GREATER NORTH SHORE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17330, 29 November 1919, Page 15

GREATER NORTH SHORE.

—A letter on the above subject by Mr. Horace H. Hunt appeared in a recent issue of the Herald, and I am afraid the construction readers would place on it would be .that the two councils were going to bring about amalgamation without consulting the ratepayers. If- Mr. Hunt had read the published reports of the i Birkenhead-Northcote conference, he would have noticed that it was intended to take a poll of the electors in each borough, though a poll is only necessary in one. Surely this is democratic enough, and enables the electors to decide the issue themselves. Not only that, but public meetings, prior to the polk, to explain the proposal and to give all information 'desired, were to be held; while the elec- | tors were to be circularised, furnishing the necessary data to enable them to form a conclusion prior to the poll. Neither borough has so far fixed the date for the poll, but requisitions are, I understand, ready for presentation when the time is considered opportune, asking that polls be taken. I think Mr. Hunt will realise that it be an unusual course to pursue for the councils to call public meetings to explain the proposals before a decision as to the date of the polls was arrived at. In view of the proposed manner of testing the feeling of the electors by polls and of holding public meetings, I am confident every fair-minded elector will concede that there is not the slightest justification whatever for any insinuation that the fullest information will be denied the electors by the councils. The statement that when considered by previous councils amalgamation was on two special occasions " definitely negatived " is of little importance, in view of the fact that it was never possible, in the past to take an effective poll. The present councils of Birkenhead ,-nd Northcoto hav e no intention of even attempting to "definitely" do anything beyond giving an opportunity to the electors to express their wishes in the matter by a poll. Until the past month a, legal poll was not possible, but now it has been made so bv the action of the Northcote and Birkenhead Borough Councils in getting a clause passed in last session's Washing-up Bill permitting of a poll. a AhTHCB, E. C.KEENSLAnK. Mayor of Northcote. i