GREATER CHRISTCHURCH.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17625, 30 November 1922, Page 6

GREATER CHRISTCHURCH.

THE PAPANUI POLL. MAJORITY FOR AMALGAMATION. The residents of part of the Papanui, Karewood, and Wairarapa Ridings of the Waimairi C-ounty decided to join the city yesterday by a majority of 70 votes. The polling place Was a marquee at the corner of Papanui and Grant's roads, and for the size of the district, a very large number of votes were recorded. The figures were' For the Proposal ... ... 236 Against ... ... 166 Informal ... ... ... 9 Total ... ... ... 411

There are 540 ratepayers on the roll I and of those 120 live outside the area! About a hundred people gathered outside the marquee shortly after 7 o'clock in the evening to hear the result, and various speeches. , Mr W. J. Boyce, president of the Papanui Progress League, thanked all 1 residents who had voted for the pro-' posal to amalgamate with Greater Christchurch. He said that they had fought not as a party, but for anideal. There had been a good fight and he hoped all differences would be forgotten in the future. Tho Association had played the game fairly and squarely. In the afternoon he had not been too sanguine of success, but the project lia.d been carried, and a democratic country must give way to the will of the majority. Mr F. Sisson, member of the Waimairi County Council, said the rest of Papanui and the other ridings were glad that the area had gone to the city. The residents had always been agitating, and now the rest of the County would get on well without them. Mr R. W. Hawke, member for the Papanui, Hare wood, and Wairarapa Ridingsj, and chairman of the "Waimairi County Council, congratulated the winning side, and said that it had gained its success by hard work. The Papanui Progress League, since its inception a year ago, bad been concentrating its efforts to carry the proposal, and it had been successful. He wished to thank all those who had worked on the defeated side, and he knew they would accept their defeat in the right spirit as "sports" always did. "The victory is largely due to the Rev. T. N. Griffin," said Mr Win. Keith, a member of the League, in moving a vote of thanks to its secretary. He paid a tribute to tho untiring energy of Mr Griffin, and called for three cheers for him. In response to the cheers, Mr Griffin, secretary of the Papanui Progress League, said ho had been very doubtful concerning the result of the poll. However the residents of Papanui were to be congratulated on their intelligent vote and he thanked them all. After a vote of thanks had been passed to the returning officer, Mr G. S. Oowper, the gathering dispersed. Considerable dissatisfaction was expressed at the form of the ballot paper wljich -was said to be rather hard to understand. The returning officer explained that the paper had to bo in accordance with the law. It could have been made clearer by an alteration in the wording, which the law would not allow. The area which now comes into the city includes a large part of Papanui and small parts of the other two ridings.