THE £3000 LOAN.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 2, Issue 193, 24 May 1878, Page 2

THE £3000 LOAN.

To the Editor of the Akaroa Mail,

Sxr, —I, in company with many other equally interested burgesses, went to Cr O'Reilly state his views in regard to the loan. I am sure he deserves the thanks of the community for the painstaking and thoughtful statistics which he produced and earefolly stated at the meeting. ■-■■■■•■' '■.'■■ As regards Cr O'Reilly's plane of spending the money. I do not think he will have the support of the burgesses. ." Why does he want the road from Beecher'e to Waeckerle's metalled at"a cost of hundreds of pounds? I, for one, say 1 it does not require it.. The proposal *to make tMt bridges the width of the street is certainly ahead of the times. I believe it was Cr Waeckerle's idea some time ago to have narrow foot bridges by the' side of the rnajj) bridge. That, I think, would be a serviceable and cheap plan for the convenience of the public. Then, again, he wants to re-grade Jollie-street—an expensive and certainly quite uncalled for at preseni.

Cr O'Reilly wishes the burgesses to construct public .baths in the harbor;, that project, I consider, is. quitQ» outside the duties of the Council, ana-*j£constructed, would be very little used. Mr Scarbrongb, then the late Mayor of Akaroa, erected three small shede for the convenience "of people

wishing to bathe, but owing to the larrikin element playing practical jokes by filling them -with stones, I believe Mr Beechef pulled them down. A small jetty erected beyond the first point, say 3 feet wide, would allow people able to swim to easily get a plunge in the harbor. A subject I consider of primary importance was not touched upon by Cγ O'Reilly. I allude to a well devised water works scheme similar to what we have in England ; of course it would be on a cheaper scale. This last dry summer has placed many here to great inconvenience, owing to the wells getting dried up, pumps out of order, hydraulic. rams choked up, &c. The fall of water at Aylmer's Valley Creek, opposite Mr John Porter's slip panel is, in round numbers, between 140 and 150 feet above high water mark, and the facility with which the creek at this spot could be tapped, and water laid along the main streets with branch pipes laidto each house, is well known. The convenience of having a good supply of pure water for domestic purposes, its importance in regard to public health, the fact of its lqwering the rate of fire insurance considerably, perhaps even its being the means of saving life and property to a great extent, as water could be thrown over the highest buildings in the place, are all points worthy of consideration. It would enable Mr E. Noonan with his hook and ladder company to be of great service in case of fire. Mr Morey's idea of reclaiming the beach between the Mail office and the Government school is certainly premature. I think it will be quite time enough to do that work when the land is really required for building purposes. The only portion of land that requires reciaiming is, in my opinion, the small piece opposite the Catholic Church, consisting of about one acre of shallow water at high tide, the cost of which would be comparatively slight. Trusting abler hands will take an interest in the present important movement of Cr O'Reilly's, I remain, yours, &c, T. B. OHADWICK.

To the Editor, of the Akaroa Mail.

Sir, —I intended to have written you again on the subject that you are pleased to call *' Municipal Pleasantries," but your correspondents, " Burgess"' and " John Bull," have taken the matter up so ably. that I think the Burgesses' attention has been drawn sufficiently to the matter. I should, however, feel obliged if you will allow me the use of your columns to draw attention to clause 157 of the Municipal Corporations Act:—"lf the Council of any borough at any time hereafter borrows any money or issues any debentures on the credit of the borough in excess of or otherwise than in accordance with the provisions of this Act in that behalf, all moneys so illegally borrowed shall be deemed to be a debt jointly and severally due to the Corporation from each and all of the members of the Council who' consented to such illegal borrowing, and may be recovered from such members or any of them in any Court of competent jurisdiction, and may be sued for by any burgess on behalf of the Corporation."

The Mayor stated at the opening of the. meeting the other evening that he had obtained Counsel's opinion as to the legality of borrowing a special loan on the ordiBiary,, rates,, and. that Jt_was illegal. If this is so, Councillors voting for it will be placed in an awkward position should the loan be raised. Before proceeding farther in the matter this should receive their special attention. If the Masterton Council have done an illegal act, it is no reason they should follow in their footsteps, and lam sure the only reason the burgesses here have given tlie absurd, misleading scheme a second thought is that they were under the impression that it would save them from a special rate, whereas if the money is borrowed at all it must be on the security of a special rate.

Commending the matter to the consideration of the Councillors, I am, Sir, Yours, &c, CIVIS. Akaroa, May 23.