THE CITY LOAN PROPOSALS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 430, 12 February 1909, Page 4

THE CITY LOAN PROPOSALS.

If the voting on yesterday's loan 'proposals can .ho taken as > a ■ guides, to tho views of. citizens generally,' there' is a strong feeling in tho community that the "go slow" policy in -incurring financial obligations,'which has been advocated .by The Dominion for- - some time past, is a wise one at tho present juncture. Yesterday ratepayers were asked to sanction loans totalling some £208,000; but all the proposals relating directly to thecity proper were rejected, 'and only those, providing for .tramways to Wadestown (£40,000) ■ and water supply for Wadcstown and Northland' (£22,500) ■ carried; Naturally the Mayor'and Councillors are disappointed at the result of tho-polling, and. tho former", is .probably correct in stating that it-would have been to tlie advantage of the city had some of the rejected proposals been carried. : At the same time we. believe, that, on tho whole,, ratepayers have: erred on; the : side of' safety. Hislop, at the meeting of the City Council last, evening, hinted. that there might be ways and means of overriding the : decision given at the ballot-box, but even should this be legally possible: it would bp .very improper, for, the council; which goes out of office very shortly, to fly in the face of the opinion so plainly expressed by.,,the. ratepayers:v Despite the fact -that only some 2000 out of 13,000 persons entitled to vote troubled to attend-and re-' cord theHr votes, the decision given should be regarded as binding on the council until a fresh poll. is ; taken.: Meanwhile", residents of Wadestown who have'waited, long for their: tramway must, feel grati-. fled .at securing " the imajbrity required to ensure the carrying out of the work to connect them with the city system; nioro especially' in view oi the .prevailing feel-ing-regarding further municipal .borrowiiig.'' ;