AVONDALE AND CITY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19719, 19 August 1927, Page 12

AVONDALE AND CITY.

DATE OF AMALGAMATION.

DESIRE TO HASTEN CHANGE. " NEXT MONTH SUGGESTED. . SAVING ELECTION EXPENSES. The resignation of the Mayor of Avondale. Mr. H. Tiarks, and three members of his Council, is likely to hasten the date of that borough's amalgamation with the city. To save the expense of an election to fill the vacancies thus created, it is possible that Avondale may merge with the city on September 1. When notification of the result of the poll on the amalgamation question was received by the City Council Inst evening, the Mayor. Mr. G. Bnildon. said the four active members of the Avondale Borough Council had waited on him, stating that Avondale was anxious to join the citv as soon as possible in order to avoid an extraordinary election to -fill the mavoral office /and the vacancies on the eoMK'i'f. Otherwise, the amalgamation -would not be effected until October 1. Mr. A. J. Entrican moved that details of the matter be left to the Mayor to arrange, if possible, for the amalgamation to be effective from September 1. Mr. / M. J. Goyle seconded. Policy in Future Cases. Mr. L. A. Eady sought to have added to the motion a direction for the Finance Committee to define • the policy of the ■council with respect to future amalgamations. The Mayor: You are not dealing with the matter under discussion. "I want io sound a note of warning," replied Mr. Eady. Recent developments suggested the council was not adhering to its original ideas, which regarded amalgamation in the light of economy in administration and added efficiency by bringing within the city contiguous areas. The Mayor; Any alterations in future policy should be dealt with by notice of motion. It has been decided to accept Avondale unconditionally, and the matter has been disposed of. Mr. J. A. C. Allum contended the council had not departed from its policy. It had been agreed to take in areas bounded by the Waitemata, the Manukau, the Tanaaki and the W r hau. If bodies closer to the city did not come in that was no fault of the council, and .provided no reason against more distantparts amalgamating. An Amendment Carried. The opinion that it was unwise to project Avondale into the operations of the city too hurriedly was expressed by Mr. A. J. Stall worthy, who moved an amendment that the matter be referred to the - Finance Committee with power to act. Mr. E. J. Phelan seconded. Mr. Eady said the question had an important bearing on the city rates. The city rates - were increased by threepence when Point Chevalier joined the city, and there had been increases since. He wondered whether. the Avondale amalgamation would have a similar effect. He suggested that the. question of special rating divisions in such cases might have to be considered. "Why did Mr. . Eady not raise all these objections when the whole matter •was before the council two weeks ago ?" asked. Mr. Entrican. "My ruling is that your remarks are irrelevant," said the Mayor to Mr. Eady- " • ■ The amendment referring the matter to the Finance Committee with power to act was carried., Mr. Eady gave notice of motion that the Finance Committee should bring down a report, defining the policy of the council with respect to future amalgamations. BOROUGH'S DIFFICULTIES. ItfONEY LACKING FOR WAGES. MEMBERS' PERSONAL BOND. The four active members of the Avondale Borough Council discovered yesterday that they were faced with a difficult prob- i lem to carry on the district's civic affairs. Even the'wages of the inside and outside staff were jeopardised by the precipitate resignation of the Mayor, Mr. H. Tiarks, and . three members of the council. This immediate'need has been overcome by the four active members giving their personal bond to the bank for the amount of wages until the account can be passed in the usual manner. / The other difficulties should be short-lived if speedy amalgamation with the city, as is proposed, can be consummated. There are still six members of the Avondale Borough Council, but of these one is absent on a tour in the Islands and one is ill in hospital. The remaining four took legal opinion yesterday morning as to how the borough's affairs could be carried on until a quorum (five members) could be assembled. The opinion was to the effect that the Mayor and the three members who resigned had no further legal standing. The immediate problem arose of payment of wages to the staff. The four remaining members, Messrs. J. B. Clarke, P. Wright, H. Potter and J. W. Kealy, we're advised that they could not make payments on behalf of the council. /They therefore gave the bank a personal bond against the wages. At a meeting last evening it was further decided to carry on only such works as were absolutely necessary until a quorum could be obtained to authorise expenditure in a proper manner. The engineer, Mr. Goldsboro, asked permission to make a personal explanation. He stated that on July 29. after it was known a poll on the question of amalgamation was to take place, the late Mayor, Mr. Tiarks, and Mr. W. Pendlebury (a council member since resigned) instructed birn to proc.eed v;itb the formation and blinding of Gilfillan Street, in which Mr. Tiarks resides. TTe informed them the work would cost £6OO, and only £2OO had been allocated out of loan moneys for the work. So far £313 33s lid. had been expended on the r6nd. . Mr. Clarke questioned the authority of Messrs. Tiarks and Pendlebury to order such work without the knowledge of the rest of the council. It was further stated the Other members of -the South Ward, Messrs, Kealv and J. V. Ri'estercr. had not been informed the work was ordered. The engineer was asked why he had not in the ordinary, course of his duties reported to the council that the work was under way. and replied that he had been instructed not 1o report on the matter. ■ -Mr. Clarke lemarked that the council h.-d met twice since the engineer rereived the instructions, and neither Mr. Tiarks nor Mr. Pendlebury had mentioned the matter. ' _ After further discussion it was decided id stop the work after the road had been left- in a reasonably passable condition.