A BOROUGH WANTED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15025, 21 June 1912, Page 5

A BOROUGH WANTED.

MEETING AT TAKAPUNA. , RATEPAYERS FAVOUR SCHEME.. I - Takapuna residents are at present considering the advisability of forming a portion of the Takapuna riding of the Waitemata County into a borough. A meeting ' of those interested was held last evening ! in the Parish Hall, Takapuna, when Mr. i E. W. Alison was voted to the chair. j. The Chairman explained that 12 months t ago a meeting had been held to go into - the proposal. As a result a committee - had been appointed to report fully upon . the matter. The report had been a long time coming to hand, but was now avail- - able. The report, which lie then read, * stated that the Takapuna riding comprised J a total area of 15,360 acres, with an ex- . Ireme length of 10£ miles, and an extreme - breadth of -5J miles. Tho : proposed I borough, however, would take in ouiy a > portion ox this;, amounting \/o 4500 acres J ) and having a length of oj miles and a i breadth of 2$ miles. The ratable value of tho whole riding was £475,274, from 1 which rates amounting to £3719 Os 5d were collected. Receipts totalling £4609 os _ 2d, included in which was £535 conJ Iributed for r;)ad construction, had : been 1 obtained for the year ending Match 31, s 1912, while the ; expenditure amounted to (5 £6342 6s 9d. The liabilities a& the end of the same period totalled £'?-50 8s Id. Rate- _ payers on the; roll D.oiubereri 681, while 8 the population, of tho riding wad giver, at 3 1446 for the whole riding, from which 0 some 1120 would come into the proposed . borough. 1 , The report concluded by recommending i that a petition feigned ■ by,; not. less, tho a 25 per cent. of the voters, as provided by ® the Municipal Corporations Act, 1908, ■ha promoted lor presentation to the G-over- > nor, asking His Excellency to proclaim * a portion of the riding' a "borough, and " that the committee previously appointed 1 be empowered to take immediate steps . to give effect to the recommendations. * Tho Chairman, in moving the adoption '■ of the report, expressed the hope, that all T speakers would be given a fair hearing, j" He also hoped that no personalities would '■ too indulged ill. Mr. F. Keyta seconded 3 the motion. J Mr. Henry Brett, the only member of * tho committee who did not sign the report, then rose, to speak. He said •he rer sen ted a statement to the effect that he 1 had attended ; only one meeting of the " committee. The statement was quite cor--5 rect, but he could give reasons for hie; • absence. On August 28, he had received " a letter which stated that his presence was "required" at a meeting, when he " would be asked "t? show just cause why the riding should not be formed into a 6 borough." He was of opinion that no one ' could blame him for not attending . that 1 meeting. During: his absence in. the 3 South and at Te Aroha, and once when he was in Auckland,' meetings of which ' he had received no notice, had been held, J He had, however, received notice of a * meeting held last Monday evening, - and I that meeting he had attended. b Continuing, Mr. Brett said he could * not advise the ratepayers to form "a a borough. He knew there was consider--5 able dissatisfaction at the way *in which * the finances of the riding were being > managed, but he thought that could be s : remedied. Personally, he was of the opinion that the committee should have * gone into the question of forming a town 3 district instead of a borough, but if the other members of the committee were opposed to this he would be agreeable to - the formation of a borough provided the if area at present proposed was cut down, s Four thousand seres was far too large' an t area to take in,, and, in fact, was much s bigger than the areas of any of the r boroughs round Auckland, the largest oi 0 whichßirkenheadwas only 2700 acres in extent. Tho rates collected would no! e be available far permanent improve '. ments because the whole amount would. b< y absorbed in administration and the paying ri off of the riding's liabilities. Exteßsiv $ borrowing would be necessary, rate.' i. would rise, and consequently people woulc a hesitate to settle in Takapuna.: 1 • Mr. Alison .referred to Mr. Brett's state i- ment to the effect that the latter, had not i- received notice of meetings, and said thai he (Mr. Alison) had forwarded Sir. Bretl s one. Regarding Mr. Brett's statement a* 5 to the size of the proposed borough, Mr, Alison quoted, among others, Christchurcli as having an area of 4979 acres. A voice: What is the population oi Christchnrch ? Mr. Alison: About 53,000. Continuing, Mr.. Alison quoted Wai pawa, a borough containing 5000 acres, with a. population of 1083.' He did noi think the cost of the administration- oi the proposed borough would exceed £450. Mi". W. J. papier then spoke againsi the proposal to form a borough, and saic he looked forward to tho time when Taka ■ puna would be included in one borough - taking in Northcote, Birkenhead, one r' Devonport. He moved as an. amendmeni . that further consideration of the proposal . bo deferred lor six monthe. Mr.Tßretl ' seconded the amendment. ; • 5 Mr. Harris M.P., was a strong adro r cate of the proposal. He defended tin s stee of the! proposedv borough, as by thai l means the recreation, cemtfteiy, and edu cation reserve# would be 'taken in. Others present also spoke. Tlio amendment on being put was lost r whereupon Mr. George George moved, anc . Mr. Mahoney seconded, that the report of tho committee be adopted, excepting ' that the northern boundary of the pro * posed borough be the Wairau Creek, anc 1 run thence to the north-west corner of th< 1 Birkenhead riding, at tho point shown or . the plan. This would have the effect ol % reducing tho area of tho borough bj about 1000 acres. This second amend--3 ment was carried. It was decided to defer consideration oi . the proposal for two .weeks, to enable > the committee to report as to the cost oi . administration, and to gather other information. t , i A vote of thanks to the chairman cons eluded the meeting. > I - , , =L"" 1 1