THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. MONDAY, JULY 10, 1871.

Grey River Argus, Volume XI, Issue 921, 10 July 1871, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. MONDAY, JULY 10, 1871.

The consent of the Borough Council to the proposal for a re-adjustment of the municipal representation will be received by the ratepayers with general satisfaction. The existing distribution of the wards, however fairly it might have been arranged in intention, has been proved to be unfair to that portion of the municipality which contributes the largest share of the rates. For some time dissatisfaction has been felt and expressed on this score, and the dissatisfaction went as far as an inference that the Council, as at present constituted, was not disposed to favor any alteration in the representation. The report of the Committee to which the Council referred the subject is printed elsewhere, and it will be aeen that the Committee fully substantiate the complaints which the ratepayers of the upper end of the town have made. The amount of rates paid by the respective wards is very disproportionate. The Report of the Committee fixes the relative valuation of property in the various Wards as follows : — East Ward, ; Middle Ward, £8802; West Ward, £3580— that is to say, the East Ward contributes nearly three times the amount of rates raised in the West Ward, nearly three-fifths more than the Middle -poFfcAJii rki ■ wie envision nr representation for a municipal body could be chosen than that which is furnished by the contribution of local taxation, but we do not mean to hint that the East Ward should be given half the representation of the whole town. What is wanted is a redistribution of the Ward Boundaries, so as to secure a more equitable proportion of taxation in each Ward. The West Ward is evidently too Largely represented in proportion to its taxation. Tt only contributes about one-eighth of the town revenue, and has one-third of the representation. Its boundaries will have to be enlarged, whilst those of the East Ward will have to be curtailed. Probably a fair division might be found by extending the West Ward to Albert street, and creating two Wards out of the remaining portion of the town. There should be no difficulty in settling the boundaries of the respective Wards, for we cannot see any reason for one division of the town being jealous of the other. The old schism is dead and buried — Greymouth no longer recognises the distinction between the "Government 4 ' and the "Maori" townships that formerly entered so strongly into our Municipal questions. The whole town is incorporated in one, and representation should undoubtedly be proportioned to the taxation. We trust that the sensible resolution of the Council will be carried out, so as to secure that unanimity of action, without which the Borough Council cannot satisfactorily discharge its functions.