South Canterbury Times. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1881.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2666, 6 October 1881, Page 2

South Canterbury Times. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1881.

“ Maruv in haste and repent at leisure.” The fulfilment of this old saying in the case of the projected marriage of the Borough ofTimnru with the suburbs has been prevented, through one of the parties finding “ cause and impediment ” before the ceremony was completed. The Borough Council must feel, at the result of their motion in the direction of extending the Borough, as the Laird o’ Cockpen must have done at the result of his wooing, and ss their overtures were made in an exactly similar way, they deserved a similar fate. Their ready renunciation of their project shows, if the fact were not otherwise known, that it w r as put forward without due consideration of all the interests involved, and without due consideration of the various effects, on the Borough and suburbs, that might reasonably be expected to follow if the project were carried out. The idea was adopted too hastily, and a one-sided view was taken of it, no sufficient effort being made to ascertain the views of the outsiders, who are at least as much interested in the matter ns the people within the Belt, The scheme, therefore, deserved to come to naught, as it has done ; or to be delayed until it can be founded upon a good basis formed of all the ascertainable facts that ought to be taken into account. A proposal of this sort, where the effects, if it is carried out, must be lasting and important, is one that should be very carefully considere.l in every aspect that it is possible to have presented for consideration, ft is a sort of proposal of marriage that should not be made, still less accepted, hastily, for feat of the proverbial repcntcnce that may follow. Every one knows that

such careful consideration has not been given to this question. One or two reasons have been mentioned why the incorporation of the suburbs into the Borough would benefit both themselves and the Borough, the chief one-having reference to the water supply ; but while it is admitted that both from the burgesses and the outsiders’ points of view there are adverse reasons, there has been no attempt to strike a balance between the two opposite classes—to ascertain whether, taking every consideration into account, it would be to the advantage, either of the burgesses of the Borough or cf the residents in the suburbs, that the suburbs should be incorporated into the Borough. It is well that the recent movement has come to nothing, for the idea will not be allowed to die, and when it is put forward again it will be backed up by good and sufficient arguments that will ensure its adoption, or that will at any rate save it from so speedy and determined a rejection as it has this time received. It would seem necessary in order to arrive at a just decision on this question that statements should be prepared of the existing condition of the two areas proposed to be joined, as regards finances and requirements in the way of improvements ; of the probable progress and future condition of each if they remain separate ; and of their probable progress and future condition if they are united. Without more or leas of information on these points no opinion of much value can be formed as to the advisability or otherwise of incorporating the suburbs or any part of them into the Borough, and we believe no such information has been made available, at anyrate not generally so. It should be the part of those who desire to disturb the existing state of things to make such inquiries as would give them sufficient grounds for the belief they entertain, and then to submit those grounds to the examination of others who are interested in the matter. Were this done it might be that those who now object to the incorporation of the suburbs into the borough, whether residents within or without the Belt, would be led to see that it would be for the benefit of both that the incorporation should take place ; and on the other hand those who now desire the incorporation might find that the balance between benefits and inconveniences turned in favor of letting things remain as they are. If, after a careful consideration of all the aspects of the case it should appear to the residents in the Borough that it would be to their advantage to have the suburbs or some of them incorporated, while it at the same time appeared to the residents in those suburbs that they would suffer in consequence of amalgamation, the difference of opinion, or rather difference of actual fact, could only be removed by a compromise of some sort, in which the Borough would make some concessions, which the outsiders might accept as making up a total of advantages which would counterbalance the disadvantages of incorporation. Such an investigation has not yet been made, but the pause which the sudden arrest of the present proceedings will occasion will give an opportunity for a thorough enquiry to be made *before any further steps are taken to procure the incorporation of any portion of the outside districts into the Borough, should the idea of doing so continue to be entertained. The bane of New Zealand, it has often been said, is hasty legislation, and our great salvation is to be local government ; yet the proceedings in connection with this question of extending the Borough furnish a specimen of local legislation, or rather of an attempt at it, of as hasty a character as any ever perpetrated by the General Government.