MAKARA BOUNDARY

Evening Post, Volume CI, Issue 51, 1 March 1921, Page 7

MAKARA BOUNDARY

THE FARMERS' DISPUTE

CONCLUSION OF THE HEARING.

The Commission hearing the objection of residents in •-South Karori to the inclusion of portions', of. the district ir Greater Wellington concluded the taking of evidence yesterday. The Commission consists pf Messrs. W. G. Riddel], S.M., G. H. M. M'Clure, and I<\ N.. Martin. ■ - ■■ Mr. W. H. Morton, City' Engineer, said he would describe the land under 'discussion as suburban residential .land. Itwas roughly four miles from the city and three and a quarter miles from' the Botauica\ Gardens. The proper boundary between the city ajid the outlying districts, in order to avoid many drainage and sewage problems, should unquestionably be the divide, the range! top 3, which forced tire natural -watershed. He believe^ the locality would be fairly closely" populated, -and the .drainago would require to be strictly.,', controlled. There should be no division "of. authority in connection with the Control of thote areas. The dairy farmers' certainly derived advantages from the city activities. There had been complaints about the deposit of cow-manure ip. tho Karori styeani, but no one had complained of the alleged wasihng of ,a nightcart. Surveys for the sewering of the area were being made. In reply to Air." Wilford, who appeared for the petitioners, -Mr. Morton said that r.ome of the hill-sides and steep faces might not be suitable for building; but there was land as steep in-the city. It was fair to rate the owners of the ia-nd on the city basis, because of the advantages they would get from the city services. Even the farmers in South Karori would want both water and electric light in the near future, and he believed .they, would get water from Orongorongo in two years and a half. Replying to Mr. "Wilford's suggestion that hydro-electric power could be got from the county za well as the city, Mr. Morton said he had reason to believe that the Makiiia County Council would not be a distributing authority. The area already had the advantages of trams and electric light. ■

The Commission adjourned to dc liberate upon the ifsiw. , '