PROPOSED BOROUGH.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 125, 27 May 1913, Page 7

PROPOSED BOROUGH.

PROTEST TO THE PREMIER.

<TOXTROL.I>TXG COUNCIL IGNORED.

Considerable feeling; exists with regard to the proposal to form a borough at Takapuna, for which a poll is to be taken to-morrow. The Waitemata County Council is the controlling body for that Riding, and, while not objecting to the majority of the ratepayers forming a borough if they so desire, still file fact that the Council has been entirely ignored, and also that the returning officer was appointed outside of the office of the controlling body, has caused some surprise. Mr. Cawkwell has today forwarded a letter to the Hon. W. P. Massey (Prime Minister) upon the subject, which states: — Hon. W. F. Massey, Prime Minister, Wellington. TAKAPUNA BOROUGH POLL. sir beg to lodge with you my protest as an elector and ratepayer against the questionable methods adopted to force Takapuna Riding, of the. County of Waitemata. into a borough, and, w-ithout any intention of giving offence, must say that the whole affair does not savour of a "square deal" from your Government, and has left a very bad impression amongst a large section of the community, and has had the effect of alienating the sympathy of some of your strongest supporters resident in the district.

An appeal has been made to you to have the poll conducted on constitutional line?, but your Under-Secretary of Internal AfTairs declines to allow any interference.

I am not contending that a borough should not be formed, but respectfully submit that all interested should be allowed to vote on the question.

The facts are that there are two factions in the district. A public meeting was held at Takapuna in August last, •and it was apparent that, whatever way ihings went, certain private enterprises on cither side and a public undertaking would materially suffer. On a vote of the meeting, which was a large and enthusiastic one. being taken, it was divided, but the majority were against the formation of a borough. A petition was then obtained and signed by the necessary few. and lodged with the ilinister of "internal Affairs, who subsequently issued a most extraordinary Order-in-Council. governing the taking of a poll to determine the question.

Past Administrations have always conducted proceedings of this kind in an open manner, and the fullest publicity las been given by putting, the whole affair through per medium of the local body concerned, and such body has teen allowed to liave a say in the question of the suitability of the boundaries of the new district, and any petition for constitution of a new district has been checked ss to authenticity of signatures by the officials of the local body.

Xow, in this case, a petition, which nobody but the favoured few engineering the matter and the Department of Internal Affairs have set eyes upon, was _ent to the Government. No reference was made to the Waitemata County Council.

Then we were surprised to learn that a Commission was being held at Auckland to determine whether a poll should be taken. Xo official notice was given to the Waitemata County Council.

Then an Order-in-Conncil is issued ordering (inter alia) the taking of a poll. the Waitemata County has an official and recognised returning officer, a person nominated hy the promoters was appointed to take a poll.

But the worst feature of the whole business is the question of the roll. The Order-in-Council assumes that the district is already a borough, and limits the ratepayers to one vote. Now this has been done, the vote should be a residential one, as in municipalities; but enrolment in this manner has been barred, notwithstanding the ratepayers' franchise has been flouted and curtailed, which I consider is unconstitutional. My meaning is this, that those who are entitled to more than one vote under the county franchise are deprived of their statutory rights under this Order-in-Gouncil.

Application was made by numbers of people for the perusal of the roll to be used, as recently as the 22nd inst., and they were informed that the roll was in the hands of the Valuation Department.

Nok. Sir, I submit that the roll to he used should be the one to be prepared by the local body, as it is the only complete roll available. Many persons have bought land under agreement of sale, and have not yet got their titles, so the Valuation Department cannot get this information from the Deeds Registration Office, as no titles are given tili the purchase money is paid. The County Council has received these transfers from time to time. The result is that a large proportion of the ratepayers will be barred from voting at the poll. 01 cour=,e, you may argue that they should have seen that their names were placed on the roll, but this was not possible, as the roll has never been open for inspection and subject to objection. The Or-der-in-Council is a violation of franchise rights of the ratepayers of Takapuna. and quite contrary to the electoral law, laid down by the Counties Act, 1908. The Governor has power, under Section 5 of Section 19 of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1910, to make such arrangements as he deems necessary for the taking of such a poll; but it would have been a "square deal " if the terms of such an Order-in-C'ouncil had been based on precedent, and in accordance with the existing county franchise and law governing the taking of elections and polls. Of course, with such wide powers, the Government can do most anything by Order-in-Council. and I presume they will cure the defective description given of the boundaries of the new borough by Orderis Council.

