FACTS FOR RATEPAYERS

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 31, 6 February 1935, Page 12

FACTS FOR RATEPAYERS

(To the Editor.)

Sir,—Prominence has been given to an item of hews from Plimmerton that a meeting of ratepayers had formed a vigilance committee to oppose the loan for this bridge on the 13th inst. As far as I can ascertain, no public notice of this meeting was made here. It cannot be assumed that Jhis is an expression of the mind of Plimmerton ratepayers, and is entirely misleading to those nonresident here.

A correspondent opposed to the loan complained of the "Hush-hush" tactics of the Paremata Bridge Association. Who are the "Hush-hush"1 people now? This news item does not say where the meeting was held, who were at the meeting, who was in the chair, or who were the ratepayers elected to this hew vigilance committee.

An attempt is made to frighten the ratepayers with a £7000 debt on this community. There are about 600 ratepayers, and the capital value of their property is £250,000.1 question if to 5 per cent, of these the extra rate of -id in the £ would be any hardship whatever. This means that a ratepayer with a property value of £200 only pays 4s 2d per annum; if his house and section are £500 value he only pays 10s 5d yearly. This includes interest and sinking fund, and the cost of the plans for the previous toll bridge. This low cost to:the ratepayers is made possible by taking advantage of the low interest cost now. To delay for years is to miss this golden opportunity.

This vigilance committee argues that this will be a national highway, and if the ratepayers wait they will get something for nothing, by and by. No county council in New Zealand would get the Highways Board to consider, far less to agree to, the above proposal, by which ratepayers would' receive substantial benefit at the public expense, and to which the county council was not asked to provide some portion of the cost. I question very much if the county council would propose such a proposition to the Highways Board. Surely the ratepayers of the Taupo Hiding are not so mean-spirited that they ask the citizens of the Dominion to erect a concrete bridge and form a three-mile road for nothing, costing probably over £20,000, in which they will reap an immediate benefit

The ratepayers are now asked by this vigilance committee to let the councillor for the riding down: that all his continuous and determined efforts in this behalf will come to nought. From the opinions publicly expressed- at meetings of the rategayers in Wellington. Palmerston North, and Plimmerton, they will do no such thing. They appreciate deeply what Councillor Button has done for the riding, not only in this matter, but all along the line of his different activities on their behalf. Again and again has the proposal for the bridge been within sight of fulfilment after countless interviews with the various interests involved, only to have another obstacle thrown in the way, at the last minute. Now the ratepayers have their opportunity of forging the last link of the chain which will make the bridge their own.—l am, etc.. ■..'■. v JAS. WALLACE, Member of Paremata Bridge Assn.