NEW BRIGHTON AND GREATER CHRISTCHURCH.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16506, 25 April 1919, Page 5

NEW BRIGHTON AND GREATER CHRISTCHURCH.

TO THE EDITOR OF "TIIK TRESS." Sir—The date of the New Brighton municipal election draws near, and ere loiirr a new Council will be elected to face the same old problem that every Council has had, and which, under present conditions every Council will have, to face, viz., to make a shilling do the work of a pound. The poverty of. the Brighton Council is appahnig. Quito recently, I believe, a deputation of North Beach residents, who for tlio past three years have been battling for roads, went as far as to offer to lend the uecessarv money to the Council for the road formation ; and had in the finish to guarantee the cost of the poll before the Council would have anything to do with the matter. Two-thirds of Brighton is unproductive reserve. Brighton is hard up and must have funds. She wants a drainage scheme; wants a high-pressuro water supply. Under existing conditions s* n e can never get them. Thi' present Mayor, in drsprration to get funds, hit upon a scheme which I feel sure he does not believe in, viz., to sell, or "Glasgow lease," the most delightful portion of a'l the reserves. Thi- scheme will - never go through—it would be a crying shame if it did. But it i« certain that something's got to go if Brighton is to be developed as it should. Sir, there is only one solution to the Brighton problem, and that is to join in with Greater Christchurch. A suburb of Auckland, situated similarly to New Brighton in not being contiguous to Auckland city, recently had legislation put through which enabled it to join in -with Greater Auckland. New Brighton can do the same. And, Sir, if the present Mayor wishes to "leave his name on the scroll of fame," let his war-cry for this election be "Greater Christchurch for New Brighton," and let every intending councillor state his views on this "matter, which should bo the main plank of this election platform. —Yours, etc.. PROGRESS. #