MOUNT ROSKILL STATUS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20239, 26 April 1929, Page 16

MOUNT ROSKILL STATUS.

MOVE FOR A BOROUGH.

OBJECTION BY RATEPAYERS

INQUIRY BY COMMISSION

A commission of inquiry to determine whether there should be a poll in Mount Roskill on the question whether the district should be constituted a borough commenced its sittings on Wednesday. The commissidn was composed of Mr. E. C. Cutten, S.M., chairman, Mr. 0. N. Campbell, commissioner of Crown lands, and Mr. C. W. Chilcott, district valuer in Auckland. Mr. Meredith appeared for the Mount Roskill Road Board and Mr. Finlay and Mr. Milne for the Roskill South Ratepayers' Association. When the commission opened, Mr. Meredith said it was not open to the objectors to state that the district was unsuitable for municipal control, because Roskill South had already lodged a petition for amalgamation with the city, which was under such control.

Mr. Finlay said the objectors hoped to prove that whereas parts of the district were suitable for borough administration, other large tracts were not. Areas suitable for inclusion were those such as Greenwood's Corner.

At this stage the commission, accompanied by representatives of either side, made an inspection of the district. On the resumption of the inquiry, Mr. Alcredith said the only question for consideration was whether the area • was suitable for municipal control and it was only on that point that evidence would bo called. The powers of the commission with regard to the alteration of boundaries were limited, he submitted, to the rounding off or straightening of lines to make for easier administration. The commission could not cut out largo areas which would make it impossible for the remainder to carry on as a separate entity. The real basis of the opposition to the petition for constitution as a borough was to be found in a dosil'6 to overcome the decision of the ratepayers in adopting rating on unimproved values. The growth of Mount Roskill was traced by Mr. Meredith from its constitution as a road district in 1369 with 27 ratepayers to the present day, when the area had a population of 6000, of whom 2649 were ratepayers. Outside the provincial capitals, Mount Roskill now had a population greater than that of most other boroughs. There were not sufficient powers under the Road Boards Act to enable the district to bo properly controlled. Under the Municipal Corporations Act rates could be levied on school areas of over four acres, but there was no such authority in the Road Boards Act. In Mount Roskill there was a school area of over 40 acres.

Mr. Meredith pointed out that under legislation passed last year boroughs were given power to have differential rates on farm lands in their districts. "That section applies only to genuine farm lands and I suggest that when such an application for relief was received no decent body of men would fail to accede to it," Mr. Meredith said. "Road boards have not the power to give relief to genuine farmers in their districts, l.hat disposes of the objection that speculative landholders would avoid tlie penalties of rating on unimproved values." Mr. T. Y. Warren, clerk the Road Board, said unsuccessful application had been made, to confer on road boards the differential rating powers. Besides other advantages a borough council would hnvo the benefit of the experience of the Municipal Association. The witness was being cross-examined by Mr. Finlay when the commission adjourned until 2.15 p.m. to-day.