WARDS IN MELROSE.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4310, 20 March 1901, Page 3

WARDS IN MELROSE.

.MOTION FOR ABOLITION LOST. A discussion on the ward system took place at last night’s meeting of tho Melrose Bcrough Council. The Mayor mentioned that the Connell had been advised that tho wards could not bo abolished in time- for the ensuing elections. Councillor Brown, who. moved in favour of tho abolition of wards, said- that if they considered the borough a« 11 one show'' 1 instead of as " bhrotv separate shows" it would go a. eonsidonihlp. rtl»/ t-iinue towards bringing about a better state uf affairs than existed tit present. It would he a big stop in the right diraetion, and would tend to do" aw’a.v with narrowness apd parochialismCimueilUu'' Walters, who smc.nntlcd the motion pro forma, said that, ali’einiy there ivaVa fear in the city that under, the hew system a power would ns. given to political agitators which would h«j deplorable. Melrose differed from the ofty in tjiafc the latter was compact ip comparison with tho borough. Thorn would bo a. chanoo, if tho wards wore abolished, that tho Ohiro oiul of the borough would combine to put iu the Mayor and the. whole of the Councillors, and say that Island Bay and Kilbiniie should not have a single representative. Councillor Keene said that conditions had changed since the loan proposals were rejected. It was now possible to borrow for works in a, particular waul. The borough was so scattered that it was necessary that Council lots should helon< r to its various districts. Councillor Nowell said that if the wards were abolished he was almost confident Island Bay, for instance, would go short in respect of representation. Tim position of the tramway question showed how little community of interest there was in tho borough. Tno Mayor said that instead of abolishing the wards it’ would be better to re-divide thorn. Tiro clerk said lie had been informed try tho Colonial Secretary ’tfiat neither tiro number of Councillors nor the boundaries of the wards would be altered for tho forthcoming elections. The Mayor; But it is evident from the A of. that tho boundaries will, in the future, have to ho altered in accordance with population. Councillor Chirk . thought ward jealousy had been killed by the new Act; Under

'it the ratepayers of each ward could rate themselves m proportion to tliur ''"Councillor Brown, in reply, expressed the opinion that polit-cal organisers had as much power under the ward system as they would have ii wards were nhol‘“ona Show Of hands, only the proposer voted in favour of the motion, whiCti was accordingly lost.