ONE TREE HILL BOROUGH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20116, 29 November 1928, Page 14

ONE TREE HILL BOROUGH.

Sir.—There seems to bo some difference of opinion respecting the advantages or otherwise of One Tree Hill becoming a borough, and a letter in the Herald of November 23, signed "Epsom," from a gentleman who claims experience both as a borough councillor and a member of a road board advises strongly against making the change. There are statements in his letter to. which 1 should like to refer. He says that the additional income of £IOOO which the district would obtain by becoming a borough would be swallowed up in extra expenses. What arc the extra expenses to which he refers ? The office staff will bo Ihe same; the rates of wages will be the same. It is safe to say that no extra expenses will bo incurred because the district becomes a borough, though undoubtedly the growth of population that would ensue from the added amenities would lead to the employment ot a larger staff and therefore cause more expenditure. One Tree Hill, however, cannot hope to remain a rural area in the middle of a great city, 'iho truth is that in any people desire the amenities of borough government, but are only willing to pay rural rates. They want good roads, footpaths, lighting, drainage, refuse lemnval, reserves and all the other advantages which enable them to obtain twice as much for their properties, lint at the same time they object to pay anything extra for these advantages. A borough is in a better position than a road board to enforce the provisions respecting health, cleanliness and other matters, as the Municipal Corporation" Act gives wider powers than the Road Hoards Act. The fear that becoming a borough will increase expenditure i< quite unfounded. '1 lie statistics of 'Mount Eden have been stated often enomih. Tt was constituted a borough in 1906 —the population was 9381; annual rateable value. £85.260. The population now is 19.250; annual rateable value, £305.047. Erom the first Mount Eden adopted an active loading policy and has consistently maintained it. The footpaths are also well kept; the stiects arc adequately lighted; the greater part of the borough has been drained and this work is in active progress. The Mount Eden Domain has been developed and improved. Potters Park of 7* aeies is a boon to a thickly settled area, Nicholson Park of eight acres has .a children's playground, a croquet lawn, tennis grounds, and a bowling club's ground is now in course of formation. All those tilings can be done in One Tree Hill and done in less time than they took in Mount Eden, becanso Auckland is a different place to what it was 20 years ago. One Tree Hill has equal or superior natural advantages and though some peoplo may wish that it should remain rural the demand for residential sites in such an area will make it, impossible. The dread of residential voters is unworthy; people who rent a bouse or n ship are not necessarily Tiolsheviks. One Tree Hill should not stand still until it becomes the one and only road board in the country. Ratepayer.