MOUNT ROSKILL'S PROGRESS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15646, 27 June 1914, Page 11

MOUNT ROSKILL'S PROGRESS.

ROAD DISTRICT Oil BOROUGH

KrbN Intel is taken by tho Mount Riwklll ilatopiiyrrn' .Wiciolloti In tho Wfllfare of tho dUtriot, Kvldoiice ol this wan supplied mi Thursday night by the largo Attendance of uiomlws at th* monthly mooting held in the public school, Mr. J, Initio presided. Ho sold I hoy had invited Mr. K. 11. Poller to bo prejont at the meeting to explain tho advantages to bo derived by changing their district from n road hoard district to a borough,

Mr. Potter reminded tho tiicctin -oat be won there by nvitation .n b' privolo copneity us a citizen, mid not as » i. euibor of any public body. Ho certainly o,i« not going l« advise thorn to amalgamate with any other local body. Of corns*, it was Bolfov.dunt that the Iwnt system ol (Jovernment would bo for the city and suburbs to bo under the admlnliuralivo body, us provided by the Ureatiir A ink land crheino. But that could not bo brought about yet. In the m«»ntmia it might bo well lor thorn to consider Mime of tho advautttgos ol couvorting Mount Himkill into a borough. Fiinl ol all, Mount lloskill was required lor settlement. Ad a mailer ol (act, nil tlio other suburbs noaror Auckland wore filling up rap.dly, so that there was only Mount. Itoskill and Mount Albert rotiiiilnliig. Auckland orrommodiiled 40,000 people, and tho other 70,000 lived In tho suburbs. That being no, what was Iho best system of government lor Mount Roskill to work under, having regard to tho health and genera) wolfaro of tho district In the future?

From 30 years' oxjierioncfl of public life ho unhesitatingly an»wjrod ennvort Iho district Into a borough. Willi the powers I of i) borough council and judicious miniogoment, thoy might make Mount Ro.vklll tho boot, as it was the largest, suburb in | Auckland. It had many natural advantages, which could novor he fully utilised under a road board. Mount Ho* hi 11 bad tin area of 1650 acres, while the City of Auckland had only 2600 acre*, including reserves. Mount' Eden, ly.ng between the two, hod 1"00 acres. Tho apodal advantages of a borough over n road board district wore seen In the system of rating. At present the Road Hoard accepted tho Government valuation, end rated upon it. If they became a borough the Government would still value the district, but the council would nlno make Its own valuation, and would have the choice ol two methods of pvying rates, Tho council could ralo largo estates on their capital valuo, and Biniill iroportle* In closely settled ureas on tho rental aluo. All boroughs did so

now. Tho cost of iirlinlniiitrnllon would bo m disced, roid ilia speaker. With iho enlah llahmanl of a fire brlgiido, the insurance premiums would lie reduced by 26 per coot, Hut the gnwiteM nd vantage of nil would b« the Incraaawl powers conferred by the Municipal Corpnrßtlon* Act in re gurd to the making of stringent by law* to control the subdivision (if liropertie*. It was most essential that tlio controlling body should have authority to jiroveiil the introduction ol shim arean. 'I Im spnaker also referred-to muiiv oilier matters

An Interosl'llg discussion followed, in which *'l piewoil look pari The char man said he believed II would ho greatly In their i- Ivßiitegn to hpvn the district riinvorted into * bonaigh

Mr. Ji»n«* thou/lit I bey should appoint ii committee to obtain fiirlher data, and Im moved that ft commllte* I" 1 set up for that purpose. Tlilh was rarriivl, and II was derided to ci.tisldnr the mutter aga'n at Ihe noil mooting, A lieOrly vole of thanks was tendered In Ml ['utter for his address