The Manawatu Herald. Tuesday, July 12, 1910. MUNICIPAL MATTERS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 864, 12 July 1910, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. Tuesday, July 12, 1910. MUNICIPAL MATTERS.

At last night’s Borough Council meeting it was decided to hold a special meeting to confer with Cr W. E. Barber, representative of the Manawatu County Council for the Awahou Riding, re the Beach Road. The necessity for this road has been frequently advocated in this journal. The cost of construction is estimated at between £ISOO and The road is in the Manawatu County Council territory, but is practically of no benefit to any section of county ratepayers who have not asked for it. The road is to give access to a large number of Harbour Board and Land Department tenants, sectinns. The said tenants have expressed their willingness to be loaded up to 15s per section per year for the construction of the road, and the Manawatu County Council are prepared to bear a third of the cost and will be responsible for the upkeep. In view of these facts, we are of opinion that the Foxton Borough Council should carry the balance of the loan. The progress of the seaside resort means progress for Foxton, and we hope the Council will not lose sight of this fact when discussing the question with the County representative. If the County set up a commission to determine the Foxton proportion we are well within the mark in assuming that a third of the cost would be the borough’s minimum.

* * The Council has decided not to obtain an estimate for a water supply from the Shannon bills. We presume this means that the water and drainage question will be shelved until the purchase of the gas works is definitely settled. The latter subject was again discussed in committee. The borough made an offer to the proprietary for the purchase of the works, and the proprietary in turn have said that they are prepared to take a sum in excess of the amount stated Possibly a compromise will be arrived at, but before this is done ratepayers should be taken fully into the Council’s confidence. We shall have an opportunity of dealing with this subject after negotiations are at an end. There are several phases connected with the proposed purchase that ratepayers would do well to consider with a view to protect their interests. The proprietary will endeavour, and rightly, to make the best bargain they can, and it behoves ratepayers and consumers, who really hold the key to the financial success or failure of the works, to make it clear that they are not going to pay “through the nose” for it. We have in mind a price which would be fair and reasonable to both parties, and beyond this the ratepayers should not budge one farthing. In the meantime we cannot say more on this subject.