STATUS OF DISTRICT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20481, 5 February 1930, Page 9

STATUS OF DISTRICT.

THE ONE TREE HILL AREA.

; CHANGE TO BOROUGH SOUGHT. ADVANTAGES TO BE GAINED. The advantages to be gained by constituting the One Tree HiJl. road district a borough were stressod at a meeting of ratepayers hold In the St. George's Church HalJ, Penrose, last evening. Mr. J. Hardwicke, chairman of the Road Boai'd, presided. <* . Mr. I. J. Goldstine, a member of the board, said the board, after investigation, had come to the conclusion that the time was opportune for the chatigo. The Parliamentary Commission set up ■as a result of a petition from ratepayers had unanimously decided that a borough should be established, February 12 had been fixed as the date for a poll of ratepayers on the question. Road boards were rapidly becoming obsolete. In 1883, there were 320 road boards, in 1927 there were 34, and now there were only 19. The three Auckland road boards spent more each year than the other 16 combined. The total revenue of New Zealand road boards in the last financial year was £124,000, of which £95,000 was collected by the Auckland boards. The One Tree Hill Board accounted for £56,575 of that total. Of the 119 cities and boroughs in New Zealand, only 20 had a population exceeding that of One Tree Hill.

Those figures proved that One Tree Hill Was ready for borough status, said Mr. Goldstine. Ho went on to givo the administrative and financial advantage accruing from a change to borough status. The powers of formulating by-laws were not wide enough under the Road Boards Act for many purposes. The speed limit, for instance, could not be reduced to less than 35' miles an hour. It had been calculated that the change would mean a slight decrease in rates; It should mean a net saving of over £IOOO to the local body. As a borough," One Tree Hill would be entitled to share in 8 per cent, of the petrol tax revenue, a share which last year would have amounted to approximately £B4O. In answer to questions, Mr. Goldstine said the reason for New Lynn's increase of rates on changing to a borough was its change to the system of rating on the unimproved value. The ward system of election of the council could be adopted. The powers of borrowing would rest entirely with the ratepayers, with the exception that the Department of Health could force the provision of a drainage system. The board had no intention of installing sewerage in the Penrose area, as the cost would be prohibitive. A vote of thanks was passed to the speaker.