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Sun (Christchurch), Volume II, Issue 566, 2 December 1915, Page 6

It is encouraging to observe that the Greater Christchurch movement is growing, and that suburban residents are seeing more plainly that centralisation of administration means benefits in return. The approval with which the Opawa meet-

ing received the addresses of Messrs Taylor and Sullivan was an indication of the manner in which the disadvantages of remaining outside the scope of the city's services are being recognised. Of course, it is easily apparent to all but those who hate the idea of having to pay for services rendered, that a prosperous residential quarter, which is really an integral part of the city, should be arbitrarily divided from it and included in a rural area governed by a County Council. Councillor Taylor put the argument in favour of joining the city very fairly, without overstressing the benefits or disguising the obligations that would be incurred, but he made a strong point when he insisted that Opawa residents were actually city "people who were governed by the representatives of rural ridings, who naturally predominated on a County Council. One does not have to go far to realise the difference in effect of the ideas of the rural element on civic administration, and those of the up-to-date city. Other suburbs which detached themselves from county governance and established themselves as boroughs have found that they made no real advance in efficiency of administration and the acquirement of necessary services until they amalgamated with the city. The reason for the effectiveness of centralised control is that it is able to economise by employing experts to direct its affairs systematically.