AMALGAMATION.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 298, 24 December 1901, Page 3

AMALGAMATION.

PROPOSALS AGAIN' BEFORE THE COUNCIL. At tho meeting of the Borough Council last night, the question of amalganiution again came up. Following on answers given by him to questions submitted, Mr Chrisp, Borough Solicitor, gave the further advice : 11 You should clearly understand that the proposals of the Amalgamation Committee, which wero shown to me, arc merely proposals, and in no way binding on the Borough or oitlier of the two Boards until they have been embodied in agreements an<i executed under the common seal of the different corporations. According to tho Act tho proper method appears to be to have the boundaries altered first, then for tho different bodies interested to agree upon tho adjustment of property, etc., and fuiling agreement, to abide by tho award of the Governor. Now let us assume that tho alterations in the boundaries have been made, and that tho different authorities disagree (for instanco on the right of tho Borough to retain all the hotel licenses and reserve rents which the Council desire to do) what is tho position? It is this—your right to object to tho alteration would be gone, and you would bo ontirely at the mercy of the Governor, who might think that the present Council ; wore asking too much, and might make | an adjustment which would bo quito |

different to what you had expected or intended. There can bo no question that unless you are absolutely suro of getting the amalgamation on the terms you consent to—namely, retention of all your own revenue—tho outlying parts of the presont borough will suffer great neglect, as it stands to reason that tho bulk of tho money will continue to bo spent where tho representation is. I observe that tho Kaiti Board havo resolved to make an objection to the alteration, from which we may gather that they are unlikely to agree to tho proposed terms. Seeing that tho Council are concerned only with tho present borough, and that thoy have agreed

to the principle of amalgamation only on conditions abovo mentioned, I think it is your duty to see that the absoluto right to insist on the conditions is maintained. It is contended by some of the Councillors that any objection to bo mado can only apply to the questions of the boundaries or to the principle itself, and not as to conditions, and with that contention I agree, but, nevertheless, I most certainly think that an objection should bo lodged by the Council to tho principle on the broad grounds that it is not beneficial.

To do this cannot possibly do any harm, and if when a commission is appointed, it is absolutely apparent that all the bodies affected agreo to your terms then tho objection can be withdrawn. In fact there is no reason why the agreements should not be drawn and submitted to oach of tho bodies iri every detail and all terms settled before the Commissioner arrives, and then, if there is unity and concord, tho documents can be formally executed and sealed tho same day. If on tho other hand it appears upon tho settlement of the documents that tho parties are not unanimous, then the Council, having objected to the principle, will still havo a standing to object to tho whole thing, which status they would lose if no objection were put in. It is self-evident that tho present borough has nothing tu gain and a great deal to lose by the proposed alteration, and that being tho case it behoves it to bo vory careful and to leave nothing undone which may affect their legal position.” Cr Lysnar moved : “ That the Council being satisfied with its solicitor’s opinion will agree to tho terms as specified in the provisional agreement for amalgamation, and will seal same upon there being embodied in such legal documont as it may be advised meets the case, and clause 3 has the additional words added as suggested by the solicitor in his opinion.”

The Council, said Or Lysnar, was to bo congratulated on the Borough solicitor giving such a clear opinion. On every point, ho stated they wero standing on good legal grounds. Cr Bright seconded the motion. The Mayor said that the proposal would place tbo position on a clear basis —as far as ho was aware it would meet the case. Cr Lysnar said that tho solicitor had a good grip of the question, and it was a pity that some other people did not grasp it in the same way. Cr Jones said, speaking as a Councillor, he considered the dangers too groat for the borough ; it might be all right for the road boards. The opinion of the solicitor was no doubt clear.—it was clearer on, some points than Cr Lysnar seemed to imagine. Ho had no intontion to combat the opinions of the solicitor ; he was not

going to approach the matter as a solicitor, but as ono having common sense. The agreement mentioned would simply bind that Council. Ho did not want to see the Council giving away what was practically the property of the burgesses to thoso living on the other side of the rivers. His desire was to save the Council from entering upon a danger which he feared they would some day regret. He had said at the previous meeting that once the boundaries were defined it would be impossible to go back on them. The solicitor had backed him up in that view, so that he need not again refer to it. The solicitor said that certain things could be done by the road boards, but would that be binding ? The County Council could not dictate to the borough as to what should be done in the way of keeping up roads. If tho borough took in the road districts the latter must share the good and bad fortunes of the borough. There must be

at least two parties to an agreement. Cr Bright: Hear, hear ; what wo propose gets over that objection. Cr Jones: No, it makes it more clear than I am making it. It was, ho continued, quito clear that tho borough could not enter into any arrangement that one portion of the borough would bo treated better than another portion, and he did not see why they should force tho borough into the position they wished to. The people of tho borough had had to submit to many inconveniences, and now, just when the borough wero getting over tho difficulties and there was a chance of getting necessary work done, for the sako of bringing the road boards in, there would be further delay. Ho considered it his duty to protest against the resolution. The Mayor said that if tho resolution met their objection ho thought it would be sufficient. Cr Jones : We have not got the County Council agreement yet. The Mayor said it was the road boards the Council would be dealing with, and tho county would deal with the boards. Ho agreed with a good deal Cr Jones had said, if by enlarging the borough they

would be swamped. Certain properties had been accumulated, and it was hoped by them to aid the general funds, but tho resolution seemed to give tho required protection. They must remember that they would be taking in districts that had ■ practically no reserves. If the Borough property was conserved, be would have no objection to the enlargement of the boundaries. If all the parties agreed to the terms and tho solicitor told them they could bo made, be thought the agreement would be respected by any future Council. He was sorry that the matter had not been deferred, as he feared that it might affect tho vote that was to bo taken on tho question of water and drainage. Or Lysnar said that the water and drainage vote would be taken before the V amalgamation was consummated. ' Mayor said that he was still afraid tha'tSs would affect tho vote, lie pointed,, out thdl the borough He would support, the resolution that the borough be conserved. Cr Bright said it seemed to him that there was no such danger as feared by Cr Jones, as the different parties would sign the agreement. What he had always contended was that the parts to bo taken in should always havo boon included in the borough. The Mayor : They were sheep runs when the borough was formed. Cr Bright said yes, that the people had not foreseen tho importance of the district ; they did not contemplate that the borough would help to build bridges for people to walk across tho river to evade gating, as nearly all who resided there drew their income from tho borough. He could not see any reason for the borough to object to these places coming in—their desire should be to gather them in. The increase would give them increased ini-

portnneo, instead of Gisborne as at present, by population being classed with , l oroughs of the size of Hawera and Dannevirke. Gisborne should be classed with such places as ltoslyn und Mornington. Having properly safe-guarded the interests of tho burgesses the Council should do all 1 it could to increase the power and importance of the borough and of the whole 1 community. The motion was put and carried, Cr Jones dissenting. The matter was then referred to the existing committee to have it given effect to.