CITY'S EXTENT

Evening Post, Volume CI, Issue 50, 28 February 1921, Page 8

CITY'S EXTENT

KARORI. BOUNDARY

APPEAL FOR EXCLUSION,

A petition for the exclusion from the City of Wellington of portions of Karoii was further heard and discussed this morning before the epecial Commission established to determine the question at issue, consisting of Mr. W. G. Eiddell, S.M. (chairman), Mr. C. H. M. M'Clure, Commissioner of Crown Lands, and Mr. F, N. Martin, District Valuer.

Mr: T. M. Wilford appeared for the thirteen petitioners, and Mr. J. O'Sfiea for the Oity Council.

■ The petitioners submitted a plan, showing the three areas which they desired excluded from the city, and' included in the County of Makara.. The lands, it was alleged in the petition, were all rural lauds, not suitable to ba included in the Oity of Wellington. The council's objections to the proposed alteration are : 1, all the land included in the areas proposed to be excluded drain into the natural watercourse which roils through Karori, and the control of this land was therefore neoessafy> in order to conifaiol satisfactorily all watercourses and the discharge of polluted matter into such watercourses in the interests of the health of the district and the city; 2, grave differences will arise as to, financial matters- if the proposed alteration is given effect to. The land in question has for veal's been subject to special rates, but, so long as they remained within the borough of Karori, no objection was taken. Now that the land has become port of the city, objection is, taken ;■ 3, the ■'boundary of the portion contiguous to Makara-roaid and main Karori-Road is very irregular.; 4, as the land in question is largely usedl for pig fanning, it.is advisable,' ir< the interests of the health of the City of Wellington, that the land should ba within the_ City of Wellington, aid under the jurisdiction and control of iffae City, Council. '

Mr. Wilford called evidence.

Isaac Sykes, a residflnt of the locality, described the land affected as "thirdclass sheep land," of such a quality that without the proximity of such a market as Wellington, dairy-farming even at the present prices of butter-fat, would be utterly unprofitable. There was no more flat land od any of the petitioners' properties than would suffice to enable their business to be carried on: The witness proceeded to describe the course of the streams draining the area affected. The watersheds were almost entirely in the Makara County. He thought very poorly of the value of his land ,as a buildm"' area, and to indicate his opinion said he would willingly sell it for 10s a foot frontage.

To- Mr. O'Shea: On his land within the affected area—7| acres—he ran one cow. It might; carry two, if they were to starve in the winter. He .did,not farm pigs, and did not intend to do so - Mr. O'Shea,: "Part of the idea of the petitioners is that they will have to pay less rates in Makara, is it not?" Witness replied that was so. Nobody wanted to pay on hill-top sections unsuitable for sub-division rates to pay for esplanades at Oriental Bay, which they were unabla to use.

Mr. O'Shea: "You are only echoing the sentiment of the day—let the other fellow pay." Frederick Kilmister stated that he fanned 1600 acres of land, of which 70 acres were in the city. Of this 70 acres only nine or ten acres were reasonably flat; and this had a special value It cost him £1500. He had paid this big price because it was needed for his home" stead and 'for sheep and cattle yards. The average, value of the rest of his land was £10 an acre; and a fair rental would be 10s an acre. He would class it as second-class land, which would carry one cow on eight acres, or a sheep and a-half. The land was not city lajid ; and to have it in the city would hinder production.

Mr. O'Shea.: " Why should land le more productive in the country than in the city?" '

Witness said the city rates were oppressive. He admitted that the electrical supply would be a benefit. As far as he knew, only one resident had it. To the Bench: He derived no benefit from the city water, drainage, or sanitary. systems." ' ' .

Mr. O'Shea, in opening the case for the City Council, said it was clear that the objection of the petitioners te inclusion in the city was based on financial grounds. They took no notice of the benefits of inclusion in the city. The local residents "also desired to carry on pigjfarming under country conditions, which permitted methods '. prohibited by the City Council. He contended that the high value of the land was due to its proximity to the city and to its being available for building purposes. The natural boundary should be the water-divide j and the city desired chiefly to retain control of the whole of the streams draining the district. . George William Brighim,' engineer to the City Council for. Karori, and adjoining districts, previously borough engineer in Karori, said that about 1908 a portion of Karori was thrown into the County of Makara. -When the recent exclusion proposals were begun, the plan was to exclude the whole of South Karori from the city,, bnt some of the parties had since withdrawn. (Proceeding^)