana then tney would have a
credit balance of £900. The memorialists
wanted to form a nucleus of a Corporation,
and the; had undertaken in a letter to the
Commissioner to enlarge the boundaries on
any application to do BO uuder the Act.
(Hear, near.) Councillor WOOLNOOGH contradicted
the last speaker's figures. A large
amount of repairs had been excluded. Every
stick and stone for tbe proposed Corporation
must pass over the roads of the Councils.
They were comparatively new
chums and personally interested
who had got up the fracas. (Laughter.)
Mr. WEBB agreed with Mr. Hack, who added
that £3,000 had been spent upon Largs Bay
roads for which no rates had been collected.
Mr. T. J. MATTERS supported the resolution,
and objected to the attempt to pick out the
eyes oi a district Mr. MILLARD replied, and
tne resolution was carried. Mr. W. C&RISTIE,
who stated the several advantages of a Corporation,
moved the following resolution :—
r < That this meeting, whilst opposed to the
present scheme on aocount ol its limited
area, 1B nevertheless of opinioh that it would
be unwise to postpone indefinitely the consideration
of such an important question,
and with this end in view would strongly
recommend a oonference of the Districts of
Lefevre's Peninsula, Glanville, and Birkenhead
to be held as early as practicable, for
the purpose of formulating a scheme for incorporating
the whole of Lefevre's Peninsula
into one municipality." fie said a Corporation
was wanted at the Semaphore, for instance,
to settle the disputes as to surveys.
L&rgs Bay was built 50 feet upon the roads.
Mr. H. KMES seconded. A-fter a good deal
of discussion the motion was adopted.
Mr. THOMAS V. ADAMS moved in a f&oetioas
speech—"That a ooooter-memo rial be prepared
forthwith embodying the foregoing
resolutions, and presented to His Excellency
the Governor as early aa possible, urging him
not to grant the prayer of the memorialists
as published in the Gazette on September 20,
ana that the following gentlemen :—Messrs.
G. Shoroey, J.P., W. Russell, J. Millard,
and Drs. J. S. Mackintosh and E. Mortimer,
and Captain Dickson, with power to add to
tbe number—be respectfully requested to take
charge of the memorial, obtain signatures,
and wait on the Commissioner ox Crown
Lands for the carnring out of the objects of
this meeting." Mr. DAN VERS seconded in a
long «peech. and the motion was carried. Tho
Chairman then read a counter memorial prepared
on the subject, which Mr. W. S. Jones
said had been signed by 300 ratepayers. Tbe
counter-memorial was adopted,
A vote of thanks ended the proceedings.
IT Tbe Conqueror Tobacco Is worth ed. per lb.
more than any of the Colonial Tobaocos which an
being mannfactmed in Adelaide under old Arnerfaui
brands
iCMtlwd
$