BOROUGH AMALGAMATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15174, 13 December 1912, Page 9

BOROUGH AMALGAMATION.

NORTHCOTE AND BIRKENHEAD.

Some rofernce to the proposed amalgamation of Birkenhead and Northcoto was made at last night's meeting of the Birkenhead Borough Council. A letter was read from the Northcote Council objecting to the cost of a legal opinion and to the date of a proposed conference. The Mayor (Mr. Wm. Wallace) said the conviction was borne in upon him that the Northcote Council was merely wasting the Birkenhead councillors' time. If amalgamation was to como about he believed it would have to bo in the same manner as happened in Parnell. This, he said, was not the first occasion the Zirkonhead Council had been treated in this manner by the Northcote Council. A few years ago, at a conference, an agreement had been arrived at for the supply of water by Northcote 10 Birkenhead, and when the Northcote Council met a few evenings later the members failed to ratify the arrangement. Mr. 'J'. Church: Apparently the Northcote Council do not want to have anything to do with Birkenhead. The Mayor said he did not particularly want to have anvthing to do with Northcote, for that matter, except for the good that might result to the ratepayers. He would be willing to go out of office entirely if he could bring about amalgamation, because ho believed it would be of great, benefit to both boroughs. _ Mr. C. E. Campbell thought it might be helpful to invite the Mayor or town clerk of Auckland to the next conference, in order to give the councils the benefit of their experience in drawing up a basis of amalgamation. , _ .. Mr. J. W. Court deprecated dealing with the question in a personal way. The point was. What should be done in the interests of both boroughs. On the motion of Messrs. Campbell and Court it was decided to express regret that the Northcote Council could not meet in conference next Tuesday as arranged, and expressing the Birkenhead Council s willintrness to meet in January, tno dato to be fixed by the two Mayors. . . It was also resolved to take opinion of the Municipal Association's sobcitor as to whether it would be possible for each borough to agree to amalgamate, and remain wards until the ratepayers of each ward decreed otherwise by a poll.