Manawatu Herald THURSDAY, JUNE 30, 1921. FOOTPATH CONSTRUCTION.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 2296, 30 June 1921, Page 2

Manawatu Herald THURSDAY, JUNE 30, 1921. FOOTPATH CONSTRUCTION.

THOSE residents in localities not provided with footpaths will certainly not approve the Borough Council’s Finance Committee’s recommendation that half-cost of said construction if required should be borne by them, as set out. under section 170 of the Municipal Act, which reads as follows: —“The Council may lay out or construct;, or make any perman'ent improvements of footways or channels, .... and may im-

pose not exceeding one-half of the cost of such works upon the owners of lands and buildings fronting the same, and the amount so imposed shall be recoverable as a rate.” Their objection would be based on the fact that the rates from their property paid into the general fund had been used to provide footpaths in other localities, and they are therefore entitled to similar treatment- in respect to footpaths in their locality. If a loan for footpaths was sanctioned, however, those already ‘ served would pay their share of new work .In the past footpath construction has come out of general rates, and there is no reason why this method should not continue in a systematic way, by providing for this work in the estimates, A slight increase in the rates, or the bank overdraft, could meet the case.