NOLANTOWN COMMISSION.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 5 December 1924, Page 7

NOLANTOWN COMMISSION.

PETITIONERS’ CASE CONTINUED. Before the commissioners the enquiry into the petition and counter-petition in connection with the Noiantown merger was continued to-day. Eawin Dixon, president of the Hawera Chamber of Commerce, said he thought that the burgesses of Hawera were living in a fool’s paradise. One thing the borough would Jiave to consider would be the cutting off of the extraordinary supplies and concentrating on the supply in the borough. This would have to be done whether Nolantown came in or not. With the duplication of. the main would arrive the natural time for taking in any area that required water supply. Of course, fiom a business point of view it must be remembered that the borough received an average of £I2OO per year in levenue from their extraordinary water supplies. Witness said that wiiile he was mayor one of the greatest arguments he had promoted in favour°of th 1 e . ] merging had been the fact that while Hawera was a town with most up-to-date facilities, it had seemed to lum to he senseless to have at theifc back-door such a place a s Noiantown® where an epidemic might break out at any time and contaminate the borough. If for no other reason he would support the merger on the grounds of health. Another reason given by witness was the present misleading position in which Hawera was placed from a population iioint if view. The borough was small, and expansion was taking place outside the borough boundary. ° Mr. O’Dea.; The commission is now getting the real reason. Hawera’s head has swollen until its head is too big for its hat. The reason fo r the various leading townsmen givincr evidence here is for the purpose of boosting Hawera. Witness denied that this was his mam reason. In the first place he was in favour of the merger from the point of view of health. John S Murray, licensed surveyor gave evidence concerning the work ConZt+ OUt b ?nu the Gveater Hawera Committees ■■ The area oroposed to be merged had been built im of approved extensions by the Minister of Lands and the plan he and the Greater Haueia Comnuttee favoured included the whole of the land contained in the petitioners’ plan. Witness said that Sen he subdivided the Noiantown area aoout seven years ago he carried out the work so that the land could not be subdivided again. It had not been with a view to providing sections where a householder could reside and keep a co.w that he had made the sub<l,vision. WrtMM had bee,, advising the Greater Hawera Committee. S Mr O Dea then proceeded with his of John Murtagh, he stating that in connection with the coloured plan submitted by witness showing the area owned bv'petitioners’ there were no fewer than 19 objectors’ sections coloured in to represent part of the petitioners’ land. Under crossexamination, however, several of these were represented to he in order. Chas. S. Pearce and Edgar J Har nson contributed further evidence a.s „o the unsatisfactory conditions nrevadmg in the Noiantown area, and stated their willingness to nav more rates in order to get un-to-d*ate facilities. Pearce said he was prepared to pay five times his present rates if necessary and Harrison said he' was piepaied to pay for value received.