A BIG MERGER

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 233, 26 June 1919, Page 8

A BIG MERGER

"ONE METROPOLITAN AREA"

GREATER WELLINGTON OF

THE FUTURE

AN INTERESTING FORECAST

For some time past I he observant will have noticed that tho conditions governing most of the essential services of civic life combine almost irresistibly in forcing surrounding districts into the one central body. One only has to visualise the map of Wellington city oad-its surroundings to know that the! most important of nli our services—water—is for all time part and'parcel of three other separately controlled districts. It is garnered from a city-owned watershed contained within the boundaries of the Hutt County, and en route to Wellington the Wainul supply has to pass through the Hutt anil Peton'e Boroughs, while eupplying neither district with what they both urgently require and desirsv-a high-pressure water. 6upp'.y. When it comes to lighting.ana an efficient heat supply, the subject is dominated hy the pending hydro-electrio supply from Mangahao, a service that can surely bo administered more efficiently and economically for the whole area 'than by half a dozen small bodies each.with it? own administrative stair. Transit, too, is one of the services that, is and inuit always be the concern or not one local body, but all the bodies on the fringe of Wellington city, and if an adequate transit service is to be provided between Wellington and the Hutt Valley it can scarcely be a service for split control. ' Miramar is now dependent on the city for water, transit, and electric lighting, and must sooner or later come into tho metropolitan fold, us must also Karori, where the city has interests nlrc-ady of nai important character! It will therefore be eeen that local conditions impel Wellington to expand and take- in the surroundings boroughs, which cannot fail to benefit by the union. The Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) has yisiialised the inevitable, and at yesterdays statutory meeting of the Hutt Eoad Board he took the opportunity to express his views on the amalgamation of all thb adjoining boroughs, to Wellington with the city. Thero were present at tho meeting i Messrs. ,T. W. M'Ewan (Mayotof Petone), F. T. Moore (chairman of the Johnsonville Town Board), S. Bryant (chairman of thoMakara County Council), nml Mr. Cooper (Hutt County Council). I An apology was received from Mr. E. P. Biehworth (Mayor of the' Lower Huit). The Mayor (who was in the chair) said that such all-important civic services as water, drainage, light, . heat, and transit could ob ever so much , , more efficiently and economically provided and administered :o the, whole community were the whole of the boroughs concerned united in cue big metropolitan area. He believed that local prejudices and differences of opinion as to amalgamation, almost inseparable from any big, progressive scheme, would soon disappear, and the result of one control would mean development and expansion in every direction, for he was thoroughly convinced that Wellington was destined to be a great port and a very largo city. He admitted that the introduction of the subject at sue 1 ;, a meeting might be informal, and yet the very subject which drew them together pointed to the combination of interests in.the one theme—the npkecj of the Hutl Eo'ad, the link between the city and two large boroughs.

A Dominant Factor, Apart from water and drainage., the lighting, heat, and transit would in the future be dependent on the suppiy of power from the proposed hydro-eleotric scheme, and, in his opinion, the distribution of that power would be inoio economically attended to if vested in one authority rather than split up amongst several small bodies, who would groliiiDly he served by the same trunk lines. Water supply was a question in which all the surrounding boroughs wore interested, and whilst the requirements of those' districts could not he assured at the present day, areas free of contamination had been acquired, and' a new 800,000,000 gallon dam was to be con. strncted at Wainui so as to provide for all the requirements of Wellington and tbe surrounding districts. The matter of an electric tramways link between Wellington and the Hutt Valley must force itself into being sooner or later if 1 * the Department did not see its way to provide a more liberal and better train service than it was doing to-day. If a tramway service has to bo established between Wellington and the IMt Valley, the city would he the best authority to carry it out on the score of its experience in the construction nnd administration of such works, tight, heat, and power could be placed in the same category. These would be required for a thousand and one purposes, all interdependent on the provision of/a hydro-electric scheme that would give all the necessary power for an enlarged city,

