NORMANBY TOWN DISTRICT.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 5 August 1924, Page 9

NORMANBY TOWN DISTRICT.

PETITION FOR EXCLUSION OF LERiAiN AREAS. Dissatisfaction with the rates and \\itn the town seivices led certain owners of land on the outskirts of the Nornianby Town Board area to petition, to have their land excluded Trom the said district, and incorporated witli the Hawera County Council, whose jurisdiction extends on all sides of Normandy. A commission was set up by urder-in-Councii consisting of Messrs •John Cook, Commissionqr of Crown Rands, New Plymouth, and Oswald Gardner, District Land Valuer, Wanganui, and this commission commenced

tlieir hearing of the petitioners’ case tins morning at the Wormanby Town Hail. Mi - A. Coleman (Stratford), appeared for the petitioners, Mr P. O’Dea tor the Norman by Town Hoard, and Mr John Houston for the Hawera Countv Council. The notice appointing the Commission was read by the. secretary, and the petition was signed bv Aiessrs C. •J. Preston, A. Leydon, 0. A. Voullaire, R. \V. Glentworth, AY. H. le I’leming, J. Forbes, G. Inkster. S. A 11st is, E. Anstis, L. C. .Jackson, J. H. Forbes, G. AY. Gane, R. Gane, A. Swan, C. Battler, P. T. Donnelly, C. Cros by, Ra n ita ni w ha, J } Iha m a a.a d Nganeko. ’lhe petitioners set out requests asking fo.;- certain lands to be excluded from the Noipnanbv Town Hoard and incorporated ’with ‘ the Hawera County Council, on the grounds that the said lands cbulci not be used except for farming or grazing, that the rates are oppressive and unreasonable and likely to be more so in the future ; that the 'rates of the Hawera County Council are more in keeping with such lands, and that the Council would provide more efficient services and better control of roads.

COUNSELS’ OPENING ADDRESSES. Mr Houston, after stating that the Council had received no notice of the formation of the commission, said he would indicate briefly how the county was touched in the matter of the petition. He .said that the portions of land in the Town District mentioned as intended to come into the Council’s jurisdiction would be pairt, on the right of the railway line, of the Ararata Riding and part, on the left of the 1 ailway, in the. Hawera Riding. The second point was the question of rates, a very vital matter, and third, that the county was a large creditor of the Town Board, for the latter s obligation to keep the main iroads :n order and not being able to do so, Mat the county supplied materials ami plant, and also done work on the mads for which the Board had agreed to pay and had not been able >o liquid.i.e the amount, over £GOO. They .or..- anxious to assist the Com miss ion in .-cry waypossible. Air O’Dea said the Tourd vis bed 10 make formal objection to the constitution of the Commission, which, he stated, was formed under the Commission and Inquiries Act. That it purported to lie, did not make it so, adtied Mr O’Dea. He quoted 'section 2 of the Town Board’s Act. which provided machinery for constitution of Town Boards, and section 7, which gave power to alter or enlarge borders, but no machinery for altering of boundaries. Re wished the Commission to note his objection. Continuing, he said that, local body control was not under the administration of Government, and that the Governor-in-Connoil. might alter without a commission. He submitted that this was an informal inquiry only, not a commission, and quoted set era; cases in support of his contentions, one of which was that they could nor, award costs. In justice to all, h? added, there should be- proper provision for this. Air Gardner: ‘‘lt would he interesting to know what came under Government ad in in ist ration. ” The chairman said Chat the. point had been noted on previous occasions, and that evidently the powers that be considered it quite sufficient. (Left sitting).