LUXURIES OR NECESSITIESWHICH?

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 663, 25 April 1914, Page 5

LUXURIES OR NECESSITIES—WHICH?

The Editor. Sir, —With your kind permission I would like to make a few remarks on the subject of the proposed loan and river deviation works. Our able Mayor at his meeting on Thursday night made the projects seem very alluring until one or two questions and Cr Mostyn Jone'a remarks took a considerable quantity of the gilt off. Well, sir, it now seems to me that the scheme is premature and, as Cr Jones said, ill-considered. Mr Boddie, in his remarks, omitted to mention'the £3OO extra required for the filling-in of a comparatively small portion of the present river bed, the other portions it is intended to leave to time —or, eternity—with consequent delay or diminution of revenue from the sections con"ernd. He also gave the annual charge of the scheme as £247—5 per- cent, interest and sinking fund on £4500 plus 10 par cent, extra, msking £4950 —but afterwards admitted that the works were to cost £6150 that is, £4950 plus the £I2OO already borrowed for river deviation, the annual charge on which, even at the same low rate, would be £307 103. When this point was pressed by Cr Jones Mr Boddie artfully evaded it by saying that the £I2OO was very handy to have in she bank and by being transferred to another account was saving interest on an overdraft. Quite so, but when it is spent on t'ns fancy scheme, it won't do so, and interest for it will have to be found along with the interest for the other loan if tho ratetpiyers are foolish enough to pass it.

Another point: Part of the land acquired it is proposed to cut up into eighteen business sites. How many years will it be before this town, progressive as it is, can support eighteen new business premises? Mr Elliott's question as to whether or not any provision had been made to prevent the erosion of the new banks of the river at the bend just above the propessd bridge seems also to be a very pertinent question, and is not satisfactorily disposed of by simply saying that the engineer consulted is highly qualified and experienced. That would be small satisfaction, I fancy, to the ratepayers if. in a year or two it was found that the river, instead cf flowing under the bridge, was inclined to flow round the south end of it. Mr Boddie's remarks about the money spent being kept in the district and providing work for some time to come though very true are equally applic able to tha same money spent on more urgent works —road 3, footpaths, draining swampy parts of town, etc. It seems to me, sir, there is too much of that necessary work still undon9 to justify the ratepayers sanctioning the spending of money on this proposed luxury.—l am, et °" F. S. DUNCANSON.