That Concrete Road. Continuing, the Mayor said that the laying-down of the proposed concrete track along the Hutt Eoad had been postponed owing to war conditions, which had absolutely prevented them getting the necessary labour incidental to a survey of the road. = He had now had it from Mr. Morice (Acting-City Engineer), who was present,, that the whole of the survey hnd been completed, and they were. prepared to call for tenders to carry out the work forthwith. The cost of the upkeep' of the Hutt Eoad for the past, financial year had been ,£4251. The estimate for the work this year was £1000. and he moved lha the contributes, local hiil'horjties wake provision for their quotas pf that amount (of which the city finds 28 per lent.) Petone is Willing. Mr. M'Ewan, in seconding the motion, expressed himself as favourable to the Mayor's proposals respecting amalgamation, and believed that such a scheme would be mutually beneficial. While Petouo .was already provided with soma ot the services mentioned, lie expressed the view .that by amalgamation natural expansion would be provided for and eecured on sound and efficient lines. As Ions: as Petone had its. parks and reserves preserved, its roads maintained, and bathing, facilities along the beach secured, he 'did not see much difficulty in view. Petone's wnter supply was artesian, but whether thnt supply would meet tho needs of the future was qnesr tionnble. nnd it might be desirous to'secure the obvious advantage of a first-class high-pressure water -eupply. He wns triad that (he survey work in connection with the concrete track.along the Hutt Koad \vas ready, and hoped that as little delay as possible would take place in calling for tenders.

Mr. 1 ,, . T. Moore supported Hie resolution. He was pleased with the Mayor's scheme of amalgamation. Although it had been raised informally at the meeting, it had a direct bearing on the work of the board. The time was opportune, nnd there was nothing to lose but everything to gniii by the creation of a metropolitan area as outlined by Hie Jfayor. He would like the assurance that the Johnsonville Town Board district would lie included when the time came to join up. He agreed with the prosecution ot the concrete track, and was sorry more had not been done already. He' hoped that tenders would be called without any unnecessary delay. He did not share the view Expressed in some quarters thnt the concrete road should be held back pending a decision as to the tramway Lmcle. , A double track could bo laid between the concrete section and the footpath, as close as possible to the footpath, ■so thnt people would not have to walk out to the middle of the road to board the care.

Makara Too? Mr. S. Bryant also supported the resolution. Seeing that it has cost J!2SO to remove a slip from the rond, he thought the estimnto-for this year would have been Iras than ,^4OOO. Interjecting, the Mayor said thnt they iiiißlit have another slip. Continuing, Mr. Bryant fijrid that he would like to see the amalgamation in(ilude Makara so as' to bring in a large tract of level country suitable for small farm holdings nnd residences in the county. He hoped that his proposal would receive the consideration of (he council.

Traffic Tunn.il to Wainui. Mr. Cooper, in expressing his views, asked the Mayor to take into consideration the provision of a traffic tunnel through the Wainui Hill—from the Hutt sido to the Wainui Valley. If that were decided on tlio Hutt County Council could be relied on to assist in financing the work.

The Mayor, in reply, said that Mr. Moore's suggestion as to the laying of the tram tracks , near the footpath had already received the attention of the engineer in connection with the general scheme. He personally approved the idea of laying the tracks near to the footpath along the Hutt Road, which would obviate the necessity of people crossing the road to board the cars. If the engineer favoured the idea, he would agree to it.

In Regard to the proposed traffic tunnel through the Wainui Hill, the council was shortly to embark on the construction of a 500.000.C00 gallon daur at Wainui, and would be under the necessity of carting out vast quantities of material. A tunnel would enable the City Council to convey such material at •a greatly reduced cost, compared with what it would be if they had to use the hill road. The tunnel would be a wonderful convenience to the farming community in the Wninui Valley, and would bring it within an hour's drive of the city, whilst at the same time it could be used to carry the additional mains that must be. provided for the water supply system of the future.. He would be very pleased to confer with the Hutt County Council over the proposal.

The motion dealing with the allocation for tho Hutt Boad maintenance was carried,'and the Mayor was thanked for presiding over the meeting.