NORTH LINWOOD AND AVONSIDE.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13597, 4 December 1909, Page 12

NORTH LINWOOD AND AVONSIDE.

PROPOSED INCLUSION IN CIT¥ AREA. The report of the Commission appointed for the purpose of holding an enquiry in the matter, of the petitions presented for and against the inclusion of certain parts of the Heathoote Road "' District, known as North Linwood and Avopside, in the City of Christchurch, cam* before the City Council at its last meeting. - The Commissioner, in his report, rc•wmmended'that the alteration prayed 'for should not be made, the grounds i>eing as follows:—The petition was irigned by less than , half of those qualified to petition; the Christchurch City •h»d well founded 'objection to the amalgamation; the remaining portion ■ of the Heatheote Road District would keseriously embarrassed, financially and in administration, by the severance of aft important part of their area; the benefits to be derived from the proposeu amalgamation were unsubstantial, the real issue being that of rating on unimproved value; the City had that method of rating, while the Heathcote Road District rated on the capital value; the petitioners were chiefly those owning small sections with houses thereon, on which the rates would bo small as compared with large sections ■which were not built on; the area sought to be amalgamated was not very suitable for building, much of it being damp and low-lying and impossible to

drain; there was a fringe, chiefly on the Canal Reserve Road, of houses which eeemed fit to be included in the but they only made a Very narrow fringe, and it would not be advisable to include them in the City; the revenues expected from the municipality by the petitioners must be paid for, and tho petiti° ners ) he feared, were influenced by tho idea that they won id get revenues for which others would pay; there was no demand for close settlement in the areas sought to bo included, such as existed within the older Wards of the City, which demand, where it existed, made rating on unimproved values just and legitimate; under the existing system the people in the areas sought to be included could obtain the sewage system from the Drainage Board, if they voted for it, and provided the funds. With come alteration of the law they could come under the Fire Board, and be served with high pressure water; their main difficulty would be efficient drainage, and the natural conditions militated against that being obtained.