RATHER ANIMATED MEETING

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1033, 24 January 1911, Page 3

RATHER ANIMATED MEETING

SHOULD WANGANUI BORROW? The statutory meeting of ratepayers in connection with' the proposed, loan, of ' for. tramway extension was held last, week, and- was attended by only a very .few residents, but Hie nroccedings made, up in interest what was "lacking in. numbers.. It speedily became evident that the meeting had attracted .a number ,-qf ,opponents ■ of. the scheme, with.the result that'a. motion of. approval.of the\'loan,'was lost by. one"vote. 'X'hi> schemo is designed to fit in'with the proposals.of the Gonvillo-CastleclifT Tramway J Board,"so as.to provide communication between th'o town- and the' sea beach.

: The ; Mayor, who outlined the proposals, prefaced his remarks-by some reference to the! borough- finance. Tho total debt, he said, was i2di,500, of which .£50,000 was self-supporting, and there were sinking funds amounting- to over .418,000. The agreement with:the' Tramway. Board provided:' that the '-.Borough . Council ■ should find tho additions to the power plant, cars and trailers, charging Old. per car mile, and 6hl. per trailer mile, wbilo the board should construct the track and overhead gear, and find the additions to the staff.. The council were to.havo the option of taking ■ over- the Hue at any time .after seven years at cost, less depreciation. ■ Allied With this tliero was a similar scheme, for tramway extension to Wanganui East, and they were also bound by. agreement with the 'Wanganui East; Borough Council, this, however, being conditional on the poll for a loan for ■.• the ■' new bridge being carried. The estimated revenue from' both schemes was ,£8685, and the estimated expenditure .£BIOO. In concluding, ■ tho Mayor moved that the scheme be approved.

. Councillor Poynter- (chairman ■ of the Tramway's Committee), in -seconding the .motion, referred to the success of the borough tramways, which, after, paying interest and sinking fund and also (during the year) .£7OO out of revenue for. repairs and .renewals, ■ were now showing a small profit. The net surplus for nine months of'tho present financial year was JMO. On the motion being'declared open for discussion, the' Mayor was bombarded' with questions,hecklers keeping,him .busy for Over.an hour with their interrogations. His Worship, however, .proved equal to ; the occasion, and completely disposed of tho. objections and figures of tho opposition. As before stated, however, the motion was lost by, a majority of .one, but the Mayor Tomnrked that the verdict of a small meeting did not disposo of tho matter, and he announced that the poll would bo. taken on Wednesday week.

. Prior to the above meeting, tho Durictown ratepayers held a statutory meeting to discuss the proposed loan of .£II,OOO for installing a drainage system and water supply to that suburb, which has recently been "annexed" to tho borough.

After the Mayor had outlined- tho scheme, n motion approving of the samo .was carried unanimously, and a poll will be taken thereon on the same day as tho tramway extension poll. At the last-mentioned meeting a suggestion was put forward by one of the ratepayers that tho name of Durietown should be changed. The llayor suggested Wanganui South, and promised that the council should consider tho matter.

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