ROADS AND RATES

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 123, 26 May 1937, Page 19

ROADS AND RATES

DEFEATED LOAN PROBOSALS MELRG>SEiiMFECtED That the execution of indintenan.ce work -on roads and footpaths in, Melrose was distinctly .bad- was the. general opinion of" members, 6t the' Melrosq Ratepayers' and Electors' Association' at a special roeeting, of that body held last evening. The Mayor (Mr. T. C. A. Hislop) and Councillors W. ApplQton, J, Burns, and W-Ptincan were in attendance. - : ■ } ' , }.' Members pointed out that many of the desired works had been promised months ago but'nothing' had .eventuated. ■'■ They .contended that since they were, paying considerably/higher rates they ware, entitled :to more., improvements,' '. : ; " '■'- ' .; - .■" '. . ''"'. ■ In reply, the Mayor statedthat every effort was being made with the limited amount of money at the council's disposal to.carry out the work in.the district. To say that nothing had been done in the district was an exaggeration. Mr. Hisjop referred to the improved bus service and said that arrangements were being made to put on an extra bus to meet overcrowding on particular nights. Roughly the rates collected in Melrose were, estimated to be between one and two thousand pounds and the amount spent in the district last year, totalled £1592 from rates. For the coming year the proposed expenditure in Melrose was £1480. "Many such works such as surfacing streets and improv r ing pavements I would very much like to see done," he said, "but it is impossible to do it all on the revenue obtained from rates collected.". Proceeds from rates, the Mayor continued, were the main source of revenue and they had .had to be increased to a higher level than ever previously to meet requirements of additional' money for the hospital, in-' creased costs due to raising of wages, and increased costs' of material. The ; verage increase in costs and interest charges" was 20 per cent. There was no more effective money available this year with the increased rates than there was last year with the lower rates, On being asked what was being done regarding the formation of the recreation ground, Mr. Hislop stated that approximately £6000 would be required to, make it into a football ground, but in the meantime he thought that the reserves department might be able tv ct.mplete the ground in a more or less temporary manner for a children's piay area. Councillor Appleton, chairman of thcworks committee, denied the suggestion that the works committee was "treating Melrose. with, contempt," and Stated that on nq fewer than four occa-, jidns/last year he had been out to inspect the district. He expressed sym. pathy with the claims of Melrose, but painted gut that in the. loan schedule n greater amount of money had been aU<?cate.d to. the district in. proportion tq its, size, ihajfi to any ■ other district in Wellington. Melrose, he said, could absorb several .thousand pounds, and the best, way: to secure that amount was to vqte for the loan when the pro-, posals were... put forward again, posisibly in May of next year, at the time of the municipal elections. He made arrangements to make a further inspection on Friday morning. j Councillors Burns and Duncan also [spoke briefly, complimenting members on.their very live association. Included in a lengthy list of desired j works, a note of which was taken by the Mayor for further consideration, were the st^te of several roads, par-, tieularly Hdrnsey Eoad, a proposed bus concession charge, the state of thg recreation ground, entrances to houses in certain areas, and the generally I poor state of footpaths.