The Council note that the boundaries exclude an adjacent 690 acres of land Which, it" included in the borough, would he subject tc more stringent roading conditions. The Council are of opinion that the boundaries should be farther afield, and exception is taken to a long tongue of territory being left to the County Council, and lying between the Sew borough and the borough of Northcote.

Of course it is idle and useless to attempt to combat an action of the above description, but T respectfully suggest, that the election of tho Council of the Borough (as the poll is a foregone conclusion) be deferred till after the end of the financial year.

The reason of this is that the Takapuna riding is overdrawn in the Waite,*_ta council fund, and. together with fe -abilities, the total debt is £6,000. As fids sum represents a year's revenue on

a rate of 2£d- and 1-Cd. on the capital ■value of the riding, it is natural that the new Council w_l have to raise loans to finance themselves, and it is also Important that the Waitemata Council should be given an opportunity of adjusting the finances of the Takapuna district.

I regret having taken up your time with the length of this letter, but feel that I must get my protest for fair play off my mind, in spite of its futility. —I am, etc.,

C. A. CAWKWELL. (Ratepayer). Empire Buildings, Swanson Street, Auckland.

MEMBER FOR RIDING'S VIEWS.

j (To the Editor.) j Sir, —Regarding the proposal to form j; Takapuna into a borough, a circular iet- \ ter issued by the promoters of the proposal has reached mc to-day, and as thi3 is the eve of the poll, I would be glad of an opportunity, as representative of the Takapuna. riding, of refuting many of the misleading statements contained therein. In the first instance, an assurance is given by the promoters that if the boTough proposal is carried there will be no increase in rates. Such a statement is absurd. The inception of the new borough will involve heavier administration expenses than under county rule, and the engagement of a clerical staff and the provision of municipal offices and equipment will entail a I'rge expenditure. The liability of the Takapuna riding at the present time to the Waitemata County Council is approximately £G,OOO, and as the rate to be struck for the current year will only total £5,000 (to quote from the circular), it is obvious that the new Council have no funds to start with. This will necessitate the raising of loans, and therefore an increased rating, as the Takapuna riding will no longer have the Waitemata county fund to finance from. The promoters state that they intend to provide extended water supply, townIplanning, bathing facilities, and possibly I motor rides for week-end trippers, but I how can this be accomplished without j funds? Much is made of the lack of | public conveniences in Takapuna, but 1 may state that during the past two years 1 have provided out of the rates Jan adequate reticulation of water supply, j a sanitary contract, street lighting, and ' public conveniences have also been j erected on the shore end of Takapuna wharf. I have not provided a full drainage scheme, as up till now the houses have been so scattered, and the scheme would have been so costly on the present j valuation, and the holdings have been j acres and not sections. I have done much for the advance of Takapuna, inducing financiers to build a tramway to open up the district, and this provision necessitated the whole of the old roads being torn up to accommodate the tramway levels, and the amount of rates absorbed in this respect has resulted in the debt of the riding being considerably added to, and the funds have not yet recovered from this absorption. 1 admit that I made a mistake in laying water mains without raising a loan, but the want was an immediate one during the summer they were laid, and the congested state of Milford by week-end trippers would not allow of the delay. It is argued that the Takapuna rates should be spent in Takapuna. Let mc say, right here, that they axe so spent, and that it is a rule of the Waitemata County that separate finance is kept for each riding of the county. I must state that 1 do not concur in the boundaries fixed for the new borough; I consider that they should go further afield. 1 note that a large block of land owned by tiie promoter of the borough has been excluded, though it is on the margin of the new boundary. This area is in the I Takapuna watershed, and should be subject to the borough services. 1 think that the ratepayers will be well advised to defer the borough question till the end of the financial year, and allow tbe County Council time to adjust the finances of the district, as to start in debt will be to remain in debt for many years, and the homes of the ratepayers will have to be pledged to the mortgagor as a security for many of the embellishment schemes which the new Council will undoubtedly produce at the expense of the ratepayers. In conclusion, I think that under the present heavy rating conditions the ratepayers should have a say in the expenditure of their funds, and not the householders, as in a borough, and that I am strongly in favour of a united borough, embracing Takapuna, Xortheote. Birkenhead, aud Devonport. and not in favour of a multiplicity of small boroughs being created. —1 am, etc.. 11. H. ADAMS.