REMUERA'S ASPIRATION.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 75, 27 March 1912, Page 7

REMUERA'S ASPIRATION.

FORMATION OF A BOROUGH. AN INTERESTING PROBLEM. A rather interesting problem confronts the residents of Remuera. At the last annual meeting of ratepayers in May of last year, the proposal was brought forward, and endorsed, that the membership of the Road Board, which governs the affairs of the district, should be increased. At a recent meeting it was resolved, upon the motion of Mr. J. >S. Dickson, that the membership of tho Board should be increased from five to nine. Legal opinion has now been obtained, which indicates that before the change can be brought about, a petition, signed by two-thitds of the ratepayers of the district, must be secured. As this v/ould involve tho collection of over 4000 signatures, and would entail considerable work and expense, the question has arisen whether Remuera should not go a step further, and take the necessary action to have the district convert? 1 into a borough. The probable operation of the Counties Act, in May next, which would set up a system of dual control in all cases except where municipal ties are concerned, is another reason advocated for merging the road board district into a borough.

Mr. C. A. Cawkwell, chairman of the Board, seen by a "Star" representative this morning," said that he thought it desirable that Remuera should now b* raised to the dignity of a borough, l'rac tically the same course of action was re quired for the formation of a borough as for the increase of membership of thu Road Board. Remuera now had a population of 0000, its ratable value was pu: down at £1,500,000, and it ranked third in importance of the local governing bodies of the isthmus, only Auckland City and the borough of Mount Eden having bigger population and property of greater ratable value. The advantage of a borough would, be that with a Council of 10 members suo-committees could be formed which would carry out the administration of various departments _f municipal work, and so facilitate and expedite tne work of the district, and place on n more satisfactory footing the public services of the municipality. Ihe administration of the affairs of the district in the form of a borough would not be any more expensive than under Roaa Board control; in fact, the change would probably be found to tend towards greater economy as well as greater effectiveness. For that reason he was of the opinion that steps should n... x be taken to create Remuera a municipality, and he proposed to bring the matter before the ratepayers accordingly.