SUBDIVISION OF THE BOROUGH.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8994, 3 December 1907, Page 4

SUBDIVISION OF THE BOROUGH.

For some time a quiet agitation has been going on within the borough with the object of having the.municipality subdivided. The movers in the matter have now come into the open and have circulated a petition addressed to the mayor and councillors requesting them to take sleps to divide the borouerh into wards in such manner as may seem to them advisable. We are quite in accord with the contention of the petitioners that the rapid growth of Masterton renders it desirable in the interests of the ratepayers that subdivision should take place without unnecessary delay, and we believe that view will be taken by the majority of the ratepayers, many of whom are not equitably treated in the matter of municipal expenditure, and are neglected in other respects. The great advantage of cutting the borough into wards would be that it would distribute interest in the conduct of 1 the affairs of the municipality, and there would be much less likelihood of important matters being allowed to be neglected as has been the case in the past under the existing system. A3 has previously been ex- ( piained in these columns the ward system would give the ratepayers much greater control over the expenditure in their several wards than they possess now, for each ward would have its own representatives to watch over its special interests, while at the same time the whole body of councillors would be impelled to take a more active interest in the general weal of the municipality. There need be no great delay in giving effect to the prayer of the petition, as the matter rests entirely in the hands of the council, who have only to make and gazette a special order giving effect to their resolution. It may be pointed out that should it at any time be found desirable to further subdivide or embrace any other area the process is as simple as that of the original subdivision. We commend to our readers the perusal of the petition which is published in this issue, and we believe that having thought the matter out for themselves they will have no hesitation in giving practical support to a movement which, if successful, must prove advantageous to the whole community.