Amalgamation Proposals.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 173, 2 August 1901, Page 3

Amalgamation Proposals.

(To the Editor of the Times ) Sir, — “ I would rather be first in an Iberian village than second in Borne.” This saying is, I believe, credited to the immortal Caesar, and it is very expressive of the attitude adopted by Mr A. F. Matthews at the meeting of Whataupoko ratepayers on Monday evening last. He fears that with the merging of Whataupoko into the borough the individuality of the former will bo lost sight of, but this does not necessarily follow. The borough has been a long time on the lookout for a man to take the place of our worthy Mayor when he sees fit to retire, and who can tell that such a one might not be found in the progressive district of Whataupoko ? Mr Matthews to my mind took an exceedingly narrow-minded view of the proposals before the meeting ; quite the opposite view.to what one would have expected from a man of his wide experience and high order of intelligence. I refuse to believe that the more intelligent ratepayers of Whataupoko will be induced to follow the lead of the chairman of the district Board. Thoy must realise that it is to their manifest advantage to amalgamate with tho Borough, as the questions of water and drainage can be much more successfully dealt with by entering” Into a scheme for the three districts.—l am, etc., PROGRESS,