NO COMMITMENT

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 58, 6 September 1938, Page 17

NO COMMITMENT

MAYOR'S ASSURANCE

JOHNSONVILLE AND CITY

Following the reading of a letter to the City Council from the Wellington Ratepayers' Association objecting to the proposal that Johnsonville should amalgamate with the city, the Mayor, Mr. T. C. A. Hislop, stated last night that the council was in no way committed. The position was that Johnsonville had approached the city and negotiations had been opened to obtain all possible information so that full consideration could be given. Councillor R. A. Wright, M.P., said that he hoped that throughout the discussion it would be borne in mind that there were scores of streets in Wellington still in a shocking condition, and that no move should be made to take on more liabilities until the council was at least able to put its own city in order. Johnsonville would certainly mean fresh liabilities, for they would want drainage, water, light, and all the services that the city could give them. Asked by Councillor A. Black whether it was suggested that extra expense should be involved at the moment, Mr. Hislop saidjso. All that had been done was to create machinery for ascertaining the position of Johnsonville, and what would be the requirements in that district, what services it would want from the "city, and in addition to work out what rate* by, way of a special area rate they might get. It was merely a question of obtaining information. "We are in no way committed at all, and we, obviously could not be until the whole thing has come before the council/ said Mr. Hislop.