RIDING BOUNDARIES.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 November 1922, Page 7

RIDING BOUNDARIES.

CHANGE IN EGMONT COUNTY. MATTER AGAIN DISCUSSED. . The question of the proposed alteration of the boundaries of the ridings in the Egmont County Council, as decided / upon at last month’s meeting of the council, was ’further discussed ’by the council yesterday. The subject was introduced by a letter from Mr. W. C. Green conveying the resolutions passed at a meeting of ratepayers of Rahotu riding, which requested the council to take .steps to adopt proportional representation on the basis of the present ward representation, and also asking the council to strike a fair and proportionate rate over the whole county.

It will be remembered that at the last ..meeting of. the council it was decided to’ partition the Rahotu -riding- by ereat.ing.,a new riding at the northern end;-to"be known , as the Newall with -one.'raember.lwliilst the Opua. rifling was 'to'Be ‘extended from the Oaonu.i river to.the -Oaoiti. river, the balance of the Rahotu. riding to .have two members. When the letters were read the chairman (Mr. M.. O’Brien) said the matter had already been dealt with. Cr. G. Gibson said that the council had only dealt with part of the question, and had not dealt with the portion regarding the rates. The chairman pointed out that the rate for the coming year had been decided on. < PLEA FOR DELAY. Cr. Gibson thought it was not the intention of the meeting that action should be taken immediately. He considered that it would be'wise to defer the re-arrangement of the ridings until the revaluation, which would probably considerably alter the value. Moreover, no alteration should have been made, without notice of motion, or without the whole council being present. It meant interfering with the representation of the whole council, and he did not consider it an act of courtesy to proceed in his absence. Moreover, the old boundary at Oaonni -marked the line of demarcation where the produce travelled north and south, whilst under the proposed alteration ratepayers in one riding would have to maintain the roads to .carry the produce -from another riding. He had understood that the chairman had said the business of the council could not be delayed on account of Cr. Gibson’s absence. The chairman: I’ll say that now. Councillors should be here at the hour set for commencing the meeting. Cr. Gibson considered the matter should not have been decided precipitately. A committee should have been set up to deal with the matter. The chairman rose to a point of order. A councillor must not, criticise the acts of the council, he said. Cr. Gibson understood that there was a previous resolution on the books to take give Warea. representation at the nroper ,timp. The chairman explained that the matter o’” giving representation to the settlers a' the Warea. end of the county was recognised by all. Tt should properly have been done in September, but as the settlers were applying to join the Taranaki county no action could be takop. The report of the commission had not been received until October, and the council had acted without delay, so that the alterations could take effect at Ihe elections, otherwise they would have to wait three years before giving Warea representation. The motion passed was not a motion in the ordinary sense of the term, as it would not come into force for six months. Tt was merely an introduction of the subject. The factthat it was passed during Cr. Gibson’s absence made little difference, as he would have ample opportunity to move to rescind it during the next s ; x months. The proceedings so far had been right and proper, and could not he altered without depriving the northern end of representation and leaving them with Rahotu, who could always out-vote them. The Rahotu riding, moreover, was very hig and unweildy, and difficult to govern.

MOVE TO RESCIND DECISION. Cr. J. S. Tosland: ‘Write that down, Mr. Chairman; it is important.” Continuing. Cr. Tosland said that he intended to give notice of motion rescinding the resolution extending Onua riding northwards. If that were done Opua would have an area of 129 square miles, whereas the whole area of the coun*v was 250 square miles, so that Opua would he practically half. The chairman thought the matter might be decided at once. He pointed out that the valuation of the Opua rid’ng at present was £300.000, Rahotu £700.000. and Oeo £500.000. Cr. Tosland eaid that less than twelve months ago the chairman had said that, land in the Opua riding was paying a few shillings rate, and he had moved for a revaluation so that, it might pav pounds where it was now paying shillings. Personally, he considered that a new valuation would raise Opus much more than any other riding, as he knew that in proportion to its productivity the Onua land was not valued half as much as Oeo. All were agreed that Warea. wanted representation. Cr. Gibson, in seconding, said there was a probability of the Opunake town district withdrawing from the county. After further-discussion it was decided to deal with the matter as a notice of motion for next meeting. The question was again discussed later in the meeting, when, in reply to the council’s letter asking to be advised of the senaratp values in cases where the boundary would out through properties, the Valuer-General asked the council to forward a plan showing- the proposed new boundaries. If those were not definitely settled he suggested that the boundaries he slightly altered to follow roads or the back lines of sections. This would avoid in many, if not in all oases, individual properties lying in each of two adjoining ridings, thus saving initial expense and being more satisfactory afterwards to all parties. The chairman said that apparently the nroposed boundaries would cause considerable expense. Tie siigrostofl that the new boundary should bo the Ngariki and Maiuhi roads. This would not make much difference, and at present it was difficult to maintain the length of main roads in the Opua riding.

Cr. Tosland considered that the main roads should he maintained hv the whole county, irrespective of ridings. A letter was received from the county solicitors (Messrs. Rov and Nicholson) pointing out the stops necessary to bp taken to carry out the proposal, and Rtnt ; n" thp.t as soon a- the al eratinn into effect it would necessitate an

election in the ridings concerned. Tf the remaining members of the council resigned at the same time, a further election in May would he unnecessary, the fact that an election had been held within the preceding six months would obviate this. Tt was resolved to leave the boundaries as defined last, meeting, pending decision on the notice of motion by Cr. Tosland.