AMALGAMATION PROPOSALS

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25450, 23 March 1948, Page 4

AMALGAMATION PROPOSALS

TRAMWAY BOARD’S ; REPLY FULL STATEMENT BEING PREPARED “A statement is being prepared—and we think it is an unanswerable one—showing that it Is in the interests of the people, both those now living in Christchurch and those who will live here in the future, that their public transport system should be administered by an independent board, answerable directly to the people, father than by a small committee of the City Council,” said the chairman (Mr C. C. Holland), at a meeting of the Christchurch Tramway Board yesterday.

Mr Holland said he understood that the Christchurch City Council had set up a committee to make representations to the Local Government Commission, and various other people had been expressing their opinions. He denied no one the right to an opinion; he felt everyone should have an opinion; but opinions could only be informed when people had a full knowledge of the facts. It was the task of the commission to secure all the facts and form an opinion. Opinions had been expressed that both the Tramway Board and the Drainage Board should be merged with the City Council. While he had po right to speak for the Drainage Board, said Mr Holland, he felt he should say something about tile Tramway Board’s attitude. A full and complete statement was being prepared for submission to the Local Government Commission.