MASTERTON NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 518, 27 May 1909, Page 5

MASTERTON NOTES.

At the mooting of the Borough Council on Tuesday evening, the Mayor (Air.. P. L. Hollings, moved: "That a poll of the ratepayers bo taken on a proposal to borrow tho sum of £12,000 for the construction and improvement of tho roads-and footpaths in tho principal business and residential streets of the' borough." 'In speaking to the motion, the Mayor said that there .were a number of streets and footpaths,' prjotically m the 'centre of the town, that require -immediate If these streets were unproved, and put into thorough order, the cost of street maintenance for the town would be considerably reduced; It was his desire u> see progress ■effected, on solid lines, and ho was strongly adverse to a policy of stag-. nation. • '.' • The motion produced a lively discussion, Councillors Ewington, Elliott, Temple, Rigg, and Hoar all speaking strongly against the loan proposal. They, however, expressed themselves in favour of a loan for improving the drainage of theVtown. which they considered was more urgently required than street-improvement. Councillor Yarr said that it was absolutely impossible to carry on street improvements out of revenue, and he favoured the proposal. The motion was then put, and was carried on the casting vote of tho Mayor. " • •"',..' . The following is the estimated expenditure for the borough on general rato account for tho period down to March 31, 1910, as passed at the council meeting on Tuesday evening:— Rents, £93; refunds, £16; audit fee, £23; interest on overdraft, £300; fire prevention, £500; Hospital and Charitable Aid, under precept, £435; le;s>l, £94; officers, £297; salaries of officers and others, £415; publio health, £170; Park, £200; election, £64; poundj £150; dogs, £40; Technical School, £25; scavenging, £325j sanitation, £525; street lighting, £450; street maintenance, £1618; stables, £326; Dixon Street widening. £128; Dixon Street baths, £108; section 159, £60. The net estimated requirement is £6402. The estimated receipts to bo deducted are as follow:—Rate subsidy, maximum, £350; arrears of rates', £200; rents, £134; fees, including pound, £735; total estimated receipts, £1419; making tho total amount to bq raised by general rate, £4983. A concert in aid of the funds of the Masterton Choral Society was held in tho Town Hall on Tuesday evening ■ but the attendance was only fair. A first-class programme was presented, which was greatly appreciated by those present. '■■ * llr. Murray J. H, Jackson had tho misfortune to have his left thigh fractured, through a bicycle accident, on Tuesday. He was attended by Dr. Archer Hosking, and is now progressing towards recovery.