GREATER CHRISTCHURCH

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 11460, 19 December 1902, Page 5

GREATER CHRISTCHURCH

I. ■ ■» THE LINWOOD PROPOSALS.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE. The Committee sst up by the Linwood Borough Council to consider the Greater Christchurch scheme proposed by the City of Chris-tchuroh, presented its report at a special meeting of the Council held last j night. The report recommended the Coun- j cil to consider the scheme, with the follow- j ing as a basi«, taking the clauses in thesame order as submitted by the City of ! Chrbrtchurch, but varied as follows:—(1) j lhat the Borough Councils of Sydenham* i St. Albans, and Linwood co-operate with the City by taking polls of the" ratepayers, j on the same day, on the Greater Christ- j church question.* If an affirmative vute is j carried in the city and each of the other I boroughs, an amalgamation to take piace ! en the lines mid down below. The que*- I tion to be asked in this borough to bt> as follows:—"Are you in favour of the proposed amalgamation with the City of Christchuroh and boroughs of. Sydenham and St. Albans?" The question in "the City to be : —"Are you in favour of an Hinalga*- J mation with fhe boroughs of Svdeiiham, 1 St. Albans, and Linwood V (2) fhe condi- i tions of amalgamation to bs a,s follows.-- ! (a) Where not inconsistent v. it;» the verm-i i of this proposal, tho Municipal Corpora- i tions Act- and Amendments to br followed, j (b) Mr G-undry*6 figures, as submitted to the Conference, subject to any iieee.sN-.u-y j corrections, to form the basis* en whi/h ! amalgamation should Take place, (c) Lia- i bilities shown in table A., Mr Gundrv'.s ! figures, to remain ohaigtabk- to the district I by which they have been incurred, (d) j Accounts under tabes B. and C. to be j pooled, (c) Destructor and abattoir to hi j taken over at cost pnoe from the City by Greater Christ church. (f) City cf Chrifiitcliurch, borough of Sydenham' St. A .bans and Liznvcod each to'fonn separate | wards with representation op population j basis, (g) The Greater Christchurch Council to consist of fourteen (h) Union to take place on oist March, 1903, or <?o soon thereafter as practicable, (i) Adjustment of accounts by Mr {.Sundry, on behalf oi City, and a representative appointed by each borough, and in case of dispute appeal to Auditor-General as umpire The Camnr.ittee further recommended that after consideration by fiie Council a meeting of ratepayers should be hold, with a view of explaining and discus.«in" t'ne scheme, and fully laving the position before them, prior to a poll, to be taken at a time to be hereafter decided on. A letter was read from the Mayor of Christchurch stating that a poll would be taken in the City on January 22nd, and suggesting that Linwood should take a poll on the. same day. A letter was also read from the St. Albans Borough Council, suggesting that the joint committees from Sydenham, Linwood and St. Albans whould meet at tho St. Albans Borough Council Chambeis on Tuesday nest, December 23rd, and discuss the question. The Mayor, jh moving "That the report be received " said the Committee had considered whether it was advisable for orm borough alone to join the city, but the Committee thought that would not ba Greater Christchurch. The greatest drawhack to the city scheme was the method of representation. Allowing on© representative for each 3070 of the population, the city -would be over represented by about 1000, while St. Albans and Linwood would be under represented by übout 900 each. Though Linwood was now paying a heavy rate, the expenditure causing that rate would bo non-recurrent. He thought ; t would be to tbe benefit of the local bodies as a whole that there should be Greater Christchurch. Tho ratepayers should know their position exactly before a poll were taken The Council would be quite willing to take a poll without twaiting for a section of the ratepayers to demand a poll. Th* scheme of the Committee -waa then considered, in conjunction with the scheme proposed by the Council. Cr. Wagstaffe moved that section 1 be approved. Tbjis was seconded by Cr. Robertson. Cr. Jamieson considered t*uat Linwood should join the Greater Christchurch movement, if only for commercial consideration. The amalgamation of the boroughs with the city would make Greater Christchurah the largest city in the colony, with.a popu lation of 44,443. From a financial point of view Linwood should join the city, lor it was gradually creeping back. The year 1900-01 started with a deficiency of £572, and ended with a deficiency of £528. The year 1901-02 ended with a deficiency of £731, and the year 1902-03 would end with a c'iftcicncy of £672. If the estimates were.excKded in one year the Council had no means of picking up the deficiency. He moved' an amendment that tbe Council adopt the city's reading of the clause, merely affirming the desirableness of joining the city. Cr. Denton, who seconded the amendment, said that a requisition had been circulated through the Borough in favour of Linwood joining the scheme, and about 300 ratepayers had signed the requisition. Cr. Brunt said that the time had come when the Council should look beyond the present, and see what -would be best for the Borough. The question of representation should not prove a stumbling block, and as regards the recommendation of the Committee as to only one borough joining the City, he thought that was a little strong, for if only one borough joined, that would be a * beginning. He would support the amendment, and hoped that the ratepayers would give enlightened vote upon the Cr. Cleworth said he would support the motion -on the ground that the whole of the figures and calculations had been based upon the assumption that the whole of the local bodies should join in. ami not one only. If all the other local bodies did not join, then Linwood had better remain as it was. (Hear, hear.) Cr. Dixon said he had been a supporter of Greater Christchurch for years, but would not support the proposal that Linwood should go in alone. Cr. Schumacher said he would oppose the amendment. The Mayor, in reply, said he failed to see that Linwood would benefit if she went in alone, and he would certainly oppose the amendment. The amendment was put and lost by seven votes to three, the minority being Crs. Jamieson, Denton, and Brunt. Cr. Brunt then moved a further amendment, providing that Linwood should join in case another borough came in also. Cr. Jamieson seconded the amendment, which was lest by <*ix votes to four, Civ. Brunt, Jamiteon,'Denton, and Otley voting for the minority. The motion was then put and carried. The next section of the report was adopted without discussion, and the poll for Linwocd was fixed for January 22nd. It was agreed that ths Council Chambeis and the Church street Social Hall should be the polling places. The public meeting was fixed for Thursday, January Bth, in ths Phillipstown Schoolroom, and it was also decided that a second meeting in another part of the borough should be held if desired. On*tbc motion of ths Mayor, it was decided that the Special Committee of h<? Council should meet tha cthjr committees on December 23rd, at ths St. AI bam Borough Council Chambers. The petitions which wen; being signed in Sydenham asking for a poll* on the Greater Christchurch qutstion hive been withdrawn, the Borough Council having decided to take the poll. In tha boroughs of Linwood and St. Albans similar petitions are being freely signed.