FOXTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1883, 28 September 1918, Page 3

FOXTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

SPECIAL MEETING. A special meeting of the Foxton Borough Council was held on Thursday night to discuss Hie question of piping the Awahou drain at the hack of the gas works, and finance. There were present: The Mayor (Mr John Chrystall), and Crs. Henderson, Bryant, Kempster, Coley, MeMurray, and Thompson. Apologies for absence were received from Crs. Hannah and Hurley. PIPING DRAIN.

The Mayor said the meeting had been convened to consider further piping in the Awahou drain. At a recent special meeting it was decided to pine same for a distance of 15 feel, hut the Gas Committee had since met, and considered that more pipes should he put in. The recommendation of the Committee was that the remainder of the Awahou drain from the eastern boundary of the gas works section to the artesian well he piped with 42-inch concrete pipes and filled in level with the adjoining land; the (‘astern end of the drain to have a concrete facing and the western end to he left open.

Councillors agreed that lids work was absolutely necessary, and Hie recommendation was unanimously adopted. GAS WORKS FINANCE. Dealing with the question of gas works finance, Hie Mayor said (hat ever since Hie works were taken over hy (he Council a gas rate had been collected, and the first year’s interest and sinking fund was provided for out of the loan. The position was becoming a burden to ratepayers, and lie considered that the ratepayers had - borne their fair share and posterity should hear-a little. The sinking fund in connection with the loan was a high one — two per cent., and in the past a large amount of improvement had been done, which really should he delated to capital account. He noticed that recently the Mayor of Oamarn had arranged a loan of £IO,OOO with Hu* Public Trustee at s : j per cent., with a one per cent, sinking fund. He considered Hie Council should apply u» the Public Trustee for a loan of £I,OOO. On June 13th. 1911, Hie ratepayers had sanctioned a loan of £3.000 for gasworks improvements and extension, which had not been taken up, and under Hie Finance Aid the Council had Hie power to take up a loan sanctioned hy the ratepayers within six months of the oat break of the

war, at any time up I<> six months after Hie war. The position at present was that there was a debit balance of £s(il on Hie gas works account, £179 on the interest account, and the now purifiers and piping drain, etc., would cost, roughly, a further £289. making a total of £1,020. Then 1 was still about £2OO of the gas rate to he collected, and if they borrowed £I,OOO from the Public Trustee il would leave a credit .of £IBO to carry on with. Cr McMuvray asked if it would not he fairer to take up the lota! amount of Hie loan, £3,000, and repay to-Hu* genera! account the money that had been expended therefrom on account of the ga> works.

Tin 1 Mayor said ho thought it would bo heller lo do ns ho hud suggested, whioh woidd cnulilo thoin lo sturl oil' iioxl your withonl collecting ;i gas rate.

Cr Coley: Why not lake hull' of Iho loon ? Tho .Mayor: We could gel more Inter if wo wanted il. Cr Coley: Oh! Thai is alright, then. Cr MoMurray thought that .GT,OOO was hardly enough. Tho Counoil had a spare section at the works, and as there was a groat shortage oh houses in Poxtou, ho considered it would be good policy to put up a house for tho manager. Why not borrow sufficient to enable this lo be done/

The .Mayor said ho was opposed to building a house at tho present time-, as (ho cost of material was too high.

Cr MoMurray: Put it up in concrete —the cost of same is very little more now than before the war.

Cr Coley then moved, and Cr Henderson seconded, that steps be taken to raise from the Public Trustee £I,OOO of (he £3,000 loan authorised by Ihe ratepayers for additions to gas work-s.

Cr Thompson said he was sceptical about the gas work's business. When the works were first taken over it was said that they would pay their own way after three or four years, Iml every year money was being taken from the general account to holster (he works up. He was not keen on putting much more money into it.

The Mayor said the money had to he obtained. If they did not get it from the Public Trustee at 5| per cent, then they would have to raise the money on overdraft from the Bank at (i per cent. The loan from the Public Trustee was the best proposition. Cr McMttrray said that the borough had been starved on account of the gas works. They could not get metal for necessary works because the money had been spent on the gasworks. Why not make the amount of the loan sufficient to repay the money >u expended, and then they would be in a position lo go on with necessary work. If they didn’t do this the same work would cost more to do later on. He advocated borrowing at least £1,500. Cr Coley: I would like to support it up to £1,500.

Cr Bryant: We don’t require more that} £I,OOO. atxd iftj no good get-

ting more than we want. Cr Henderson: Wo will have n balance of £IBO, and that should see us through; Cr Thompson asked that ihe motion he held over until the next ordinary meeting. He couldn’t quite digest it at such short notice, and would therefore have to vote against it.

The* Mayor: The ratepayers carried the loan of £3,000, and we are only borrowing £I,OOO.

The motion, on being put, was carried, Cr Thompson alone opposing it.