RURAL ST. ALBANS SEPARATION

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11496, 31 January 1903, Page 9

RURAL ST. ALBANS SEPARATION

TO TH» BDITO* OT THB PRESS. Sir, —I have to you for jour *übleader in Thursday's "Press" dealing witl. 1 the above subject. Aβ many statement* ; ittave erroneously been made, I shall, with your consent, deal with them hens and point oat the mdeetaieiaenta. Dealing with our petition to his Excellency tie Governor, the St. Attraa* Borough Council reported that of the 58 signatures, 12 were those of persons not on the roll. 24 were tenants, and only 22 were those of owners; aiao that the majority o£*the petitioners were Church iroperty tenants. Upon a close investigation I find 28 freeholders signed, holding over nine-tenths of the acreage in the affected area. The majority of persons wboss names were not on the roll are £he name* of the wives of some of the above, and who, bf kw. hold equal rights as their husbands. Again, 'that although, the rates were excessively high this year, they will be much lower now. This, doubtless, is only & guess, as the new valuations have not been made public yet; further, the drainage rate will be struck upon unimproved values; which will make it much higher for us; neither have the Council made their j estimate* for the year.

Another etatemeat, that we have a loan covering -Mac of the area, is wrong. I have seen some of the counter petitions, which have been signed by about 300 persons, and among them ie the name of only one pereon Trho' resides* within the proposed area. The counter petitions set torth that nearly all the land other than the affected area '* built upon, therefore in the near future these farms will be required for building sites. This is inaccurate, as there still remain only 1364 dwellings standing upon 1200 acnee, giving an average of nearly an acre to each house, whereas the usual average is a quarter of an acre. Another objection i* that it wtmld leave the Recreation Ground op the outskirts of the borough. Separation or not, the grounds remain in the same place. Neither would it bwa disadvantage if it r« on the border of the borough. Other places are situated in the same manner, namely, Hagley Park and New Brighton Domain. 1 be same thing 'occurs a* Lyttolton, Bangiora, and Amberky. The Becreation Ground, at. present, is only about fifteen chains distant from tie "eastern boundaiy of the borough. Still another objection i» that if the proposed arta is detached, buildings would be erected without restrictions, and would be a eerious menace to the public health ot the borough. This 1 can hardly understand. Surely they do not tbihk we will MMkle is pigityw. In tfe» Bwcutoa w*

Avon road diatricte I know of no menace existing as inferred by the St. Aibans Borough Council.—Yours, etc., H. S. PHELTOTT. St. Albane, January 30th.