CITY EXTENSION

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17288, 2 October 1916, Page 6

CITY EXTENSION

From to-day tho City of Christchurch will be larger by rather more than 200 acres, and its population will have expanded by perhaps a thousand. The extension of the boundaries" that comes into force is thus not 'great, but tho district included is one of the prettiest of the suburbs and its people have always been progressive, and we have no hesitation in saying that the city gains: by the change. It is, of course, because they take a pride, in their 'littlo suburb and are anxious to have the advantages that come from association with a large municipality that the people of Opawa havo sought inclusion. They will come within the area of operations of the central Fire Board, they will have access to the municipal water supply, they will share in the municipal electricity scheme, and they will enjoy tho benefits of the strong works staff of the city. It has always seemed to us that, suburban residents who long for little municipalities of their own aro singularly blind to the position, because the duplication of municipal institutions and offices simply adds tn the cost of administration, and & small institution can scarcely hope to rival a large one in cheapness and efficiency. The formation of a .separate borough for Biccarton had perhaps some justification, because it is separated from the city by tho broad acres

of the parks and domains,' but wo believe that, oven so, tho policy was unwise. Tho establishment of a separate borough for Spreydon was certainly unsound- Opawa and St Martins are taking tho wiser course, and in time wo shall Uo doubt have to welcome tho inclusion-of other of 'the outlying areas. In tho case of St Martins tho city would have been justified .in raising an objection on the score of the great area 'of rural land involved, but wo gather that tho petition of the residents has been allowed to go unopposed because the City Council is unwilling to discourage a movement that is so obviously desirable in principle. It is certain that in future years, probably at no-very distant date, there will have to be a reorganisation of tho machinery of municipal administration, not so much because of the expansion of tho area of the city as because our ideas of municipal government are changing with the times, and when that development comes tho small boroughs that have preferred to retain their separate existence are likely to find themselves lagging in the march of progress. ■