AMALGAMATION DATE

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27111, 6 August 1953, Page 10

AMALGAMATION DATE

FURTHER MEETING TODAY

COUNTY COUNCIL’S COUNTER OFFER

A deadlock in negotiations for the amalgamation date of October 1 appeared to have been reached yesterday between the Christchurch City Council and the Waimairi County Council, the latter council having rejected the financial offer of the City Council. A further meeting of the representatives will be held today. “The next step must come from the county council,” said the Mayor (Mr R. M. Macfarlane, M.P.) yesterday morning. “The City Council will not request another meeting with the county representatives. As Waimairi has declined to accept our financial offer, the request for a further discussion will have to come from the county, not from the city.” The Mayor met later in the day Cr. W. W. Laing (county chairman), and a meeting was arranged.

The reply of the county council, signed on Tuesday by the county clerk (Mr H. A. Ferguson), to the City Council’s offer, which was published in “The Press” on Tuesday, reads as follows:

“Your letter of July 28 was dealt with at a special meeting held last evening, when I was directed to advise that the terms covering boundary and financial adjustments as outlined by you are not acceptable in their present form.

“In considering the decision, my council is definite in its view that April 1, 1954, is the most practicable date for the adjustments to be made; and although the existing resolution in this regard was reaffirmed, it was decided, in view of the approach made by your council for terms, to empower the county chairman to discuss the offer and to submit a counter offer should an approach be made by his Worship the Mayor to the county chairman in this direction.

“Will you kindly place this reply before your representatives? Should it be decided to consider the counteroffer, the county chairman will be pleased to discuss the position with his Worship th? Mayor.”