The Star. SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 1880. AMALGAMATION.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume I, Issue 20, 19 June 1880, Page 2

The Star. SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 1880. AMALGAMATION.

The meeting held in Normanby on Thursday night is one more step in the direction of amalgamation. Although no decided action was taken by those present, a resolution for the appointment of a committee, to confer with a similar body from the Hawera Town Board, was unanimously passed. Some of those who were in the room, and others who were unable to attend the meeting, were very much afraid that the two places would not work well together, and that even if they did so, the formation of a borough meant increased taxation. On the other hand, those favorable to the scheme are of opinion that the one rate to be levied by a borough would not need to be much, if at all, heavier than the two rates which residents of Normanby and Hawera have to pay at the present time ; and that, even were the rate heavier, some substantial benefit would be received from the expenditure of it. Instead of being up to the knees in mud, once a person happened to go away from the main road, there would be some chance of having the cross streets metalled and repaired,<»whereas they are now left untouched in Normanby, and are but little cared for in Hawera, simply because the funds at the disposal of the Town Board in the latter place will not permit them to do so, and the Road Boards are not supposed to meddle with such things as cross streets in places situated as Normanby is. It is a healthy sign that there is some opposition to the proposal, because a sounder judgment will be much more likely to result from discussing the different aspects of the matter, than if everybody "were fa.voYa.My. inciracti towards it. One gentleman -was good enough, to repeat at Normanby — what has been insinuated before — that if he were a jour-

nalist, hr, too, would advocate amalgamation. But we beg leave to doubt it very much. If that gentleman be guided by the same motives which be is so ready to impute to others, he would find that his monetary interests would be better served by having a Town Board in Hawera (with a very strong probability of having a Borough Council before another twelve months shall have elapsed), and a Town Board, or some other form of local government, in Normanby. The multiplicity of email bodies means more advertising for a newspaper ; and it is this multiplicity that we have been anxious to avoid. In our advocacy for union, we have entirely overlooked the mere consideration of how much or how little advertising would be caused thereby. We believe that in five instances out of six the interests of Hawera and Normanby are identical; that those interests would be best served by one strong, united body, rather than by two weak, divided ones ; that the union of the two localities will advance the best interests of both places, and will tend to put some life into local government work, -which is sadly needed. It is for these reasons, and these alone, that we have brought the matter so prominently forward. It now remains for the "people of both towns to say whether they shall unite together or not ; but we hope nothing will be done without the most careful consideration. It is better to look at every possible obstacle that might arise to mar the working of a combined municipality. If that is done, we have no fear that good will come of it ; but hasty action is a thing to be deplored, instead of being commended.