GREATER AUCKLAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15930, 29 May 1915, Page 5

GREATER AUCKLAND.

EDEN TERRACE PETITION. DEPUTATION TO MINISTER. QUESTION OF A POLL. A deputation - waited upon the Hon. F. H. D. Bell, Minister for Internal Affairs, yesterday, with the request that he should ' use the powers conferred upon him by the! ) Municipal Corporations Amendment Ac t of 1914, and amalgamate the Eden Terrace 'Road District with the City of Auckland. The request was the outcome of a petition, signed by 230 of 447 ratepayers, asking tlie 1 Governor to proclaim the district part of I Auckland City. | The deputation consisted of the following members of the Eden Terrace Load Board;--Messrs. P. McElwain (chairman), P. T. Birch. A. G. Blakey, and (J. Croft. I The case put before the Minister was that there was an absolute majority of the ratepayers in the Eden Terrace district in' favour of amalgamation. Two yens ago, upon a petition signed by over 50 per cent, of the ratepayers, the Archhill Run (I District had been joined to the city, 'i lie authorities did not on that occasion <<>-' sider a poll necessary, and the deputation asked that the Minister would be aatisfierf ■ with a similar proportion of ratepayers in . Eden Terrace. I Th.3 Minister said the Act allowed him to use his discretion as to whether a poll ' shou'd be taken or not. In Ksmueia there was an absolute majority in favour ot amalgamation, but the minority m.-de sue li trouble that in the end they g t the pull. ■ Mr. MeElwain ; There has been no opposition in Eden 'terrace, but, on the other hand, there was a great deal of opposition in Roiuuera. There are on oar petition the names of men who were opponents 1 of amalgamation, who fought us bitterly, and have now joined forces with us. ■ The Minister: You have bad a poll, ■ and the movement was defeated. It is 1 very far out of the course to. say that . another poll is not necessary. ! It was stated by Mr. Birch that Eden ! Terrace was in a very kid state, and was (retarding the progress of other districts. I The condition of the New North Road— an arterial thoroughfare—was deplorable. It required widening, and considerable re- ' pairs, but the board had no money to do either of these things. It was necessary that the road should be repaired before the middle of winter, and the, cf.y had 1 agreed to do this when amalgamation had taken place. j The Minister: I have great-sympathy ! with those who want a Greater Auckland, j but it is a, big thing to make an exception' , in your case. I A member of the deputation cited the) ; case of Archhill, but Mr. Bell stated he had no memoiy of the circumstances of that case. The Minister finally remarked that Itj would say neither "yes" nor "no" to the request, but would look into the position, and examine the papers in connection with. I the petition. He had to bo very careful in making exceptions of this nature.