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TWO COUNCILS
Demand for Referendum
GREATER CITY ISSUE
Business Men Want Mr.
Spooner
Two district councils which
met last night, Wlckham and ljew
Lambton, decided to urge a refer.
endum on the Greater Newcastle
question before the bill was passed.
Newcastle Business Men's Club
wants the Minister for Works and
Local Government (Mr. E. 8. Spoon
er) to address a public meeting at
Newcastle on the bill.
At \Vickhum Council meeting last night
the Mayor (Aid. A. I. Davies) informed
the concil a copy of the Greater New.
castle Bill had been received. The slder.
men could decide what they would do
with it.
Aid. M. Clark: Are you going to read
it?
The Mayor: That is not ncesaory. It
wcao published in detail in the "Newcastle
lorning Herald." What we did not en.
poet to be in the bill was the clause
about the abattoir. It comes under the
miscellaneona beading. There has beec
such a big protest about the reinspection
fees that nothing else can be said.
Ail. E. Hees: Can this council not of
for its protest, for or against?
The ,Mayor: Yes; against the clause
or anything else you like. There is goin
to be uniform rating under lthe bill oi
thle Minister for WVorks and Local Go
vernment (Mr. E. S. Spooner). There
was a hig meeting in Newcaotle last
night. Ald. Clark and I went along.
It was a representative meeting and was
almost unanimously against the cGreater
Newcarstle Bill. There seems a doubt now
whether the people want it. The main
people wantning it are the "Newcastle
Heralr" and the "Newcrstle Seen" and
the Mayor of Newcastle (Ald. H. Fenton).
Criticising some features in thle bill and
the observations of the Minister in sup.
port, the Mayor said he did not see that
there was going to be any economy in ad
ministering the greater city.
Aid. Clark: You are predicting higher
rates of par for the extra staffy
The Mayor: I think the rate will be
definitely higher. As far as we are con
cerned in thlis municipaltly the Oreater
Newcastle scheme offers no benefits to
Isu. We are on a good footing. I cannot
ee any benefit to the Wickham area
whatever. On the whole. as far as I can
see, and I have gone through the bill.
Scan see nothing of any advantage to
the district.
Aid. J. 'aITanerton: It is the first
time tics bill has been drawn sep.
Aid. Clarki: In the onferenecs held
years ago, Wickham Concil was always
in favour of the Grater Newcastle.
Aid. C. H. Croft: No.
The Mayor: The council affirmMd the
principle.
Aid. nRees moved at that stage that a
protest be entered against the proposed
abolition of the meat re.inspection fees
at the abattoir.
OTHER CITIES MENITIONED.
Aid. E. Lewis, in seconding. maid he
had been very interested in the discus
osne in the Press over the past two
weeks. There had been a lot of leadingr
articles and letters in the paper. He had
also been interested in the statement pre
pared in which Birmingham was men
tioned,
"I was in Birmingham six years ago,"
he added. "To compare Newcastle with
Birmingham wsa not right. One city
had a population of 105.000; the other had
1.000,000. We should know more of
Greater Brisbane. I would like to see
the 'Newrcastle Morning Herall' give the
ahole facts of Greater Brisbane, and hoew
it is to-day."
Informing the council of some of his
impressions of Brisbane under its new eys
tem, Ald. Lewis said that Mr. Spooner had
said he woulod not force the bill for a
Greater Newcastle on the people against
their wishes. HIe was not keeping hisi
waord. Thie people hIad every right to pro
teat against this being forced on them.
AIld. J. H. Kirk said hlie wouldl support
the motion. They had no objection to the
Alattoir Board. He was rather inter
ested to hear the reference to Greater
Briahane. But there was no parallel be.
tween Greater Newcastle and Greater Bria.
bane. They made one mistake in Iris
bane. They built a big town hall. The
case was far different here. Newcastle
had a Town Hall, and it was a paying
concern.
METHOD OF VOTING.
"As far as I can see," added Aid.
Kirk, "we have had a Greater Newcastle
before us for many years. The people
have had the opportunity of discussing it
for the last 20 years. It has also been
before this council." One objection he
had was to the method of voting. They
wore promised the preferential system.
That of "first past the post" was not fair.
As far as he was concerned, he was pre
pared to trust the people. With the pro
per men in, Greater Neircastle could be
faced with every confidence.
Aid. Clark said they should get in touch
with the Parliamentary representatives,
and atop the Minister from interfering
writh the hbattoir Board as it was at pre
nent. The board had been operating for
27 rears. He could not see why it should
be interfered with now. Whllen the re
inspection fees were abolished, who were
going to benefit ?
Aid. tIammertn : They are going to get
the benefit overseas.
Alhl. Clarke: We lshould see that the
abattoir conditions are not interfered with.
Aid. Hammerton said. saeaking of the
question as a wahlole, that the sbbiiar ibad
everything to gain and nothing to lose by
slipportill Greater Niewcastle.
Ali. Colley said the people should have
tile opportlility of saying by referendum
whether they wanted Greater Neweastle
or not.
Alrl. Croft said it was his contention
that they had no right to foist this on the
people. There should be a referendum of
tile ratepaying population.
The resolution of Aid. Rees was car
riedl. and it was decided to communicate
with the Parliamentary representatives
this morning, informing them of the de
ciaion.
Ali. Clark: Send a telegram to the
Premier also.
The aNyor: Very well.
Aid. Colley then mo-ed, "That the
membiers for the district be asked to re
cord their votes against the Greater New
castle Bill inlees a referendum of the
ratepayera is taken."
Aid. Croft: I am behind that.
Aid. Hammerton: I am opposed to it.
The councils have decided that they want
a Greater Newcastle. 'The Royal Commia
sion was in fan-our of it.
Aid. Collby: Hwr long ago?
Alt. Hammerton: About 20 years ago.
The Greater Newcastle Council has been
promisedl for many years.
The resolution was carried, and the
council also decided to support the nrre
poeanl for uniform rating.
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