THE INNER AREA

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 113, 16 May 1927, Page 10

THE INNER AREA

PULL OF THE SUBURBS MOST MONEY FROM CITY A VIGILANCE COMMITTEE? Wellington already has a very fair share of what may be styled minor local bodies, including ratepayers ’ associations, electors’ associations, progressive leagues, residents’ associations, league and societies, at least twenty of them, with the number growing more or less unsteadily. It is probable that in the near future there will bo one more, a City Vigilance Association, league or committee. For some time past there has been a feeling among city ratepayers, business men, and others, including certain of the City Councillors, that the mid-city area, or rather the area of the original city, is not receiving quite, a fair deal in the matter of expenditure, takiug into consideration the fact that it is this area which pro.vidos by far the greater part of the' city’s (city and suburbs) ' rating revenue. In other words, that tho business area and those parts of the city which are not far enough out to be suburbs have h,ad no voice for the making of requests—though they have a deepish pocket—whereas the various suburban associa tions have been able to create a strong influence jin favour of expenditure of public money in the suburbs and outlying districts. The true city area has therefore not received adequate consideration. “The suburbs have too much pull.” THEY GOT IT DONE.

There is, of course, not tho slightest doubt that some districts have been more successful than others in carrying their ideas into fact, by merely keeping at it —“it” meaning the City Council—by letters, deputations, personal interviews, and some more letters, deputations, and interviews. There is, on the other side of the suburban picture, the occasional ratepayers or electors' association that believes in helping itself, and manages to arouse sufficient enthusiasm among the residents to get together working bees or the wherewithal to pay other workers. Two oxamples. of the different methods are recalled. In’case No. 1, a district rejoicing in a particularly energetic association, after its sixth, or twelfth, or twentieth application to the council, was at last overjoyed when the •Reserves Department gardeners went along and planted a very small patch of ugly clay bank. In case No. 2, a much smaller district, getting altfng with a rather conservative association, turned out at about the same time with picks, shovels, aiid spades, and planted at no cost to the city whatever quite a respectable patch of the Town Belt. Anyhow, both districts got what they wantcd. Other, districts, again, help themselves so far, and the council agrees to see the job through the rest'of the way. Those who are interesting themsolves in the proposed City Vigilance Committee; howevor,. point out that the city area has no-collective voice at all. It is, of .course, natural that district associations should place district matters first, very often to the extent of pulling against the next door association and indirectly, it is maintained by the movers for the new body, against the interests of the city area, simply by making so many demands upon tho City Council —only a few of which can be met —that there is not eno'ugh loft over for, city works, from which not only the business area) but the whole city would benefit. - Would Wellington be a city, with a capital C, if her suburbs wore model settlements and the business area neglected to tho point of real shabbiness? That lias not, of course, conio about, but that is the basic idea of the new movement. NO .DEMAND, NO HUBBY.

Apart from tho success of suburban associations in persuading the City Council to spend freely in the suburbs a good part of tho revenue collected from tho city area, there is not much doubt that,, councillors being human after all, particularly at election times, these associations obtain undertakings for desired extensive works and improvements, while certain classes of city works have to wait thoir turn until they are become obviously urgent. One matter in which suburban interests and the interests of tho city as a whole 1 do not quite coincide is the library question. Should each suburb have its braneh library and Wellington as a whole continue to carry On with a second-rate library, or should air tho eggs be put into ono basket, in an adequate central library with some system of book distribution to the sub-, urbsf That! is a question for tho City Council, but the suburban associations carry a good deal of weight. So also in , such important questions as townplanning, the very much thrashed question, of swimming baths, tho rights and wrongs of hew industrial areas, and so on, and so on, say tho Vigilance Committee movers, tho very part of tho city which must foot tho greater part of tile bill has no means whereby it can make, its ideas heard.

The movement, it is stated, has boen taken up freely among business people, although in certain quarters it is urged that one of the existing bodies might enlarge its own activities and merge itself into the bigger proposal.