PETONE MAYORALTY

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3056, 18 April 1917, Page 9

PETONE MAYORALTY

SITTING MAYORJS REVIEW. The Mascot Pioturo Theatre, .Petone, was fairly well filled last evening, when J\lr. J. W. M'Ewan, the retiring Mayor, who is seeking re-election, delivered an address. Mr. J. Piper was in the chair. . • Mr. M'Ewan, .after referring to. his record of services as -Mayor and niem.ber of/the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board and of the Harbour Board, referred to the rate'able-area of the Petone borough. The total area of. the borough was 1060 acres, from which ; had to be deducted the Koro Koro and Maungaraki Settlements, totalling 233' acres, and leaving 872 acres on the flat. ■ From this latter'area there had .to be deducted 160 acres for streets, 96 acres for tho' Government property, 31 acres for recreation ground, 31 acres for scenic reserve at Koro'Koro, 13 acres Domain, six acres school lauds, three :;•*« church lands, 16 acreß sanitary, site,-: 10 acres for sea front strip, eight acres for other lands, making a total non-rateablo area of 375 .acres,'which, deducted from .the flat area, left 475 acres, from which practically all the rates required by the borough had to bo obtained. The net public'; debt of the borough now totalled £1.65,070, or llf per cent, of the,.capital value of £1,435,664. Of the debt, £86,982 had .been spent on drainage',.' £31,405 on water "supply, £21,300 on gas works, £6600 on! recreation grounds, £7000 on municipal •buildings, £2500 motor loan, £5000 on foreshore-and £3242 on sanitary service. The debt per head of population was £22, and compared favourably with ; boroughs ' of the. same sizethroughout New Zealand. The admin-istration-charges of the borough-were exceedingly, small also. ,In proportion to receipts it amounted to -2.52 per ■cent., and for receipts, and expenditure combined 1.27 per cent. This was .lower--than'the average for the whole of-the/boroughs of New Zealand. ' ■'• / The speaker gave an exhaustive account:ofv the sewerage scheme, and said;""l have good authority for the statement- that notwithstanding the difficulties incidental to-carrying out the work, we have got a good job at a not unreasonable cost.'? The work was, still-incomplete, and the council had-decided to submit a loan proposal ior £3000: to finish the work. -The'gas ;wprks showed an excess of assets over liabilities of £8355. He had no'hesitation- in > saying that the Wellington Gas Company would give £50,000 ,; for the works to-morrow, : and that in ■ spite of the possibility of a hydro-electric plant being established, in the district. The price of gas at-Petone was ss. lOd. net, which compared favourably with tho prices 'charged at other municipal gas works. Passing- reference was made to the water supply service, the foreshore, the storm water from the hills, and the motor, bus:

. Concluding, Mr. M'Ewan said that every.- : effort should be made to increase the rating area by urging the GA/ernnieut to dispose of their land;: that the sewerage scheme should bo carried out to a conclusion as early as possible; that in order to supply the people of the'town with a sufficient supply.xof water for all purposes the question of augmenting the supply by means of artesian wells, with pumping direct into the existing mains to keep up the pressure for fire i and other purposes; shoiild.be considered.

• Mr. M'Ewan had a good reception, arid his address'was. well received.