STRATH-TAIERI RIDING.

Otago Witness, Issue 3149, 22 July 1914, Page 32

STRATH-TAIERI RIDING.

PROPOSED CHANGE OP COUNCIL. Some months ago meetings were held in Middlemarcli with a view to severing the Strath-Taieri Riding from Taieri County, and including it in Maniototo. Representatives from these meetings waited on the Taieri and Maniototo Councils, and as a good deal of time has' elapsed since then the matter, so far as the Taieri County was concerned, seemed to have been abandoned. This, however, is not the case, as at the last meeting of the Maniototo County Council the subject was again brought before that body. Mr D. Matheson wrote a lengthy letter on the subject. He was of the opinion that to add them to the Maniototo County w&uld be a sound commercial undertaking. He supported this contention by various quotations. The ratepayers were unanimous on the matter. Cr Kinney took the stand that they should not take in Hawkesbury or Macraes Ridings (a matter which had been proposed) without Strath-Taieri, but wmuld be willing to take in Strath-Taieri as it stood. Tire Chairman read a legal opinion to the effect that the Governor could alter the boundaries in such manner as he may deem in accordance with the report of the commission. Maniototo would require to .make its position in the matter clear in the petition, and the council would be required to give evidence before the commission showing what alterations would be acceptable. Cr Mann said it would be a big change for Maniototo, and it might bo a matter of opinion whether it would be for its good or otherwise. Waihemo and Waikouaiti might agree to the change, but they might have to fight Taieri. The following motion was carried at the conclusion of the discussion:—“That this council accedes to the wishes of the petitioning ratepayers in the Strath-Taieri Riding of the Taieri County, also those portions of the Macraes Riding in Waihemo County and Haw r kesbury Riding in Waikouaiti County, for alteration in the boundaries of Maniototo County so as to include within its boundaries the ridings and, portions of ridings above-named; that three months’ notice of the proposed alterations of boundaries be given to the Counties of Taieri, Waihemo, and Waikouaiti, in accordance with, the provisions of section 3 and subsections thereof of ‘ The Counties Amendment Act, 1913.’ ”