AMALGAMATING BOROUGHS.

Evening Star, Issue 6913, 28 May 1885, Page 1

AMALGAMATING BOROUGHS.

From time to time the question crops'up of the amalgamation of the boroughs on the Flat, a course the desirability of wliich can hardly be contested. In 1880 Mr Barkov introduced a Bill the object of which was to enable Caversham, South Dunediu, and:St. Kilda to amalgamate and form one municipality. This BUI passed into law, and under the title of the Caversham Boroughs Incorporation Act is now on the Statutebook. It provides that the above-named boroughs may unite into one borough upon a majority of one-fifth of thd ratepa} ; ers of each signing a petition to the Governor praying that the same may be done, or Upon a poll being taken in each of the boroughs and a majority of one-fifth at least of jthe votes recorded being in favor. The termsand conditions on which amalgamation under'the Act would take place are briefly lows. The Council of the united borough is to make provision for the payment of 1 all existing liabilities for interest and sinking fund in connection therewith by levying a special rate or rates, only to apply within that part of the united borough which incurred the liability previous to the union. The income and expenditure of eadh'frhrd are to be separately allocated, and the boundary roads are to be kept in order by equal contributions from the wards adjoining on either side. The united borough is to be divided into four wards; > the present Borough of Caversham forminjg two, South Dunedin one, and St. Kilda one ; each ward to return three councillors; theMayor, of course, to be elected by the burgesses of the united borough. If after the union any of the wards wish to borrow money for any special works they may do so,, and a special rate is then to be levied within such ward to provide sinking fund and interest. The Act has remained a dead letter, owing, we believe, to the disinclination of South Dunedin and St. Kilda to merge their municipal individuality in Caversham, which they conceive would be supreme in the united borough. The advantages are so conspicuous and manifold in materially lessening the expense whilst increasing the efficiency of administration, that we are somewhat surprised that the ratepayers have not taken action by petition, it being hopeless, to expect that the existing Councils Jlrill move in the direction of their own “ happy despatch.” Fqr our-owp part we are-in-clined to the opinion that all the- suburban be amalgamated witKDimedin orach on the same terms a:s proposed, in Mr Barron’s Act, t.e.,'the income and expenditure of each ward allocated thereto, and separate accounts kept thereof. There would thus be great economy in the management of municipal affairs, whilst the advantages are obvious of these affairs in all their various branches being by one authority under one system. Sir Julius Vookl is responsible for the small Otago boroughs originally constituted a Provincial Ordinance which he promoted. It would be quite becoming that lie should in the new local government scheme apply the lessons of experience to his original design and merge all petty contiguous boroughs in the City .municipalities.

In the early part of the current month a meeting of representatives from Councils of Caversham, South Dunedin, and St. Kilda, convened by the Mayor of South Dunedin, was held to discuss the question of amalgamation. In opening the proceedings the convener, who presided, expressed the opinion that the union of the three boroughs was desirable as a stepping-stone to annexation by Dunedin. This, we think, is the right view to take, and the fact that it has been officially, as we may say, promulgated by one of the Mayors and very favorably received by the meeting should ,induceJhe Government to seriously consider whether it will not be as well to save' all trouble fby pimply annexing the boroughs to' Ddhedin .by a clause in the new local government Bill which is understood to be in course of preparation. Mr Bragg, who ' is, • “we believe, -a councillor .of. . spoke with good : common sense, affirming the distinct benefits which AmstTfAhilt from amalgamation, if" each ward had control of its own expenditure. The whole administration, he said, would- be—more effective, and the expenses of management very considerably economised ; whilst the field of choice for persons to fill the b|unicipal offices would be enlarged, and th? three existing governing bodies superseded by bne having a much higher status. It is beyond question one of the mischiefs incident to a small borough that few men of weigh|, position, or standing care te trouble themselves with the petty concerns of the corporation, and these consequently fall into.fcoble if not unworthy hands. A class of local politicians is developed whose self-assertion far exceeds their intelligence or knowledge, and the business is conducted byAuch' Aen in a narrow-minded, ignorant, and occasionally bumptious manner. Were thcHKat, for instance, one municipality,' the: Mayoral chair and the seats in the Council vsould become fair objects of ambition, and keen competition might be expected best qualified of the burgesses who *at present trouble themselves about none of these things. - A- large amount of money iu the aggregate is now frittered away in keeping up staffs of officials where one would better answer the purpose., pd do the necessary work than the many. The reduction of the. number of Jocal bodies throughout the Colony would be one practical step towards an improved system of local government. The Treasurer, iit is evident from what he said in ChristcKhrch and Dunedin, realises this; but we dehnl it questionable whether he has the courage of his opinions and is prepared to appljf*4he knife instead of temporary palliatives. The latter, we conceive, are more in the Hue of a Coalition Ministry whose basis is a : combination of heterogeneous affinitiesand whose only principle seems to be to make thipgs pleasant all round. ‘