AMALGAMATION PROPOSALS.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 164, 23 July 1901, Page 3

AMALGAMATION PROPOSALS.

ast A meeting of the Suburbs Amalgamate F. Committee was convened for last nigh es, there being present : —Messrs Matthew: y), Bridges, Bright, Matthewson, Lysnai Harris, Whinray, and Harding, it The Mayor attended to apologist ;r . stating that he had to attend th I gathering for the reception of re of turned troopers. In the case of an in of formal conversation Mr Bridges said tha he had conversed with a good man;; , s people on the subject, and all were un 2e animously in favor of it. Some discus t- sion ensued as to the method of dealing to with the ridings. “ From the very first,’’ said Mr Matthewson, “ the County sadi- died the riding with all they could, and if n it comes to a matter of testing the .£IBOO d claim it will not hold water for a moment.” o “ Not for a moment,” said Mr Lysnar. a Discussion then ensued as to the figures that had been adduced. “ You mistake a m .y reason for putting those in,” said Mr j Lysnar ; “itis to assist the borough.” , “ Yes, I know it is to assist the borough , —everything is to assist the borough,” [ said Mr Matthews. , Mr Whinray having arrived at this 1 stage, it was resolved to go on with the meeting, Mr Bright being voted to the ; chair. Tho Chairman said that they had not much time, but they should see what they could evolve. Mr Matthewson said it was to prepare a report for the next meeting of the Borough Council. Mr Whinray thought there would hardly be time. The Chairman : Well, let us get as far as we can. He explained that MrLysnar’s figures were based on Mr Mestaycr's report. As far as one could say off-hand, the difference would be sufficient. Mr Matthews said that those figures getting abroad would be misleading ; people said that if it cost .£102,000 on ono side, it would cost another £40,000 for reticulation on tho other side. Mr Lysnar said lie did not think people would bo so dense. He was merely trying to show the extreme position—a rato i on the rental value for £102,000 would at j 4 per cent, amount to Is 9d in the pound. , He was simply showing the extremes. ( The Chairman said it would bo better to c strike out all the detailed comparisons and j give tho total figures, with which Mr l Lysnar agreed, saying that there was no t

, proposal to spend the sum. He merely wished to find out what was the limit, “ tho breaking point,” as it had been called, in tho Council. They had got beneath that. Mr Whinray : Is that in addition to the existing rate '! Mr Lysnar : Yes. Mr Whinray : Well, it is beyond the breaking point. Mr Matthews: There is also the harbor rate to consider. Any figures submitted should be as accurate as possible. He might tell them frankly that he would fairly criticise any figures, so as to show the ratepayers tho disadvantages as well as the advantages of amalgamation ; for when all was said it must still be for the ratepayers to decide. Mr Matthewson said that Mr Matthews had put the matter into a nutshell. They should take the figures on the present position, for if they wont into indefinable figures they could not get anything definite. It would be better to leave out tho questions of water and drainage. They should consider the matter on the present position. The Chairman : That is so.. Mr Matthewson said in that case the figuros would be almost unassailable, though in minor details they might pick out flaws. What they had facing them was that they were paying a double rate in the suburbs and receiving very little benefit in return for what they wore giving tho county. Drainage and water should be left until they were going into tho borough, in which case they would have their vote on tho question, and any scheme should bo devised to serve tho suburbs as well as the town. The Chairman : We will be in a helpless muddle if we bring in estimates of outside expenditure. It is bettor to review tho position as it is. Mr Bridges said that ho had heard a great deal for amalgamation, and he would i like to hear one argument against. He had discussed the matter a great deal, but 1 so far had heard no arguments against. They were there, as Mr Matthews knew, to jhenr both sides, and would like to be j told of any disadvantages. , Mr Matthews: I told you I would put ! them to tho meeting. You told me you : would not have tho disadvantages— ‘ The Chairman : If Mr Matthews or Mr Anybody else knows any reason why there , should not be amalgamation, he should 1 say so.

Mr Matthews : I raised several at tho meeting. You refused to put them down. Mr Lysnar ; Let us have them now. Mr Matthews: I have not got tho papers here ; I do not carry them in my head. Let them remain in abeyance until tho proper time comes. Mr Whinray : If each body is to keep its respective receipts how is it going to alter the position ? Messrs Matthewson and Bridges replied, saying that it would do away with the County rate, make one important body, have one staff, and be advantageous in many other ways, including sanitation. There was, Mr Bridges said, no way to stop a person running slops into a County water table.

Mr Matthews : We ean stop it on the Whataupoko ; it is attended to there by the Inspector the same as in the Borough. It was explained that a County drain was referred to. Mr Harding said that he had given the matter great consideration ; bo failed to see any disadvantages to the road districts. They had everything to gain and nothing to lose. All he had spoken to thought the step was a right one, and should bo brought about if possible. They could leave the question of water and drainage till after amalgamation, when they could decide on the \yhole question.

