WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 16613, 10 December 1919, Page 2

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

ECONOMY OF BIG BOROUGHS. SOME STRIKING EVIDENCE. BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT. WELLINGTON, Dec. 9. The economy of large boroughs is illustrated by a statement made by Councillor Dale, who was Mayor of Onslow before that borough amalgamated with the city early in the year. Mr. Dole states that the heavy cost of administering a small borough was done away with by the amalgamation. In Onslow, as a borough, the cost of administration was about 38 per cent.; in the city it was 6 per cent. The result was shown in the amount of money available for other purposes. “Under the Onslow Borough the most we could afford to spend on road maintenance was £llOO a year; this year the city is spending £I6OO, and this is not being done at the expense of the city, but is saved out of the administration expenses. As part of the city Onslow has also the best engineering and legal services and up-to-date plant and services.

“One tremendous advantage of being part of the city lies in the fact that when a proposition of any size is suggested a small borough cannot touch it. Onslow has been in the city eight months, and in that time the City Council has purchased 107 acres of fine fine land at Khandallah, purchased 12 acres for a recreation ground, purchased a small park at Ngaio and arranged for trams to Kaiwarra.”

The policy of the creation of a greater Wellington has been in progress for some time. To-morrow a poll is being taken by Karori ratepayers on the question of amalgamation.