THE FUTURE CITY.

Globe, Volume VII, Issue 764, 1 December 1876, Page 3

THE FUTURE CITY.

To the Editor of the Globe, Sir, —ln your leader you state, “before the step is take of petitioning now the fact is, that the petition is actually gone forward to the Governor, and his Excellency is positively powerless to refuse it, and by our Act of Parliament is compelled to grant the prayer of the petitioners, and to form the Borough within a stated time. There is, however, still one chance, and one only, to prevent so undesirable a result as that which at present threatens us. The method of action is this ; Let there be meetings called in all the suburbs—north, west, east, south-east, and south-west—to carry the plan proposed by mo, namely: Thao the whole of the suburbs be taken up in wards, under some single authority.

That separate ledgers be kept for each ward.

That an endowment be asked for to remedy the gross errors, with all their resultant mischief, committed in founding the city in the first instance. The other suburbs, by taking the matter up properly, can propose to absorb the district of Sydenham; and will, I think, find a majority there, if the matter be properly shown to the people. If it were not, that I do not think it would be seemly and modest on my part, I would call a meeting at Fendalltown myself, and others at St Albans, Kuightstown, Bingsland, Phillipstown, and Eiccarton, to ventilate the question ; I certainly should do so, if I were a servant of the district in the capacity of Councillor, or Mayor. These meetings are merely meetings of householders, and anybody who likes may call them. There is plenty of intelligence' in those districts, but the attention of the people has not been roused to see the absurd position in which they are placed, and the vital necessity for combining the district under some single authority with separate wards. I was pleased to see so many hands held up in the meeting on our side of the question, and if all the daily journals had reported my speech, the leaven of truth, that is in it, would gradually leaven the human mental lump. The practical present outlook is—1. The Drainage Board fixing levels, attending to nuisances, draining slops, and looking after solid excreta, Kates, Is (id in £l.

2. The borough sucking its thumbs, or borrowing money to widen the streets, to open thoroughfares, to put up offices, to pay a large staff of officials, for instance—to employ a surveyor, who must do what Mr Carruthe’s and Mr Napier Bell dictate. Fancy three surveyors sitting on top of each other, and again, on top of this unfortunate district, to quarrel with Christchurch about all sorts of little nonsense ; to show and assert the mighty glories of bumbledom ; to take up the question of lighting, and then to find that without the co-operation of Christchurch, and of the other suburbs, gas is an impossibility, for while the Sydenham Gasworks would be only an absurdity, a gasworks for Christchurch and the suburbs would pay well; to levy rates for expenses and interest, Is 6din the £l. I do not see how it can be done for less, and so with, the two bodies at work, viz, borough and Drainage Board we should be taxed 3s in the £l.

If the other suburbs will call meetings, I shall be very happy to lend them all the help I can to crush this error by the outvoting’ of all the suburbs against those southerners who wish to coerce a growing minority. As to his Excellency we have all seen that he has a statesmanlike view of things, and I, for my part, conclude after carefully weighing his correspondence that, forgiving his little partisanship errors, he is a man proud to be able to throw his weight into high, clear, noble course of political action, or in other words, that a counter petition from all the suburbs against this hole and corner business would be heartily welcomed by him. Yours, &c, J. W. TREADWELL.