Public Meeting.

Manawatu Herald, 27 May 1899, Page 2

Public Meeting.

LOAN PROPOSALS. This meeting was held last night at the Public Hall, and the attendance was small. His Worship, who took the chair, introduced the subject by the poor attendance.* explained this was not the Statutory meeting, but one called to test the feeling of the public. Wh.en he first «nter.e.d the Council he felt the outside "*~ roads needed more attention than they had previously received:' He found on entering the Council the finances precluded anything being done. The rates amounted to £300 or £400 which was absorbed in maintenance. He had promised to get particulars re loan. The Council were practically of the opinion that no roads could be 1 formed without a loan. An informal — I ballot would be held during the evenI ing. The Borough engineer had prepared an estimate which he read. [ Estimated cost of forming and met* 1 ailing roads, with 5 per cent, for super-

vision :— -No. r Line £428, No. 2 j^mc £898 IS 3d, No. 6 Une £680 03 gd, Howan.street £234 xs gd, Baker.streat £69 igs, Spring.swet £'6a 4s 3d, Nor-biton-road £167 as, Ladies' Mil* £34 xas 6d, Tanks-street £69 73, Duncan ' itrtet /oo os Bd, Futt*r-street £43 X6s, Colev'ttreet £94 xßs, Puroell-street fiofi s*, Nye-street £26 n» 6d. Total, 3001 03 id. He called upon Cr Westwood to address the meeting as mover of the resolution in the Council. Mr Westwood said he doubted if he was the mover of the resolution in the Council. He had no further information to give than that read by the Mayor. It had been found impossible to make roads with the funds the Borough had. The Mayor pointed out that under the Act of last Session every ratepayer had one vote and one vote only. To carry a^loan it must be remembered that every one who did not vote for it really voted against it. Mr Nye wanted to know what was the total mileage of roads to be metalled. The Mayor — A trifle over 8 miles. Mr Nye could not understand what was meant by so many tons to the chain. He wanted it known that six inches of metal appeared too thin a coating. Had Mr Chapman made any estimate for reforming. Mr Chapman said on various lines, specifying them, so much each had been allowed for formation. He had worked under engineers who thought 13 inches of metal was necessary, but he considered 6 inches of Palmerston metal was sufficient. He would crown the metal say 5 inches at edges to. 7 or 8 inches in the crown. His experience extended to sandy roads, in other parts, and this thickness of metal had stood well. Mr Thynne was surprised at the attack by , Mr Nye on the Borough Engineer not having been replied to by Jfeiie Mayor or Councillors, as they had got him to«prepare the figures for the estimates wholly unsupervised or / unchecked, which showed either great confidence in their officer or indifference to this meeting. Mr Thynne tfeen showed that the sum required by the official figures to metal the roads was £3000, which could be borrowed at 5 per cent, thus meaning £150 a year in interest which could be easily paid out of the £300 a year ol surplus revenue, after providing for the fixed charges of the Borough, and thus no extra rate would be required. The Mayor declared Mr Thynne to be wrong, that there was no £300 as said, and thus there was nothing to pay the special rate out of. Mr Thynne said that every year the estimates of the Borough showed a surplus of £300 available for road for mation, and if the Mayor was correel in saying this sum had vanished this year whilst he was in office, he (the speaker) would recommend the meeting not to vote for a loan. He, however, though! some mistake had been made by the Mayor, and he would look up the estimates of the past few years and publish tJiem. The Mayor said he had an overdraft of £260 when he took office. Mr Hennessy said what he had to lace was an overdraft of £300. There was not a shilling of money to make * or maintain the roads. The No. f> Line fronts a big part of Motoa Estate, and all the rates received was £16 odd a year. Nos. 1, 2, and 6 Lines have only rates of £80 in that locality, and £50 was spent in draining in it. The cost of administration was £80. He found the people in the other parts of the district were not in favour of the loan. Mr E. Osborne said he did not desire to criticise the engineer's estimate, but carters were practical, and they had some years ago run it up to £7000. It was easy for the small ratepayer to say he. would pay more. but the bigger ones would not (a voice — You have the road up to your boundary — laughter.) Don't you think any Councillor would be a donkey who Jid not wish to have a road made to his property. Before any more roads were made, '. the Norbiton Road ought to be metalled. Foxton was the lightest-taxed place in the colony, and we could bear a small extra rate. He hoped if a loan was raised we should not have to pay more rates. Mr Jonson would like to have particulars of finance, showing what money there is to spare. The Mayor regretted the apathy of the ratepayers and wished that they would attend their meetings. It had been stated there was always a certain amount of revenue yet when he came to office there was an overdraft. At the end of the year by again overdrawing some work might be done. If Duncan street was done it would absorb all availably revenue. At the next meeting the Council would decide •wherer tfie- outlay would be made. Nothing has been settled. The informal ballot was then taken. The voting was "Yes" for the loan, 16; " No" against thejoan, 21 ; the loan was therefore lost by 5 votes. . ; :The Mayor said there was very little chance of the outside roads being metalled without a loan. , It had been suggested that the Borough should be divided into wards. He thought there .was a good deal to be said for and against it. The meeting then terminated, the usual courtesy, to the chair having been forgotten in the hurry to leave the hall.