AMALGAMATION

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 22, 21 October 1919, Page 2

AMALGAMATION

joHNSOiWiLLB Anxious to join ■ THE CITY. -' '-' A deputation of-representatives of tho Jolmsonvilie ' ,To.wn Board, including Robert Bould, Mills, and' D. Sloane,. waited on the Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) ycJerday morning with reference to of the amalgamation of the board with,the city,'on which matter a previous conference had been held. Mr. Luke explained that'the policy of the council was to first bring about the amalgmiatioi? of -those boroughs that, were contiguous to the city. At-the previous conference Mr. Luke had to inform the' delegation-that as tho-Jolmson-vilie'Town Board district was not then contiguous to the city the amalgamation could not'be brought about without t.hp passing- of a spccial- Act of Parliament, but now that Onslow' borough had come in, the Jolmsonvilie district had beeomo . a contiguous district,--and . the nocessity for a special Act had been- obviated, lie informed the deputation that as { ar as the pity-was concerned, it desired to expand-its operations into one. big. metropolitan'area, but the desire- had been expressed that they' should first link up with' Karori. nnd Miraraar,. which /ho hoped would soon be the case; As soon as 'that was accomplished thev : would then consider Jolinsonville's position. He was of opinion that the establishment of one big municipality would be of groat benefit to all, and' would"-'.mean enhanced progress in Greater AVoUington, as one place could be handled mora economically and efficiently than several small municipal units. , ' ■ Sneaking on amalgamation generally to a I)omtk:on reporter' Mr. Luke' stated, that the Miramar Borough Council had forwarded a communication 1 which wns at present under cons'derntion. The borouirii did not solicit terms, but simply wished to know how it would stand on amalgamation as regards. its lows and commitments. As was now'prtttv well known, the City Council was not disposed to 1 terms. It preferred such boroughs which wished to do so to come in unconditionally, relying: on (lie Citv Council to do what was a fair and just thing. If such boromrhs needed an object lesson, there was Melrose borough to 1 go on. Could anyone say-that, IJie area formerly embodied in that district had not progressed much more rapidly through being linked up to the city than it would have under"its own government? He genuinely wished to 6ee all the neighbouring boroughs come into line, but was not going to He the council down to certain conditions , which might fur might noH n.rove irksome or inconvenient in the future.