THE BOROUGH RATE.

Kumara Times, Issue 2557, 2 September 1884, Page 2

THE BOROUGH RATE.

[to the editor.]

Sir—Whereas you have been on the wing from one position to another and apparently very uncomfortable since you thought fit to refer to the above subject, and as you have on Saturday descended from that lofty pedestal your leading column to the footnote, and there acknowledge your previous error, I am now coming to the conclusion that by your answering the following questions in a straightforward manner, further argument on your part is useless:— First, please point out what years, if any, have the annual estimates been published in your paper as you now require. Second, your reason for being the advocate (your silence ou the one hand) of the Council accepting a higher tender for street maintenance and of paying a shilling per yard more for gravel than the accepted tender. And your strenuous effort on the other hand to publish larger advertisements, and levy a shilling instead of a sixpenny rate. I am, &c, D. Hannan. September I, 1884. [We yielded one point—as to the the twelve days' notice ; but the Mayor caunot yield, even when defeated, and resorts to.the too common practice of asking other questions to evade a straightforward reply to the matters in controversy. With regard to his first question, we do not know of any occasion when the estimates for the year have been published; but the fact of their not having been previously publicly notified does not annul the obligation of the Council to conform to the Act, which in this matter we have no doubt has been overlooked. • It was only by the action of the Mayor endeavouring to curtail the expense of these notices beyond what the law requires shall be given to the burgesses of the Council's intentions that led us to peruse the Acts relating thereto. There is no getting away from the 109th section of the Municipal Corporations Act that the " estimate of the proposed expenditure of the Council during the period for which the rate is to be made shall be publicly notified in the borough one week before making the proposed rate." It does not matter whether it has been previously published or not; it should have been. And "one week" implies that it must be done for a week; so that councillors and burgesses may have an opportunity of approving of or protesting against such proposed expenditure. As to the scond question—being an advocate for the Council accepting- a higher tender than it did for street maintenance : we are at a loss to know how Mr Hannan can lay this imputation to our charge. We simply give it a flat denial—that in nothing that we have written upon these subjects have we intentionally or otherwise even hinted at such an acceptation or proposal. As to advertising, we find it necessary on account of the Mayor's action to assert our rights and protect ourselves and the public by what the Acts require. We thus come back to our starting point that the Mayor did a very discourteous act in giving a casting 'vote that the annual estimate should not be reconsidered by councillors who desired to amend, alter, or add to them ; and an illegal act in pushing them through the Council and making a rate without opportunity being given the burgesses, as required by law, of knowing ou what proposed expenditure the rate is to be struck.—Ed. K. T.]

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