RATEPAYERS' MEETING.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5155, 22 July 1927, Page 2

RATEPAYERS' MEETING.

(To the Editor.)

Sir, —Being indisposed, I was unable, to be present at the above meeting to hear first-hand the Mayor’s explanation of the various subjects and incidental details thereon. Having carefully perused the report which appeared in your valuable paper, I cannot but feel impressed with the amount of work involved, as shown by the completeness of the report, which would do credit to a high standard of engineering authority. And may I take the opportunity to say that road construction in its various forms is a subject in which I am always interested. I realise, as everyone must realise, the enormous difficulties local bodies are confronted with to-day in an endeavour to' meet the necessary requirements of modern speed motor transit. Never in the history of this country has the question of road construction been more emphatically accentuated than it is to-day. Huge sums are required for expenditure in every borough, in every county, road district, etc. And, of coursA, incidental to securing these: large sums, there must be provided interest qnd sinking fund accordingly, which we may now call “rates.” In considering loan proposals for our local requirements the question becomes' a matter for the burgesses to consider in the light of their ability to pay the aforesaid rates that must be provided for the loan. In this respect one puts the propositions: (1) Whether the contemplated expenditure is warranted under our present circumstances; and (2) can the proposed rate under our existing conditions be economically borne without undue hardship ? These important questions were answered in the Mayor’s address to the burgesses last Tuesday night on the issues at hand. I now desire to offer some criticism on the figures given in Mr Marshall’s statement contained in the report. Answering Mr R. Waddingham, the Mayor said that the cost of concrete was about £lO,OOO per -mile, and as the borough had four miles of main highway it would cost £40,000, which meant that an additional £32,000 would be required. This reply indicated the intention of the Mayor and his council to construct four miles of the highway streets referred to not in concrete, but in a bituminous process at an estimated cost of £8675. It is regrettable that His Worship did not see fit to give a more encouraging reply to the subject of concrete road construction, rather than the almost peremptory dismissal of the matter by quoting the colossal figures of initial cost of the system if adopted. It is hardly necessary to point out that concrete mixture is now universally adopted and agreed to be the most economic system of road construction in this country. The report says that interest and sinking fund, 11 per cent., on the reduced proposed loan of £4500 amounts to £495 a year, whilst £5OO is set down for annual maintenance, making the total annual charges on the loan £995. We are assured by His Worship that these cha.rges will not exceed £lOO over and above the present maintenance cost, for which £9OO was earmarked for the current year. In another part of the report Mr Marshall is credited with the statement that it is agreed by experts that the estimated cost of maintenance of bitumen streets is £250 per mile a year. Assuming this to be the accepted opinion of engineers and experts, how is it that the Mayor has entirely disregarded the opinion by the fact that only £5OO is provided for a.nnual maintenance of four miles- of bitumen streets in the borough instead of £lOOO, in accordance with ordinary rules of computation. Thus I make the position to work out as follows : £lOOO for maintenance and interest and jinking fund £495, making a total annual charge against the loan account of £1495, instead of that given in the report—£99s. In conclusion I wish to state I am not promoting this criticism in opposition to the projected loan proposals. ■On the contrary, I feel sure that the time is ripe for the reconstruction of streets in the town ; but I would be glad of some explanation of the figures I have 1 quoted, which I have no doubt will be forthcoming. W. H. TAYLOR. Hill Street.