The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED "The Evening News." "The Morning News," and "The Echo." SATURDAY. MARCH 10, 1878.

Auckland Star, Volume IX, Issue 2489, 16 March 1878, Page 2

The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED "The Evening News." "The Morning News," and "The Echo."

SATURDAY. MARCH 10, 1878.

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The question of suburban government is once more the absorbing topic. The meeting at Newton last night will probably be followed by others, and although, owing to short notice, the attendance whs not so large as it should have been, tlie tone of the discussion and the resolution may be safely taken as expressing the sentiment which prevails throughout the suburb.-. The feature of last night's meetin"- was the conspicuous absence of any attempt to defend the proposal to bring the Act into operation. The Chairman of the Council not only declined to become the champion of the Act, but took special paiusto disclaim all participation in thecalllngof the meeting totlmistit on an unwilling electorate. It is to be regretted that those who have been the means of bringing up this bugbear again were not present last night to explain their action, for tlie intense and unanimous feeling of the electors against the Act must beapparenttoeveryone. Persistance in a course so distasteful to the persons deeply concerned, accompanied by a contemptuous silence, is extremely like a studied insult and defiance of the County electors. It has become apparent, however, that the suburban ratepayers can only insure their independence by coming out of the County. The "ambition of Comity Councillors and the working of private interests, will induce a perpetual aggressiveness ; and sooner or later the wishes of the scattered electois will be put at defiance. Every attempt makes it more evident that the suburbs, whether they like it or not, will be compelled to accept County rating and County Government, or leave the County. 'It is hardly necessary to say that nowhere else have they allowed the entire local control of rating and highway affairs to pass from their hands, nor will they do so here. The question then arises, which of the alternative courses is best suited to their wants? Much may be said in favour of joining the city, and much in favour of inexpensive municipalities. Auckland Borough is the smallest in the colony. Its area is only 065 acres ; the area of Wellington, 1,200 acres ; Nelson, 2,761 acres; Lyttelton, 2,014 acres ; Christchurch, 1,002 acres; and Dunedin, 1,805 acres. The consequence is that in comparison ot population, Auckland always appears at a serious disadvantage. It the districts of Karangahape, Parnell, and Grafton, wliich are direct continuations of the city, were added to Auckland, the borough area would still be only 1,352 acres; and the population equal to that of Duaedin city—over 19,000 inhabitants. This is a fact worthy of consideration. Auckland will never take its legitimate place in the scale of colonial cities until the municipal boundaries be extended. Moreover, by joining the city the suburbs would become partners in the rich endowments, and might lay claim to all the advantages in respect of lighting and road-making now enjoyed iv the city. The advantages of tbe union would, in this respect, be much more in favour of the added area than of the city itself. The compactness and deuseness of the population within the existing borough, and the fact that nearly all the streets of any consequence have been formed, render the scattered additional area anything but an unmixed blessing to the Corporation. If the clause in the old Municipal Corporations Act which exempted new districts from special rating had been preserved in the Act of 1876, there could be no doubt whatever that union with the city would be indisputably the most advantageous course. The total liability rating then would remain as at present-one shilling on the annual value, and representations could be amply provided for by a division into wards. It maybe, as Mr Holdship suggested last night, that some-arrangement of tlie kiud could be entered into with the city, to be reserved for the stamp of law at the approaching sesson of parliament. Without that, however, it would not be beneficial for the suburbs to take on their shoulders the whole assessment of the city, ls 3d of which is for specific objects from wliich the added area could drive little or no present benefit. The other alternative is to form small boroughs. lustitutious of this kind would confer „on a district self-government in its most ample form. The whole of the rates collected, the subsidy of pound for pound, the publicans'and other licenses, and all fees, would pass into the borough funds. There is really no reason why the expense gof administration should exceed that under the highway system. It is completely within the control of the ratepayers. Every borough is also entitled to claim 2,000 acres of the waste lands of the colony as an endowment; and from a statement made by the Hon. Native Minister to the Ponsonby deputation, the Government seem disposed to grant this endowment to all new boroughs. The only objection to the borough system is an impression, that of expense. But the working of small municipalities in other parts of the colony give no encouragement to the idea. The borough of South Dunedin, administering a revenue of £1,919 in 1876, only.spent £114 in salaries, all their works being let by contract. Th_,borough of St. Kilda, another Dunedin suburb, administered £1,211 in 1876, with an expenditure of only £95 18s in salary. The suburban municipality of Green Island, also on the Outskirts of Dunedin, Jis managed with equal inexpeusiveness. Nearer home, we have our own Borough of Parnell. There is nothing in these examples to deter the suburbs fiom proceeding to settle once and for ever this threat ot County rating aud iiiterierence. The other districts iv the County may then, if they please, sink their highway districts in the County, aud let the Council at last have full swing. The double •overmnent, and double liability to rating,

most assuredly will not suit the suburbs > and it is simple folly to believe for one moment that it would, or attempt to force it upon them.