CITY- IMPROVEMENTS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 277, 20 November 1907, Page 9

CITY- IMPROVEMENTS.

SRiDUGB AXD ELECTRIC LIGHT.

.-„. nf citizens convened in ac- • :A x£S& statute to consider the pro--00 if the City Council to borrow v.vo P° sal f x SO 000"for the extension of elcc£Ulß l- -ntino-'and for the initiation of the held last night in *as very small, under JtJUm being present. The Mayor fc ? sed regret that such apathy existed " municipal affairs evidenced by the paucity ot the and the recent small vounp ? tt SS on the loan questions. There m People in Auckland who thought progressing faster than cir--1 Tnees warranted, but there was Truncation for submitting this ex- ! L policy. The rates were St P the°£, making a total of £62.30.3 s the nresent year, while for the year r Wav 31 1906, the rates outstandeiidin,, Qut of £56 034 co l ec table. rear ending May. 1907. the i£t was £12 10/9 out of £58.390 coliS»1)le There was an average yearly ! *£££ in valuation for the last five - o f f?3.090, while last year the in*rLe W! £32.387. Some people said XL; th° Council did not increase rates, W tint"up valuation: but the assessor ■' nffht to put the marketable value land.'and no one would sell his at the rate it stood in the CounP Tbooks The assets estimated for the - • Jne v'ear were £910.904, in addition £Tsh assets f65.156. production by exLdirare of new loans, exclusive of fafton Bridge, £211.090; exclusive of L value of underground drainage syss tern estimated at £250.000; prospective additional value arising from expenditure tf woposed new loan. £50.000 : and from ffi of drainage loan. 1899, £10,000; Hrand total of £1.497,000. or, in round "numbers oneand a-half millions. Liabili■te ™ 'March 31 were £730.900, and . loans floated since increased the total to ,-33300 against which there was an acl irued sinKng fund of no less than £104 *$!> leaving a net amount ot ifazb,sgs'ihe loans authorised but not yet floated amounted to £200.600. bringing the total liability up to £929.496. including the f 100,000 under consideration. The atottoir. electric light, and waterworks ' loans totalling £50,600. were self-support- " ins The total annual interest payable oiTloans floated to date was £36,149, of yuch £5,100 was provided from water - funds and £2100 from improvement trust fends The loans likely to be issued next year-Town Hall £40.000. Grafton Bridge i 15,000, drainage £60,000 —would bear interest ' 'amounting to £4887, making a total interest to be provided of. £41,036. Ihe special rate was estimated to produce' next year, allowing for an increase in the "of £30,000 for growth of new loildißgs, £31.543: improvement trust, £2100, and water fund £5100, a total of £38.743, leaving a balance of about £2000 ' ja be provided, either out of water funds or out of the balance available from bamway profits, after providing sinking funds. 'The receipts for the 1908 year mre estimated at £153.865, against which yas an expenditure of £144,218, the items of expenditure including £11,450 for •mtereorks, £2800 for the nightsoil depot,, and £2000 for the Ponsonby ■baths, permanent works, while £16,000 out of the £42,000 devoted to streets was also to be spent on street works, a total „on permanent works of £31,950. The .drainage- of Auckland had engaged the attention of citizens for many years. SereraTreports had been presented to the .Council on the subject. By the beginning oi January Mr. Midgley Taylor would be here* to filially report upon this scheme, - and at present data of every kind was bfeing collected at a cost of £10.000, while other data required was also being colleet.ed ly Mr. Biish. The £50,000 on account wraii be required for surveys, purchase . of land, and extensions, of existing sewers, and would , not obviate the necessity for going to tie ratepayers in the future :or .: ihe sum necessary to carry out the work. 'fie drainage scheme would make Auckland a clean , and up-to-date city. He . ..Ihen moved that a poll of the ratepayers ;' of Auckland be taken on 2Sth inst. on the question of borrowing £50,000 for drainage'woiis. He hoped the citizens would realise their responsibilities on the day '" pf the poll. .. ; Mr,L..j. Bagnall seconded, expressing the opinion that the citizens -would Deed no great argument to commend a . scheme so vitally necessary. The half per coiit sinking fund would pay off the loan in 57 years; the currency of the proposedloan"was 21 years, so that in 21 years one-third of the loan would be paid off, and the remainder could ... then be.renewed. :. The motion was then carried unanimously, and. the loan of £50,000 for electric iighting extension was then conadered. The Mayor stated that the £25,000 , .already voted for the electric lighting H&eme would be exceeded by the first installation, and the establishment of a sufficient scheme ' was self-evident. Already 600 Jrilowatts had been applied for, . tie amount available was 450. Within the next fortnight or so he : ™ped to have cne pleasure of switching on the current in the city. The mouerniatioa of the city necessitated the larger scheme. The Council did not desire to ■ fake a large profit out of the scheme, tat wished to place light and power at weir disposal at such .. rate as would i V 4l } to the encouragement of local ininstnes. They hoped to make a profit Mter the first year sufficient to reduce rate, and he was satisfied ,™t intb. management on business lines «c undertaking would be a profitable J ,., Ihe n ew electrical engineer, who . would arrive here within a fortnight, • Zf. re P°rt on the extension of the XfL ightin £ of the cit r. and lhe -*MMO would be expended" as circum- . «;««. He moved that a poll taken on the question on 28th inst. *ho ? .?\V cc ° nd ed by Mr. C. J. Parr. tTh. that the cit >" e °«id not claim ■ nlv rt P - l ° date while st failed to suppoVer „ ™ th e!ect ™ «eht and Shl'T? payin S Propositions? mtlon was carried unanimously.