THE BOROUGH LOAN.

Feilding Star, Volume III, Issue 78, 13 March 1883, Page 3

THE BOROUGH LOAN.

Subjoined is a copy of the letter ad»_TOS^ed"by MrD. li. Macarthur to the ' .Mayor and Councillors, in reference to suggested improvements in Manchester .Square, which was read at the last meeting of the Borough Council. The letter twas 'Unavoidably held over from our ilastispue,:--- . ' to F.Y.' Lethbridge, Esq., Mayor of .< : tb: ■'■'■■ Feilding. • Sib,—! beg to call the attention of the .Feilding Borough Council to the fact, has perhaps escaped their notice, .fliat no provision has been made in the .schedule -of works under the proposed Joan of. £6000 for the improvement of "Manchester .square, and the giving to the . .sections fronting thereon a metalled road frontage. I think I am correct in stating .that apart from the ordinary mainitenan_6'6_ the roads running through the square no public money has been spent €or the benefit of ithe square frontages, .-although footpaths have been constructed rat the -expense of the owners round three--tfourthsof tlie square. The widening of Jthe Kimbolton road and the substitution <d a culvert for the bridge in the middle of the square .(works carried out by the ' .local bodies before the constitution of the Borough)' We both works which, irom' Jtheir nature and p .-.sition, are necessary _.0-*Tfh6 general ' traffis of the town and; •district, aud cannot therefore be properly «ciiarged as adebit again?, t the rates paid hy the square frontages. Indeed the' being led through the 3sddle of; sko square in some degree detracts, from the value of these frontages. I find that the rates paid by tTi_s eight sections: fronting the square '.amounted last year to £24 4s, and that .during the coming year they will if anyithing ;b€.'.sqn}ewht increased. It may ..also, be fairly asaumed that in course of iinelarge buildings will be put up in -suqlj.,o- these sections as are now vacant, .•and that the revenue ..derived from them •by way of rates will, during the 20 years •currency of the loan; be largely added to. ,_Even thei present payment of £"2_ 4s per ;annuniwoald m 20 years at 7 per cent mean ta ; payment to tne Borough funds of nearly ;£BOO towards the loan at a sbSling rate, Twnile under, the present schedule these 7propert.es would derive no direct benefit Whatever from the scheme. These are : what may be called the private grounds •on .which, on behalf of the owners •of .square, : properties, I beg you to irerponsider ; your .allotment of the loan -so far., as to give the square frontages .soihe .benefit from tlie fund to which ithese properties will have to contribute -so largely. On public grounds I should .also like to express to the Council that .the present appearance of the square is a disgrace to a Borough like that of Feildiing. -Strangers are very apt to judge of :a place according to the appearance of Jthe parts, that .come more immediately ' 'ninder.'tiieir. notice, and their verdict on .Feilding ..after .a look at its principal •centre cannot be otherwise than unfavorable.- Indeed, within- my -own knowledge .remarks of the kind alluded to are con- , rflfcintly, (being made by visitors, and depreciating comparisons drawn between Feilding and Palmerston, where the centre «of the town has -received its due share of .attention. As you have, under the pre-.-senfe .-schedule, ■ provided for a metalled .road to the door of every resident and Jhave still a sum of money unailoted, I _iqpe that you will give this matter, which is ol both private and public im--portance, a, favorable .consideration, and provide" for such improvements to the :squarp ,as shjd^ give all the frontages \hefe6h a"raetailed' road, and render the .centre of the; ..square an ornament to the rtown, rather than an eyesore, as at ,present. I am, &c, ..it-oV. . •"* "" ! D. H. Macahthue.