NEW BOROUGH NOT NECESSARY

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 95, 17 January 1924, Page 8

NEW BOROUGH NOT NECESSARY

ADVERSE REPORT ON HUTT PROPOSAL LEAVING THE “POOR HUSKS” L’he commission set up to consider the proposed new borough of Rongomai in the Hutt Valley, to comprise Upper Hutt, Wallaceville, Trentham, Heietaunga, and Silverstrcam, has reported against the proposal. The report of the commission was presented at the meeting of the Hutt County Council yesterday. . The commission was of opinion that upon the material placed before it there was no general desire on the part of the residents outside of the present Upper Hutt Town District to be included in a borough and to have their lands made subject to municipal control. .... , ... The main objections to the granting of the petition were that the proposed new borough would take out “the valuable kernel” of tho Manga-roa Riding, “leaving an extensive and comparatively poor husk to bear the burden of taxation for a large mileage of roads. Tho capital value of the Mangaroa Ridin,r was £570.465 for an area of apprcximately 109,868 acres, or 171 square miles. The capital value of the land proposed to bo taken for the new borough was approximately £209,000 for 1663 acres, or 2 J square miles, thereby reducing: tho capital 'alue of the Mangaroa to about £362,000. Expensive metalled roads 59 miles in length would have to be maintained out"of this latter sum, against 65 miles for the original total of £570,465. The costs of the commission are to be borne by the Upper Hutt Town board and the Hutt County Council m equal proportion.