GREATER AUCKLAND MOVEMENT.

Auckland Star, Volume XLV, Issue 55, 5 March 1914, Page 2

GREATER AUCKLAND MOVEMENT.

PETITION* CIRCULATED TN CREY LYXX. During the lust few days two men ihave been making a 'house-to-house canvas of the borough of Grey Lynn to secure signatures to a petition praying that the district be amalgamated with the city of Auckland. This action is t-.ken under section 14 of " The Municipal Corporations Amendment Act. 1913," which repeals the section re-altering the boundaries of a borough, and provides that a petition may be sent to the Governor to include in, or (a~s the case may be) exclude any defined area, and to include it in a county or some other district. Such petition must be signed by not less than one-fourth of the persons for the time being entitled in respect of a qualication within the area to vote at the election of a member of any local authority. Any resident, whether ratepayer or not, who is entitled to vote for the election of a councillor, may sign this petition.

The Minister for Internal Affairs has to gazette the petition, after which the Governor may grant the prayer of the petitioners, or may direct a Commission consisting of a Magistrate, the Commissioner for Crown Lands for the district, and the officer in charge of the valuation district in which the area is ■situated, to inquire and report to him upon the matter, the objections lodged, and the suitability or otherwise for municipal control of the area referred to in the original petition, also to recommend such alterations of the 'boundaries of the area as they deem necessary and advisable.

Mr. J. W. Tattersfield has given notice of his intention to move, at the meeting of the GTey Lynn Borough Council next Monday evening, that in order to allow the electors of the district to decide the question instead of a Government Commissioner, tlie Coatncil q-o proceed to take a poll of the elector-; on the question wliethcr the Grey Lynn district shall become amalgamated with the city of Auckland, ot retain its constitution as a borough.

It'may be mentioned that Grey Lynn borough inclndes an area of close on 1,000 acres, and a -population of 0.400, and the number of 'buildings i s 2.000, nearly all owned by the occupiers. Bating is on unimproved v.xhies, and the total amount raised last year from all rating was £11,205 16/3.