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Auckland Star, Volume VI, Issue 1659, 12 June 1875, Page 2

TnE people of Newton apj)ear to be under the influence of a scare. They have taken into their heads that they are on the point of being gobbled up by the city. It appears that a City Councillor—rare occurrence; we suppose —had lately been in the district, and during his visit had been dropping treasonable words, and it was evident that a secret and insidious attempt was being hatched for the absorption of the suburb. We deem'1 it highly improper for a City Councillor to thus roam beyond the limits of his jurisdiction, and so disturb the equanimity of an unoffending and peaceable, people j and we trust that the next time any one of them is seen prowling about the suburbs he will be carefully followed and watched, and if his remarks or suggestions are found to have, anything in them of a suspicious or treasonable kind, that he will be treated to tar and feathers. It is only thus that the rights and liberties of the suburbs can be protected. Last night a public meeting was very properly held on this subject at the Newton Hall, when the story of the insidious visit of this mysterious Councillor was duly told, and had evidently an alarming effect on the assemblage. His name does not transpire, but we would warn him that the public eye is on him, and that if he visits Newton again, he will do so '"at his peril. We observe too that the meeting of last night did not close with mere,windy protesting, but arranged for a petition to the General Assembly to bo signed by all the residents praying the averting of the day of doom. There is nothing like taking time by the forelock, and if it should come to pass that the liberties of the district are sacrificed, residents when they reach the epoch of spectacled and slippered age, will be able to tell their grandchildren how they had done all that foresight and resolution could do to avert the fall cf Newton. At the same tims we think there is a possibility of our respected suburban neighbours being'needleasly and prematurely distressed. We had not heard of the insidious attempt being contemplated, and we generally make it our business to know the first beginnings of things, and this to such an extent that we are regarded by plotters as a nuisance, and our premature allusions are incontinently dubbed canards, to be afterwards admitted when time shows the truth of our intimations The absorption of the suburbs is not likely to be effected, or even attempted ; for injurious as it would unquestionably be to the suburbs, it would be little less disadvantageous to the city. That much ad. vantage would arise from some better co-ope-ration between the civic and suburban authorities is beyond a question, and there are certain things in which their interests are identical.. But all of these combined could not weigh against the efficiency of ) local self-government which the present condition of affaiis affords. We believe that no system of division into wards would give the suburbs, if annexed, that attention which they now obtain from their local go. vernments "selected exclusively from resi. dents, and under the ever-watchful supervision and control of residents; and we believe the efficiency of the action of the City Council would be greatly impaired i* that body were burthened with the care of these additional districts. No advantage, so far as we can see, of a- pecuniary nature would be conferred on the city by tb Q annexation ; for though there is a large debt on the city, it is more than balanced by endowments, while the suburbs have neither debts nor endowments. At the same time, we think the suburbs should have a very natural repugnance to being deliberately placed under these heavy obligations of the city, without any corresponding pecuniary advantage whatever in return. In addition to all this, the absorption and consequent enlargement o* the bounds of the city would inevitably lead to an organised and effective system of logrolling in which the several suburbs would be sure' to come off second best. While, therefore, as, we think, much evil and little good, would arise from the union, which has been oftea enough the subject of gossipy speculation, it is not improper that the suburbs should preserve an attitude of armed resistance to any such proposal; at the same time we cannot help thinking that the Newton people have got into a needless state of alarm, and have attached altogether too much importance, to the muffled and mysterious figure of the Councillor who has been seen in their district "trying to coax" the people to jbetray the liberties of Newton.