WILL THERE BE AMALGAMATION?

Evening Post, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 120, 17 November 1909, Page 2

WILL THERE BE AMALGAMATION?

HUTT AND PETONE BOROUGHS. FORMER TO MOVE IN THE MATTER. Of laue^ years the amalgamation or the Hutt and Petone Boroughs has frequently been referred to at local public meetings, hut no definite proposition has been formulated. Now comes a recommendation from the commissioner — set up to adjudicate upon the rival claims of the two boroughs for the annexation of Gear Island — "that twelve months' grace should be allowed before the finding becomes operative, in order that the question of the amalgamation of Hult and Petone may have a chance of settlement." < * Speaking to a Post reporter last evening with reference to the subject, a wellknown member of the Lower Hutt Borough Council made an interesting statement, from which *t may be deduced that in that district no little support would .be accorded any movement in the direction of bringing about a fusion of the boroughs. In all probability, he remarked, there would be a motion brought down by the Hutt Borough Council to give effect to the recommendation of the commissioner that there should be amalgamation. To his mind, there appeared to be no doubt that, there was unanimity of opinion outside the Petone Council that amalgamation was a proper solution for many of the difficulties that arose from time to time between the boroughs. Only recently the Mayor of Petone (Mr. J. W. M'Ewan), in his address upon the subject of tramways, touched upon the question by referring to the petty jealousies of which theVe was considerable evidence. There was no reason at all, looking at it from a broad point of view, why amalgamation should not be brought about. ft was ridiculous that a population of about 10,000 should Jiave five local bodies operating, and, what was worse, frequently coming into conflict. There- was ao question that in the event of amalgamation many persons who now refrained from participating m local politics could b6 prevailed upon to offer their services. Anialgamation would not be brought about without a conference of the representatives ol the several local bodies; that conference would be the first step in a movement that, it was hoped, would result in the constitution of one strong body, m possession of all the powers conferred at present by the Municipal Corporations Act, the River Boards Act, and the Hutt District Tramways Act! lie did not anticipate any great difficulty m overcoming the local prejudices that stood m the way of fusion THE SOUTH-EASTERN END OF HUTT. Speaking in another connection, the councillor remarked that if Petone did not amalgamate the Lower Hutt would, ir> all probability, object to the commissioner s decision to include the southeastern end of its territory in Petone liorough on the ground that all those persons having interest in the island would petition to be included in the Hutt Borough. And where there was unanimity amongst owners and lessees, it seemed that the .only proper course was to give effect to a petition.