THE BOROUGH STREETS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 549, 12 March 1913, Page 5

THE BOROUGH STREETS.

DEPUTATIONS TO COUNCIL.

SEDDON STREET.

| At the meeting of the borough council on Monday evening a large deputation of Seddon street ratepayers waited on the council in reference to the condition of Seddon street. Mr J. S. James, who acted as spokesman stated that the street last winter was impassable for wheel traffic, and unless some work was done on it the experience of last winter would be repeated during the coming wet season. The street was thickly built on and ho urged that the interests of the numerous residents should be considered and steps taken to provide reasonable access.

Messrs H. Hine, Blackman, M. J. Jones, and E. J. O'Regan endorsed the remarks of Mr James.

Cr Julian said when the £21,000 loan was projected the schedule in connection with the proposal showed an unexpended balance of £IOO for Seddon street. No provision had been made on the £13,000 loan for the street, and the balance previously shown had been wiped out. The engineer said when he outlined the scheme for the proposed £21,000 loan he was given to understand that a balance of £2500 existed for the completion of street works and allocations of the balance mentioned were given for various streets. Subsequently it was found the balance was only about £lsoo,and in formulating a scheme for the reduced loan of £13,000 a considerable amount of cutting down had to be done. It was then decided that the usual 10 per cent, additional to the original loan of £27,000 should be applied for and provision for Seddon street and other streets was made out of the 10 per cent, advance on the original loan. The application for the 10 per cent, could not be entertained by the Government, and the council was thus confined to the proposals embodied inthe £13,000, loan which had been arranged. Cr Somerville, in further explanation, said that the objective in connection with the £13,000 loan was to put in order the streets giving access to outside settlers. Had the council obtained the 10 per cent, on the original loan there would have been ample money available to attend to all the streets.

On the motion of Cra Somerville and Walsh, it was decided that the matter of the deputation be referred to the Works Committee with a view to alleviating the position. HILL STREET.

Messrs A. S. Gresham and W. McColl waited on the council on behalf of the Hill street residents with a view to getting the metalling of a very bad portion of the street completed.

Cr Julian supported the representations of the deputation.

The engineer said the metalling of the portion referred to had been decided upon, and it was the intention to complete the work at the first opportunity. After the deputations had been heard Cr Walsh said it was a significant fact that a short time ago the ratepayers had turned down a proposal to borrow £21,000, and in accordance with their expressed wishes the amount had been reduced to £13,000. These same ratepayers were now clamouring for increased expenditure on streets and sufficient money was not available to comply with the demands.