The Globe. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1877.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 824, 12 February 1877, Page 2

The Globe. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1877.

The City Council, upon what we cannot but think was very scant data, have agreed to remit the question of purchasing Mr. Morton’s section to a poll of the ratepayers. It comes therefore to the citizens recommended by their representatives, who, it must be assumed, have taken care to assure themselves on two points ; first, as to the desirability of such a step; and secondly, that the finances of the city are in such a position as to enable the cost to be met without extra rate. The whole question, so far as wc can see, is comprised in these two propositions. To carry out the objects proposed by the mover of the resolution, a sum of £30,000 is required. This is a large sum, and it behoves the ratepayers, before committing themselves to a proposition involving so much, to look carefully at it, and to see whether, as claimed for it, the project can be carried out without additional rate. It must be remembered that now we are rated for a variety of objects to an extent that makes it an important item in the yearly expenditure. Therefore, to add another burden to the already heavy load on the tax-payer cannot be thought of. That there is a necessity for the widening of the thoroughfare in Colombo street no one will deny, but that, to do this, we must acquire the whole of a large and valuable section, is open to considerable question. The cost of the small piece of land for increasing the width of the street would not be a great deal, but even this work, we contend, is not imperatively necessary. Larger cities, in which the traffic is ten times that of Christchurch, manage to do with even smaller thoroughfares than Colombo street, and, if the work means additional cost to the ratepayers, we must be content to wait a while. As to the second part of the proposition, viz., the building of the Town Hall, there are even stronger objections to this being done, if it is to mean additional taxation. It would, of course, be a good thing to be able to point out to a visitor a noble pile of buildings as our Town Hall, and no doubt the members of the City Council and the officials would feel the dignity of their position far more, but—there is no use blinking the fact —we can’t afford it. We are told, in a vague sort of way, that all these good things are to be done without cost to the ratepayers. Councillor Hobbs, in moving his resolution, quoted some figures, which he got somewhere and somehow, but how does not appear, to show that not a farthing of additional rate was required. But what we want to point out is this, that neither before the Council nor in any other way has it been tangibly and clearly made out that this is really a fact. It is easy to make estimates and assume everything that may be favourable —figures we know may be made to prove anything —but will the scheme stand the test of a business like examination ? Can the projectors of this movement show clearly that what they state is so ? If they can do this, all opposition to the scheme at once ceases, and the scheme will receive the unanimous vote of the ratepayers. No one would be stupid enough to object to that being done free of cost to the city, which would be of benefit to it. But this must be clearly and positively demonstrated before the ratepayers are asked to give their votes on this important subject. There are a number of works which would be equally beneficial, if not more so, to the ratepayers, which have to be left undone because our financial position is not such as would warrant their being undertaken. "W e may note the asphalting of our side-walks, the increase in the number of gas-lamps, and other works which remain undone. But here the representatives of the ratepayers tacitly, by their votes, agree to recommend us to incur a large expense, and this without having before them such a statement as would enable them to come clearly and positively to the conclusion that no extra rating would be needed. We hope now the question has been remitted to the citizens, that before they give their votes they will insist upon having before them a .clear statement of the grounds upon which the scheme is based, And that they will thoroughly examine it* details so that there may be no possibility of a large sum of

money having to be provided out of rates. If, as Cr. Hobbs asserts, the two worts can be carried out without additional burdens, then by all means lot us do them; but, on the other hand, before entering on the scheme, let us be quite sure that the data are correct.