Mr Lysnar endorsed what had been said by Messrs Bridges and Harding. If < Mr Matthews had any objection to offer it was only right he should let them know at once and not preserve them for any meeting. He had placed all the figures before Mr Matthsws as far back as Saturday. Mr Matthews was the only one he had heard speak against amalgation. Before the last election he had spoken to Mr Matthews and told him that he intended to stand for the Board on the principle of amalgamation, and that if Mr Matthews was on the same platform he would do what he could to assist his return. Mr Matthews had saio: he favored amalgamation, otherwise he (Mr Lysnar) would have publicly opposed him. Mr Matthews : It is a pity you did not. Continuing Mr Lysnar said that Mr Matthews did not advance one ground against amalgamation. As Chairman of the Whataupoko Koad Board he should treat the committee in a respectful manner. If he had anything against the scheme the committee was entitled to know it. The Chairman : I will put a motion. Mr Matthews said he thought it only fair he should say something in reply to the attack made on him, which was uncalled for. He had got the figures on Saturday, and had drawn attention to the fact that in the sum of Tlo'i,ooo set down the suburbs had not been included, so that the figures were out .£30,000 or <£40,000. The mistake had been admitted to bo so serious that the meeting had agreed to abandon those figures. When the previous meeting was held, he had said that they should go into the disadvantages, but that was objected to, and then he had satirically proposed to adopt the Borough bye-laws. Tho members i were simply units gathered to gain information. MrWhinray : Hear, hear. Continuing, J r Matthews said that because ho was Chairman of the Board 5 he had no right to pledge the ratepayers ; to anything. What he wanted was that the facts should bo presented to them.

Mr Lysnar: Give us the facts. The Chairman : One speaker at a time, please. Continuing, Mr Matthews said that tho ratepayers should bo given both sides. When he had some of the disadvantages ready to lay before them, they would not put them down. Tho Chairman : Whore was that'? Mr Matthews : In this room. Mr Matthcwson said ho had boon at every meeting and was not aware of it. Let us know on what basis Mr Matthews is going on. Is lie going to hold out the water scheme as a bogey to tho ratepayers ? The Chairman said that if Mr Matthews had any information ho wished to keep to himself that was entirely his own business. lie had a resolution to propose. i f anybody objected to it they would bring on something else to influence the voters. He moved : 11 That this committee, favouring the amalgamation proposals, requests that tho Hoad Boards be recommended to have the necessary petitions prepared and signed, as provided by section 170 of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1000 ; that such petitions, when signed, be laid before tho committee with a view of their being placed by them, with such report as tho committee may make, before tho Gisborne Borough Council.” MrWhinray: I will second that, so as to lot us get on. They might want more information. Mr Bridges said those who took round tho petition would have no trouble in explaining it. They should leave out the question of water and drainage, and confine it to an extended borough. They would have a better staff and every advantage. The only figures that did come in was what was tho difference between the rating methods. The Council was not considering an extension of the water scheme of the borough. Mr Matthews said that if they had confined it to that basis at first it would put them much further ahead. The Chairman: You favor this resolution '? Mr Matthews : Yes. Tho Chairman: This resolution commits anyone who has voted for it—it prevents any captious opposition. Mr Matthews: But docs not prevent him fairly criticising figures.

Mr Harding : My opinion is that every ratepayer is able to look after himself—he will have his own opinion irrespective of anybody else. Mr Matthews: Will there be another meeting of the ratepayers '? The Chairman said there was no provision for it. A petition could bo sent in to the Governor. Mr Matthews said that his Board had purposely held back their meeting to put the matter before the ratepayers. The Chairman said that the great difference between a petition and a meeting was that perhaps only a few would attend the meeting, but a petition would contain the written consent of each one who signed. Mr Matthews said that ho thought he could hardly vote for it until the meeting of ratepayers had gone into the matter. The Chairman said that a counter petition could bo got up. Though the Act only required one-fourth of the signatures, the committee would require a much larger number before going further with it.

Mr Matthews said that a public meeting had been absolutely promised to the Whataupoko ratepayers. Mr Lysnar said that it would still bo their duty to have that meeting. Mr Bridges said that any who opposed could get up a counter petition. Mr Lysnar : I should like some of these figures to bo considered to-night. Mr Matthewson: They have been so well threshed out that I do not see wc can make any alteration. Mr Whinray : I presume that the rating will be uniform ? Mr Lysnar said yes, and that would give them a substantial basis to go on ; it would bo the same except in regard to special rates on special loans. Mr Bridges: That is a matter entirely for the ratepayers to consider. The Chairman said that the different bodies would have to go into the question of boundaries. Mr Bridges said that Mr Harris had raised an important point. Would there bo separate petitions, one dealing with Whataupoko and the other with Haiti ? Mr Lysnar said that the two would be quite distinct—each would stand on its own basis —Haiti might like to come in while Whataupoko would not. The motion was then put and carried, Mr Matthews dissenting, and the Town. Clerk was asked to send it forward to the itoad Boards. The basis of amalgamation was then gone into, and it was agreed to submit tlie following suggested basis of amalgamation : 1. “ That each of the three districts are to remain liable for all indebtedness chargeable against those individed districts or portions thereof at the time of amalgamation.

2. “ That at the first convenient time the number of Borough Councillors shall be extended to 12 instead of 9 as at present. b. “ That after a fair allowance for general administration the net ordinary revenue to bo derived from each of the three separate portions proposed to be amalgamated, shall be expended in each respective portion finally amalgamated. 4. “ That should any of the Borough Council by-laws as at present constituted be unsuitublo to the over-river portions amalgamated or any portion thereof, then steps to bo taken to limit the operation of such by-laws so far as may be decided necessary or expediont from time to time. 5. l: That the suggested boundaries for amalgamation are subject to alteration by the ratepayers of the respective districts.”