GREATER NEW PLYMOUTH.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 122, 23 May 1908, Page 2

GREATER NEW PLYMOUTH.

[Bt Telegraph. — Press Association.]

NEW PLYMOUTH, This Day

The Greater New, Plymouth scheme was submitted last night to a meeting of about a hundred ratepayers of tho Eliot, Frankley, ..and Carringtpn Roaji, Board districts. The movement has not emanated from the borough, but from tho suburbs. The circumstances are that there are abutting on the borough three road board districts, which, whilst paying road board and county rates, derive no benefit direct from the latter, for there is not any ' county road or bridge in the whole area. Thus tho whole of the money paid in coun-, ty rates is expended outside the district from which it is drawn. Portions ' of thqse districts are settled as suburbs almost closely as. -borough sections, and are highly valued, so that the rates amounted to more 'than' those paid in the borough itself, whilst under the Road Boards Act they had not power to undertake such works as street lighting, which with the rapid increase of population has become '.jie'eessary. The conference of representatives of the road districts submitted, to a mass meeting of ratepayers to-night alternative proposals firstly, to form the three road districts into a couniy, each road district to be a riding of such country; and, secondly, a large portion to merge into tho borough of New Plymouth. The meeting declared in favour of a county, but it is not expected that this will prevent the consummation of the Greater New Plymouth movement.