ARCH HILL RATEPAYERS.

Auckland Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 70, 24 March 1887, Page 4

ARCH HILL RATEPAYERS.

! Proposal to Jo»n Kewton ! itoroiieh.

A MEETING of the ratepayers and residents of the above district waa held at 8 o'clock last evening, in the Newton West Schoolroom. The meeting had bteu called by requisition of 10 ratepayers, in order that the advisability of joining the Newton Borough might be taken into consideration. The Chairman of the Highway Board, Mr Taylor, read tne advertisement convening the meeting, and then called upon some of those who signed the requisition to open the business. Thoro was a largo attendance to open the meeting, and by the time the business was iairly un the way the room was crowded _ _ , Mr Jenkine, who first signed the rtquisition, stated that he had done so as ho thought it would be better to join the borough. Tho other wards who had joined Iho city lid i not regretted their uctiou, and he belioved that the money would bo more fairly expanded than ut prc-ont, whore throe men banded together and spout all tho rates, and then ran thum £400 in debt. | rto wanted the matter fairly and fully discussed. Mr Davidson asked whether this movement had originated with the Arch Hill Koad District or tha Newton Borough. The Chairman explained tli.il it had been culled in respouse to the request of ten ratepayers. Mr Katcliffe t-aid he would like to see a change in the district, provided it wa° for the better Unfortunately, tho district was ao small that they could not carry out lar«e works, such as the formation of tho Great North Road and a bridge across to the New North Road. For awhile they had been content to go on making little footpaths, but now they hod gone further, and at the laat annual meeting they found thameelvos about £600 in debt. Ho was not tied, hind and foot to joining Newton Borough, but ho waa in favou of a change. Ho would therefore move, "That stops be taken to join the Ne*ton Borough." They would thori bo able to have the main road termed, and aUo a watsr supply, which would bring down tho ineujanoo rates. He thought that tho time hud arrived when they should drop their standstill eyetttn, ami try iho go-ahead process Mr Jenkins seconded the resolution. Mr Edgar aaid that this question had come upon the ratepayers like a thunderbcit. Ha thought that tho matter should have been given more r.otjce of. Two years ago their diftrict bad offered to be incorporated with the Newton Borough, and had been declined on account of the gully. If they joined Newton they would have throe mom,bera, and the present Newton Borough wquld havo nine members, so they could easily see how much money thoy would get spent in Arch Hill. j{e could aleo assure them that their rates would be doubled if they juinod tho borough. Ho moved, as an amendment, " That the Arch Hill district should remain us it is until they saw how the borough system, workod." He would really prefer joining the city of Auckland Mr Thompson pointedouttbat MrEdgar a proposition was a complete negative to the motion. He objected to juicing ths borough until they knuw more aoout it. Tho Chairman declined to accept Mr Edgar'e motion. Mr Tubin thought that it would be advi-able for the diutrict and the borough to oin tcgethar and 'borrow Üb.out £&,ODD. unJer the provisions of the " Local Budiua^ Finance Act," and thus form the Great North Road. Mr Ilatcliit'o, In replying, slid that thia matter had t>een diacusted for months, co it should not have been a surprise to anyone. He had calculated figures, und found that the rales would not be increased by joinir.g tne Newton Borough. V^ith regard to tho gully it was eartain that they could never deal with that while they remained f>» tbpy were, Ha did ret caro whathor they joined I^eyton fc Auckland, eo'Torgas they got some improvement. 'J he question was then put t° the met-fing,' when it, was negatived by a large majority. Mr Jenkins movtd, " That a committee, consisting of Messrs Taylor, Thompson, .TonUnß, Baildon, and Batcliffe, be appointed to ollect information regarding tho advisability of joining the City of AuckUnd or tho Horough of Newton ; alf® as to the probable cost of obtaining a water supply, a.in report to tiio annual mooting of ratepayers to be held next May. '• This was seconded by Mr Tobin, and also negatived by tho meeting by IS to 17. Thia concluded the business, the district being thus left as it is.