AUCKLAND.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13519, 16 February 1906, Page 3

AUCKLAND.

(Fnoit Ora Ows Cosbespondent.) ... February 12. The question of creating a Greater Auckland l>y the city absorbing several of the surrounding boroughs has been discussed time and again. It is onco more to the fore, but this time, thanks to the energy a , ntl >, blh -, t J of < ho , Ma - vor of Auckland (Mr A. M. Myers) the ratepayers interested have a complete scheme laid beforo them and can discuss with confidenco the prospcctivc gain or loss, advantage or disadvantage, instead of baing confined, as in the past, to discussion on the sentimental ideal of a greater ciiy and the probable results of a leap in the dark. The schemo which the Mayor has mapped out and laid beforo a conference of delegates i 9 based on a city with a population of 60,748 instead of 34,213 as at present, a capital ™iuanon of £11,331,285 instead of ±#0,968.213, an annual valuation of £691,549 instead of £424,149, and an area of 5222 acres instead of 1762 acres. The districts included are the Boroughs of Parnell Newmarket. and Grey Lynn, the Archhill and iden Terrace Road districts, and portions of Remuera, One Treo Hill, Epsoin, Mount Eden, Mount Albert, and Point Chevalier Road districts. From the financial aspect the suburbs, broadly speaking, wou d gam the advantage arid tho city would bo disadvantaged by amalgamation, a point which leads to hope for the. ultimate adoption of tho scheme, there being practically no opposition and a good deal i .. sonl : lmonta ' enthusiasm in tho city, while tho suburbs have always been lukew?™' r, " ' s noteworthy, however, that, when uio cost of administration is considered by itself the city will he the oniy gainer. In all tho suburban districts tho cost of administration is lower than in the city, so that all tho suburbs have to gain from this point, of view is much-needed efficiency, the . present average cost of administration in the suburbs being equal to a rate of just under 2d in the pound, while in the city tho cost of administration runs into a rate of quite Tho great financial gain for the suburbs would bo'tho participation in the city's incomo from endowments and licenses, amounting to about £14.000, while if they could also 1 participate m the water pvofits—which is a doubtful point—they would bo enormousl; adtantaged. There would bo a big loss in Government subsidy, but the suburbs miglit succeed m securing participation in Ito city s tramway profits—paid under agicement by the Tramways Cotnpany.-ind there is a bij prospective gain for 'the suburbs in sharing tho surplus revenue from the' City Improvement Trust property. _ The Mayor's summary show,- that the gams for the suburbs amount to 7d in the pound and tho losses to 4Jd, leaving a not gain of 2Jd. Looking at the matter from the point of view of tho individual ratepayer, the Mayor assumed that the present, city rates would be continued, and on this basis showed how cacti suburb would bo affected. This shows that in all the boroughs, and also in the more populous road districts—namely, Mount, Eden, Archhill, and Eden Torraco—tliere would be a material reduction of rates, while the only increases of consequence would bo in Point Chevalier, One Treo I-lill, and Epsom—thrco districts which now jog along on very small rates. Although the scheme is a comprehensive one, and provides an ample basis for a full consideration of tho subject by all interested. Much interest has been taken in Auckland in a squabble at the Harbour Board over the tenders for tho now Queen street wharf. Tho wharf is to bo built in reinforced concrete, and when the tenders wore received it was found that fivo firnis were willing to do tho work, tho lowest- price being tendered by tho well-known New Zealand contracting firm John M'Lcan and Sons (£80,075), while tho -'Ferro-Concreto Company, which has tho contract to build the railway wharf, camo second with a tender of £89,211. General specifications were provided by tho Harbour Board engineer, but tho contractors had to provide their own detailed plans of tho work, when tho matter was gone into the engineer objected to Messrs M'Lean and Sons' tender on the frround that it did not provide tho strength required by tho general specifications. Tho engineer also pointed out that Messrs M'Lc.in and Sons had no experience of this class of work, and, contending that expert knowledge was essential to the safe building cf reinforced concrctc structures, he _ declined to take th o risk or responsibility if the Board accepted Messrs M'Lean and Sons' tender. Tho matter camo before tL-s Works and Tariff Committee of tho Harbour Board in this form. Much stress was laid on the point that Messrs M'Lean s,ed Sons' tender was not of tho strength provided in the specifications, tho chairman of tho board contending that tho spsaifications provided for a safety test, of 24cwt, while Messrs M'Lean and Sons' plans showed only 16cwt. By six votes to three tho' committee recommended tho board to accept the Ferroconcrete Company's tender. By tho time this recommendation came before the board Messrs M'Lean and Sons were up in arms. Their main contention was that tho engineers' specifications only provided a safety test of 15ewt, and they brought in evidence several local engineers, who testified that they interpreted tho specifications in tho same manner as Messrs M'Lean and Sons. On tho other hand, it was pointed out that the Fcrro Concrete Co. without inquiry had interpreted the specifications as the engineer intended, to winch Messrs M'Lean and Sons replied _ that they would give the ■;rength required by tho engineer for an additional £4800. On the point regarding their lack of experienco of such work, Messrs M'Lean and Sons contend that they could employ experts if the work were given to them, and they further pointed out that if the board had decided that no local contractor need apply the soouer the local contractors were mado awaro of that tho better. Thus tho matter stood when the board tackled tho question of which tender to accept. Opinion was evenly divided, and it was only on the casting vote of the chairman that tho board decidcd against accepting fho I'erro Concrete Company's tender. Then it was decided to call fresh tenders, and eo the matter stands for the present; but how Messrs M'Lean and Sons or any other local contractor can get over the engineer's objection to their lack of experience in reinforced concrete work has not so far been decidcd. The Auckland education authorities are congratulating themselves on the position taken by their pupils both in the secondary school free' place examination and in the technical examinations of the. City and Guilds of London Institute. The chief inspector has presented a report to the Education Board showing that of the 395 pupils of New Zealand schools who qualified for national scholarships, 160 belonged to Auckland, ono pupil qualifying for every 188 on the roll, while the next best district in the colony was Hawke's Bay, with 0110 for every 257 on the roll. The results of the Technical School examination were equally gratifying, 65 students having been successful at the City and Guilds of London Institute examination—by far the largest number of any technical school in the colony. The pupils who sat for the plumbing examination we're exceptionally , successful. 31 passing out of the 35 who sat, for the examination. 1 Tho Auckland Savings Bank lias just

