THE BOROUGH.

Waipa Post, Volume VII, Issue 336, 31 July 1914, Page 4

THE BOROUGH.

THE proposal to constitute Te Awamutu a borough has now reached a stage of interest to all property owners within the present Town District or immediately adjacent thereto. By Statute it is laid down that public notice of the intention to constitute any area a Borough shall be given, such notice to contain an approximate description of the boundaries of the new borough. This notice as affects Te Awamutu was given on July 10th, and persons affected were called upon to lodge any written objections to or petitions against the proposed constitution of the area, with its defined boundaries, within one month from the date of publication of such notice. The area set out in the proposal was that of the existing Town District. We do not think that there will be very serious objection to the proposal in the main—that Te Awamutu be constituted a borough—but there is every likelihood that the question of boundaries will receive more serious attention. As to the mode of lodging objection some doubt seems to exist in the minds of some residents. We have heard said that some of those situated within the boundaries are going to urge that their lands be excluded from the borough area, and that others —from just over the boundary line —will petition to have thier lands incorporated

in the borough. It is provide-! in the Municipal Corporations Amendment Act, 1913, under the provisions of which the Borough is being formed, that a C.-mmis-sion consisting of a Magistrate, the Commissioner of Crown Lands for the district, and the officer in charge of the valuation district in which the area is situated, shall inquire and report upon the subject matter of the original petition, and as to the suitability for municipal control of the area referred to in the petition. For thepurposeof that report the commission shall alsoconsider any written objections or petitions (if any) that may have been made within one month from the first publication of the notice oj intention to constitute the area a borough. By consideration of the petition and the objections lodged, the commission shall define the boundaries. , It is necessary, therefore, that all those who desire any change in the proposed boundaries must lodge their objections in writing, with the Hon. Minister of Internal Affairs in manner prescribed. It has been said, possibly for a purpose, that it is sufficient if objectors wait upon the commission when it sits at Te Awamutu. Chance objectors may possibly be heard, but to the letter of the law only those objections which have been lodged in writing within one month from the first publication of the notice will be heard.