GREATER NEW PLYMOUTH.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 138, 2 December 1911, Page 7

GREATER NEW PLYMOUTH.

ABSORPTION OF FITZROY. Yesterdav the town district of Fitzroy was absorbed in the borough of New Plymouth, and to celebrate the event quite a number of local residents and the Borough Councillors, with a few prominent townspeople, met in' response to the invitation of the Mayor (Mr. Ceo. Browne)' at the Fitzroy Hall. After light refreshments had been passed round The Mayor proceeded to address the meeting. They were there, he said, to commemorate the progressive movement they as a progressive people initiated some few months ago, and to bury, as it were, the town district of Fitzroy and welcome the first new ward in (ireater Xew Plymouth. He continued: "Through your representatives you will now take part in all movements to advance our town. You are to be complimented on your initiative. I have every confidence that the people of St. Aubyn will soon follow your example. As a matter of fact they are now moving in the Greater Xew Plymouth scheme. By united action I hope the suburbs will rise to the occasion and pave the way for the introduction of a system of cheap means of transit, viz., tramways, from Waiwakaiho to the breakwater. In about four weeks you will be called upon to elect two councillors to represent your ward at the Council table. Your representatives will have much greater responsibilities than formerly. They will have to take part in all questions affecting Xew Plymouth as a whole. It will become their duty to assist in the development and progress of onr town in every direction. You will now reap all the advantages of the borough supplies. Your streets will be lit up by electricity, and every opportunity afforded you of installing it in your homes. The water rate will drop from Is 4d to fld. annual value. You will have the assistance of the borough engineer to work out improvements in your ward." He referred to their valuable sea front, the paths and plantations, and hoped they would not lose sight of improving and advancing these. He recognised that his responsibilities as Mayor were much increased from that day. for it now became his duty to watch their interests, and to assist in every legitimate way he could the councillors appointed by Fitzroy. In conclusion. he said he deemed it a great honor to be the first Mayor of the new Fitzroy Ward, and assured them that every effort on his part would be put forward to assist to advance that portion of Xew Plymouth. Mr. Browne also referred to the great part taken in the Greater New Plymouth movement by the late Mayor (Mr. Tisch), and mentioned that it was his wish that they should mark the merging by a little ceremony of the kind they were holding that day. He expressed his deep regret that Mr. Tisch was not spared to see the fruition of his efforts. Mr. Kibby, chairman of the late Fitzrov Town Board, who was the next speaker, extended a hearty welcome to the Mayor and the other visitors, and considered the move they were that day commencing was one in the right direction. He Teferred to what had been? done in improving the sea front, providing baths, etc., and their further improvement and extension was a work for the immediate future. He passed on to the progress of the Fitzroy town district, the funds of which had grown from under £IOO to nearly £IOOO. Though great changes had been effected in the past ten years, he looked forward to even greater changes during the next ten years, lie felt amalgamation was in the interests of the whole district. Mr. E. Dockrill, one of the old mayors, was next called upon. He referred to the feeling in the Council years ago that Fitzroy should form part of Xew Plymouth, but they recognised that the first move would have to be taken by the people themselves. One of the strongest inducements to come in was the institution of tramways, which he hoped would soon be under way. He touched upon the Edison storage battery car, and described it as one that was eminently suitable for a place of the size of Xew Plymouth, providing, of course, it was commercially successful, as he had no doubt it was or would be soon. He congratulated the Fitzroy people on making the move that they had. and hoped their good example would soon be followed by all the other suburbs. Mr. R. Cock, another ex-Mayor, followed. He was very sorry the late Mr. Tisch was not spared to be present. His loss was a serious blow to the town, whose interests he was forcing ahead when he was struck down. He recalled the efforts to bring about amalgamation with the suburbs in the old days, and mentioned the advantages accruing to suburban residents by so doing. In going round Xew Zealand he was often asked the size and population of Xew Plymouth, and he confessed that he always felt somewhat ashamed to state them, for, as they knew, the borough was a small one, much of the population being outside its boundaries. A Greater Xew Plymouth would alter all this, and its population compare very favorably with other centres. Regarding the prospects of Xew Plymouth, he was sorry to say the people were too slow, and the newspapers were to blame for not giving a better lead. He referred to his efforts in connection with the holding of the exhibition, which were not appreciated by the newspapers, which gave him and his colleagues blame where they deserved praise. Xot only that, they allowed others to blackguard him and the other promoters. That exhibition, he said, had cost him £l5O. W by, one of the guarantors put his name down for £25, but when it came to paying up he defaulted. and he (Mr. Cock) footed the bill. Why didn't the town move? Here tliev had «p-to-date abattoirs: yet they sent their tallow to Xapier at a cost of 30- a ton. and got back candies, the freight on which ran into another £'2 a ton. Whv did tliev not have their own candle fact'orie-? the sime applied to other industries had tried some time back to start fret ;r.ng works in Xew Plymouth. People said: "Wait till Mr. King comes back."' Mr. King came back from England, but nothing was done. When he was a youngster they used to say the town would not move till the young people grew and the old hands died. P.ut the young people were now old people, and still they and the place w«Te not going forward. He was satisfied X.-w Plymouth was one of the fine-t p-ac. - in the whole of Xew Zealand. but it wanted pushing ahead, lie hail recently been in Auckland, and .bought. property in tin- suburbs, which bad bv trams been completely transformed' from barren wastes to thickly populated, liu-tlincr places. lie hoped Ihey would -'ion have trams all round Xew Plymouth, and see tin- place go forward like those Auckland suburbs. Mr. F.. Griffiths, whom the Mayor referred t« as one of those primarily responsible for the success of the amalgamation i!i"V"!i'.cnt. was the next speaker. Mr. lirilut!)- vs»M a tribute to the work of tile eiierg-'tie band of men who were responsible for the mersing. They had held .V) meeting in all. but he hoped the same amount of labor would not be required to bring in the other suburbs. He spoke.of their good footpaths and loads, and Fitzroy people would he glad to learn the borough had decided to

tar and sand the paths and make them still better. Fitzroy had seen a good many changes during the past ten years. T!u; narrow, wobbly road, and narrower bridge, bad given way to a broad and straight thoroughfare, whilst building had gone on all over the district. It was one of the finest suburbs of the town, and he proceeded to enumerate its advantages, Mr. Cock interpolating that Vogeltown was equally attractive, lie hoped the borougn would extend the water mains to the bye-streets, and so enable a connection with the fire mains to be made. Also that a couple of men would be stationed at night in the Fire Station. The Mivor. in conclusion, said he hoped to have the petition papers >1 connection with '.ho merging of the other suburbs forwarded to the Minister for Internal Affairs within the next week or so. and that in the early part of the year lie would be in Fitzroy advocating a loan for the inauguration of trams. (Applause.) Mr. T. C. List said he would not like the meeting to break up without protesting against a statement made by Mr. Cock regarding the newspapers. As the head of one of the papers he was diffident about speaking on the matter, but he was satisfied anyone with a knowledge of the position would not credit either of the papers of the town with lack of enterprise or neglect of their duties. On the other hand, he was sure no town was more faithfully served in this respect. The papers could give a lead, but they should not be blamed if the lead was not heeded by the people of the place. At the instance of Mr. R. Hughes a hearty vote of thanks was accorded to the Mayor for presiding.