issued its balanoo sheet, which gives a indication of tho prosperity and pro^ 3 of Auckland. For tho first time iu^ 6 history of tho institution tho total.- un^s exceed a million pounds sterling, Bum being £1,013,726. The debosits/or the , year amounted to £819,962, and /it-h interest. added the total was £934,2*- This compares very favourably with th'previous year's total of £902,765, wliilo »' a glance back for 10 years bo taken it that the total deposits in 1896 wf° The number of depositors for 'he year is 35,459, an increase of 1746 A'cr tho preceding year. • / . Gas consumers in will heartily weleomo tho reduction of $ P®'" 1000 ft in the price of gas announce' nt t' lo annual meeting of the Gas Cori'any the other day. Tho present price, deducting the discount for prompt paymeA is 5s per 1000 ft, which is now to he redyed to 4s 9d. Arrangements havo' )ct, h ma do f° r ' tho opening of tho plworth Institute by 1 tho Dilworth Trust Bard, which under the ! will of tho late Al/ Dihvorth has funds in hand for tho edition of sons of poor parents residing intho Auckland Province or in the, province of Ulster, Ireland. So far tho funds aV'' a ' > ' e af e not sufficient to provide for t'fi erection of a building, - but at tho requ/t of Mrs Dilworth a start is to be made the lato residence of the testator. JlrsjAshtou Bruec has been appointed housefliistress, and the first selection of boys I*3 been mado by the board. It is not /fen that a. person placed in tho dock atihe Supreme Court finds himself docidcdv advantaged by his experiences there but such is tho happy position of the jfatris who were charged tho other day in tie Auckland Supreme Court with forcible .ietention of land. ' The case is an intccsting one. A civil caso for possession/of tho land was recently brought in thc'Suprenic Court by Jlrs Bcale, who held /• laud transfer title. The history of the /ariotis transactions in tho land was the;' gone into, and Mr Justice Edwards ex[fcssed himself very strongly regarding tli/manner in which Margaret, Burt secured tjo first title from the Natives, and also iCgardiiig the action of- the N'alivc Land .Court in the matter. Mrs Bcale, however, has a land transfer title, and the judge, though doing so reluctantly, gave her judgment. for possession. Then the sheriff went, up and demanded possession, but the Natives "sat tight." No effort was made to eject them by force, hut they were criminally charged with forcible detciitiou of the land. 111 charging the Grand Jury in this case Mr Justice Edwards pointed out that there was no evidence of anything more than passivo resistencc, and passive insistence was not an offence. The Grand •Jury threw out the bill, and in disehraging them the judgo gave them some sound advice, and incidentally said sonic pretty strong things regarding the equity of their cause, which should materially help them in their claim 011 the Government for compensation for the less of the land. Evidently his Honor was much impressed with tlie fact that an injustice had been done to tho Natives, and he not only said their case was ono for relief by the Government, but went so far as to say that tho Government should buy tho land for them. In tho circumstances it is small wonder that the Maoris wished "Health to the court" and departed in peace.