PROPOSED BOROUGH WORKS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 299, 1 October 1910, Page 3

PROPOSED BOROUGH WORKS.

Public Meeting. A meeting of ratepayer? was held on Thursday night in the Town Hal!, Te Kuiti, to hear an important explanatory speech by his Worship the Mayor (Mr James Boddie) on the proposed borough improvement- scheme. There was an attendance of about fifty. The Mayor said he was sorry, in view of the tremendous importance of the matters to be dealt with that so few were present, as to the members of the council who had been grappling with the question, it would have been gratifying if the hall had been well filled. The matter was not only of very great importance to the future prospects of the town, but required the fullest consideration of all having interests in the town to-day. The ratepayers would have the first and last word. That was a preliminary meeting, and he regarded it as of far greater importance than the statutory meeting to be held later, as by the first meeting they would be guided in their plans. The "Chronicle" had given very full reports of the proposed schemes, the only details not published being the amounts to be spent on the various streets. These were very lengthy, and if the audience were agreeable, might be taken as read. The scheme contemplated dealing with practically all the streets in the borough. It would interest them to know that there were sixteen and ahalf miles of these streets, and with the exception of one and a-half miles done by the Government, the whole of the rest would have to be done by the ratepayers. Of the several water schemes the' Waiteti scehme, on full investigation by the engineer, had proved the only practical one, and he was glad to say Dr Makgill, the chief health officer for the district, who went over the ground with the engineer, approved of practically everything he saw. An analysis would be made of the water and be anticipated it would prove satisfactroy. Dr Makgill approved also of the drainage scheme. The borough was fortunate in having this approval and also in the manner in which the by-laws had been received by the chief health officer. Two alternatives had been before them, one, to pay for works out of current revenue and the other, to strike a low rate the first year and after preparing a comprehensive scheme to put the town in a clean, healthy, sanitary and up-to-date condition, to use the rate for paying the interest and sinking fund on the sum of money borrowed. The council had satisfied itself that the scheme was a reasonable one, and one that did not impose any undue burden on the ratepayers. One or two facts would prove this. For water, drainage and streets the sum required was £26,621. but some land was also required as a catchment area and for other purposes, protected from contamination £379 had been put down for those purposes giving a total of £27,000 as the amount to be raised. The interest and sinking fund on this at five per cent, per annum would be £1350. Probably, though, the money could be raised at not more than £4 17s 6d per cent. Then would have to be added the interest and 'sinking fund on the £2OOO loan raised by the county for improvements in the old native township; £350 would be a fair estimate for upkeep on roads and streets; £250 would cover clerical and general expenses, and £IOO the contribution to the hospital and charitable aid board and sundries, giving a total of £2150 as the amount to be raised for some years to come. The estimated revenue included £750 as receipts from water rate, taken on a valuation basis. On the present capital value a IJdrate yielded £llOO. They might strike the general rate and a special rate, but as they got a Government subsidy on the general rate it was to their advantage to strike as large an ordinary rate and as small a special rate as possible. The Government subsidy might yield £200; licenses would yield £100; the special rate which must be collected from the special area over which the original £2OOO was expended, would produce £IOO, making an inclusive total of £2250, or a £IOO margin over the estimated expenditure. There was nothing alarming in the figures. But there was another aspect of the question. Probably -there were one hundred sanitary pans in use, costing 25s each in service and upkeep per annum, or £125 a year, which would be dispensed with on the installation of the sewage system. Immediately the water supply was installed the insurances on properties in the business area would be reduced by 20 to 30 per cent. If the general rate of lid suggested was struck, they were also justified in counting on a Government subsidy, and taken in conjunction with the other figures it made the position better. The Mayor then compared Te Kuiti with its 1500 population and its proposed £27,000 loan with a number of other towns, and showed that it was easily within the mark in comparison with them. The rate to be levied must provide the interest and sinking fund and a ten per cent, margin above those sums. To do that they would have to raise £ISOO, and the council proposed to make provision for a 2Jd rate, this being necesasry to comply with the requirements of the Government. He thought it would only be necessary to raise a lid general rate, which in conjunction with the other items of income would be equivalent to a 2Jd rate. In the event of the works costing more than the estimates they had the ten per cent, margin to fall back on. If the proposals were carried | they could have what every town in | modern times aimed at- a healthy borough. They also required a system of lighting as soon as the other schemes were in work. A sub-com-mittee of the council had been set up to consider the question, and if it reported favourably the scheme could be included in the loan proposals. He thought for £2OOO they could have an acetelyne gas plant to give all they

required, which would enable present users of acetelyne to get their gas direct from the town mains instead of manufacturing for themselves. He firmly believed they would be ableto supply private consumers at a price consumers could not make it at, and the ratepayers would not be called on for any contribution. In conclusion, he invited questions. Replying to Mr Garr, the Mayor said the period of repayment of the loan would probably be from 30 to 36 years. He thought £4 17s 6d per cent, per annum would repay it in that period. In reply to Mr Otway, no lighting scheme had been approved or disapproved. It rested with the subcommittee and the council whether any scheme was recommended or not to the ratepayers. In reply to Dr Fu'.lerton the connecting with the sewage system would be a fairly expensive matter. If it was found to be a tax on property owners the borough might raise say £ISOO or £2OOO and make the connections, arranging with the owners for repayment over 10 or 12 years. This had the advantage of getting the work done at the lowest rate under the superintendence of the borough engineer. In reply to Mr Tammage, the Act provided that if an owner's property was within 100 yards of the water main half rates were charged if he did rot connect. In reply to Mr Jones the whole of the calculations for rates had been based on the net amount. The dramage proposals covered the closely built portions of the town. As it grew they would be extended. The water supply would go much further, to all available points where it was likely to be required. Mr Spenser, consulting engineer, said a fair supply could be given at a height of 100-200 feet above the town level, easily reaching Mr Hardy's house and nearly reaching Mr Boddie's house. In reply to Dr Fullerton the Mayor said that in all suitable places, where the sewage system ran, the by-laws would provide that the owners of properties must connect. The council wanted a clean town. Mr F. Sims moved: --"That this meeting of ratepayers of the borough of Te Kuiti, having heard the full details of the loan proposals of the borough council, hereby approves of the same, and asks the council to proceed with the necessary -steps to carry through the loan." Mr John Carr seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously. The Mayor said they had been pushing on the preliminary work as fast as they could, and he was very hopeful that, before the winter set in, they would be able to improve the back streets of the town. This concluded the meeting.