AMALGAMATION.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 167, 26 July 1901, Page 2

AMALGAMATION.

(To the Editor of the Times.) Sir,— Mr Matthews may well raise a protost against tho feverish haste over tho amalgamation proposals. The Whataupoko ratepayers do not want this business forced down their throats in this way. There is no hurry, except on the part of those who have some other object in view. Take those present at the meeting the other night. Mr Matthewson is an absentee holder of Haiti property. Mr Bridges, I am told, has his property outside tho boundary line. Mr Bright is a reasonable man still open to conviction, but not yet convinced, Mr Harris is a shrewd speculator who is prepared to follow Mr Lysnar as a trusty lieutqnant. Mr Whinray looks at the matter from tho point of view of those who do not want heavy rates, and has some hope that the suburbs will relieve the borough. Mr Harding may be classed as a staunch advocate of amalgation because he believes in it. The talk of one strong body is nonsense, bccauso overloading the borough simply means weakening the county. We are given to understand that the borough staff has not enough to do and can do a lot more. I should think the Town Clerk earns his money pretty well now. Certainly the Overseer does. Mr Morgan can be seen any day working harder than any man employed by the day, which means that ho has got to do a great deal of brain work at night. Yet one road has been described in tho Council as worse than a quagmire. The crossing near Williams and Kettle’s store is a bog. I am not blaming anybody ; I am merely pointing out how the suburbs might be affected, and showing that tho borough is not over-manned now.—l am, etc., Sceptic.