AMALGAMATION
POSITION OF ONSLOW
A REQUEST TO THE CITY
MAYOR FAVOURS SCHEME
Yesterday afternoon a deputation from the Onslow Borough Council waited on tho lTinance Committee of the City Council respecting the subject of Onslow amalgamating with tho city.
The Mayor of Onslow (Mr. J. M. Dale) said that what that borough desired to do was to get rid of tho heavy cost of administration. Tho expenses of management for Onslow were out of all proportion in comparison with tho city and uthor districts, and that must remain so vvhilo the borough remained a small district of its own. In the interests of economy that was an argument why the Amalgamation should bo carried out. A borough like Onslow must ultimately become part of tho city. If the City Council agreed with that view, at. •what time would it prefer tg lake Onslow into the city? At tho present time they had a borough unspoiled, littlo rated, nluiost unencumbered, and worth ,£500,000 in capital value. On the. other hand, vould the city prefer to wait until tho borough had undertaken costly and temporary works, and as a result 1)0 "up to its ears" in debt? If the cily wero to take the borough in now the way would be clear for progress when the time was opportune. The matter could ho looked at from tho city engineer's point of view. At tho present time tho city engineer did not know—although lie might shrewdly suspect—whether he would bo called upon at any time to furnish Onslow with water and drainage, but if theanialgairation wero agreed to now ho wiuid have « definite, straight-out problem before Mm, instead of cloudy possibilities, and could make his own arrangement accordingly. The speaker felt sure that the committeo was with him on the question of amalgamation, and the real reason tho deputation was urging the matter then was that, frankly, tho'City Council took «> long to make up its mind. Tho deputation trusted that the committee vnuid be able to recommend to tho City Council the amalgamation of Onslow with tho city.
Speaking in support of Mr. Dale, Councillor A. E. Budd, who represents Khan<lallah Ward on tho ■ Onslow Borough Council, said it waa fortunato that thoy wero ablo to put tho position before Mr. Luko, in view of the fact that ho had laid down the principle that amalgamaiou must come. What he desired to impress upon tho Mayor was that the people of Onslow wero becoming a little restless about the matter. Quito a year ]»ad passed since tho question had first been mentioned to tho Mayor of Wellington, and a little later members'of the City' Council visited Onslow. Since then they had heard nothing in a concrete form regarding the position. Every borough coming into tho city should do ei} on its own merits, and both parties should tako up a reasonable attitude. The peoplo of Onslow would not ask for mora than thoy were entitled to receive. There was grave danger in delay, and the responsibility for that delay would not rest upon the Onslow Borough Council, which was prepared to go to the ratepayers of tho borough, and request them to accept any reasonable proposition which the City Council might suggest, feeling that this was not a time to bargain for special works to be done. They asked the City Counoil to believo that they would not ask it to undertake any work until it was in a position to do so. All that they wished at present was to havo some definite arrangement arrived at. While tho borough was financially almost unencumbered, they felt that this was tho best time to amalgamate. The speaker went on to refer to the advantages of Onslow as a residential euburb, and remarked that with better means of access many city people would be induced to. live there Tho residents of tho borough were at present .very willing to entor the city, and would accept any reasonable proposition. •■ Councillor W. Appleton voiced: sentiments similar to the previous sneakers, and stated that there were 2000 acres in tho borough carrying less than one person per acre. "Onslow is'destined to became ono of the greatest residential districts of Wellington," added Councillor Appleton, "and I think that the City Council, in allowing Onslow to Amalgamate, would be securing a very fine area from tho city's point of view." He trusted that tho Finance Committee would allow a feasible scheme to bo brought forward, eo that something definite might be done by next April. The Mayor of Onslow had been called in the ballot members of the council would toon be in the same position; therefore, it was desirable to avoid having another election. ■
Replying to the deputation the Mayor paid that there was a good deal about the proposition that was very .attractive, so far as Onslow was concerned. It was trne, as the deputation said,- that they had a very valuable rateable property; Onslow was a very charming borough, which wonld bo able to carry a great deal heavier population than it was at present carrying. That was a highly desirable thing from the point of view of the city if only to enable peo-
pie la get away from the congestion of | Wellington. "I issued a circular," .Mr. Luko continued, "so that you, as well as ourselves, could get busy. 1 have gone into this nuostion n good <leal ami 1 find that quite a number of amalgamations have been brought about practically without conditions. In cases where there have been conditions there have been difficulties.'' . On the question of liability, His Worship said that this wiw not a tune to talk about the individual liability of one group or another. What he would suggest to the council was that some one niflii should bo set nside for the pui'Mso of bringing down the data respecting the undertaking. Mr. James Ames, the City Valuer, might have time to do the work. Air. Ames was an excellent man in such matters,"and a very fair mat), whom all esteemed. Mr. Luke suggested also that tho Finance Committee d the City Council should he a. committee 'to deal with the matter in any way necessary preparatory to bringing the scheme before tho City Council. Ho d:d not think that at that stage he could say any more. He was not slackening in his desire to see the scheme Accomplished. In fact, his desire was to see the whole of the' adjoining boroughs incorporated within Hie city about three weeks hefore ho won't out of office, and the time arrived for tho election of a new council. If amalgamation were brought about soouer, the City Council would be surfeited with new members who would hold office for. only a few weeks. The new council could consist of (say) twentyone representatives, and that number should give a strong, working council. If a committee and an officer {such as ho had susgestcd) we.ro permitted to get to work there was no reason why amalgamation should not Ik on accomplished fact before they went out of office. Any boroughs which did not desire to join the scheme need not do so.
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Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 261, 23 July 1918, Page 7
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1,198AMALGAMATION Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 261, 23 July 1918, Page 7
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