PATEA BOROUGH

Patea Mail, 10 May 1881, Page 3

PATEA BOROUGH

BOUNDARIES. The municipal committee appointed by the Patea Town Board met for the first lime on Saturday evening, to consider the boundaries for the proposed municipality of Patea. There were present Messrs Milroy, Shenvood, Dixon, Taplin, and Aitchison. Mr Sherwood Avas elected to the chair. The Chairman laid before the committee three plans of boundaries. The first plan showed a length of two miles from the river heads northward to the Spanish garden, going east by Patterson’s road, crossing the river at Prouse’s creek, turning south in a right line to include Coutts’s river frontage, M’Carthy’s neAV hotel, and the “ extension ” flat near the Railway Station to the heads. The west boundary Avould include about tAvo-thirds of Rhodes’s estate, noAV used only as a cattle run. The second plan shoAved the same boundaries on the toAvnship side of the river, and confined the proposed borough to the town side. The third plan reduced the area of the second by stopping the northward boundary at the schoolhouse fence, as at present, but extending southward to the heads, and including part of Rhodes’s estate.

The committee, after discussion, decided unanimously in faA r or of the second plan (marked A), confining the borough to the township side, extending from the heads up the m T er to Patterson’s road,then Avestward close to the Spanish garden and on to Rhodes’s estate, striking eastward in a light line to the sea. The number of dwellings Avithin this area, including afeAV known to be under order for erection, was found to be sufficient to qualit} 7 the town to become a municipality within a month from that date. It was agreed that the preliminary work of preparing the petition for the Toavh Board’s adoption, and getting it signed, might go on Avhile the last half dozen dAvellings were in course of finishing, and that these Avould make up the required 250 before the petition Avas ready for presentation to the Governor. The question of extending the borough across the river to include the Raihvay Station flat Avas considered, and it Avas agreed that the objections outweighed any apparent advantage. The maintenance of the Patea bridge, with cost of reconstruction in a few years, and the cost of altering the [Patea hill Avhere it descends to the flat, to make that catting easier and less dangerous than at present, must be faced by the neAV borough if it included that side within the boundaries. The committee considered that this prospectiA r e drain on the borough funds Avould raise more opposition than the simpler plan of confining the borough to the town side of the river. It was pointed out that if the station flat became populous, that district might petition to be included within the borough, and could be incorporated as a Avard. If it did not become populous, the question of including it Avould not arise.

The Chairman was requested to draft a memorial to the Governor, to be included in the committee’s report to the Board. This business being transacted in committee, the Press was requested to foIIoAV the usual practice of publishing only results.

The Committee have since arranged to present their report to a special meeting of the Town Board ; date not fixed.

Mr Gladstone spoke for tAvo hours on the night of April 4. The Times says : “ The speech Avas delivered without any abatement of his characteristic energy. We hope it is not necessary to take him at his Avord, that this ray be his last budget, but if it be so, the necessity Avill not aris# from any defect of poAvcr.