CORRESPONDENCE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3050, 19 June 1926, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

(To The. Editor).

Sir, —In answer to Air. Trueman’s letter appearing in your is-' ue of 'the 15th inst., re syndicates v. municipal administrations, I have in mind several good companies who have run their business on small, profits and to the benefit of the community. Just imagine what a boon to the ratepayers of Foxton it would have been, if the local gas-works were still in the hands of a syndicate—from your showing it is costing something like six pounds per week to keep the concern going. Re public, body trading account. Is iti not a fae that the Foxton Trading account has been “tagged” two years in succession? This small borough is now in debt something like £50,000, about £IOO per ratepayer, and still we have got to borrow. In my letter of May 29th, I asked for the earnings of the late Town Hall for live years, but; so far there has been no reply. However, I have been able to dig up the following figures, for the four years the

Council lias been running it, from April Ist 1922, to April 1923. The profit shows £sl 13s 3d, but there was £l9 15s 4d carried forward from the previous year. Then comes 1924,, with £8 2s fid; 1925 £74 ltis Bd. To be fair there was sundry! expenses to hall, etc,., which were evidently paid for out of profits, but T note there was a loan of £l2O for drainage, therefore up till 1925 it was not a very rosy undertaking. Now we come to 1926, showing a| profit, of £742, an extraordinary rise. But if lam not mistaken, there' is interest and sinking fund to come off. Above which will then; reduce above to £604. The above total spread over the four years, about £lB5 per year about £3 10s per week. Of course if there was any) guarantee of this business returning the £l4 per weelc, it would be good business, hut what of the pasl ? I cannot understand how tlie Council, as-a body, ean'go to; the. ratepayers for the loan and showing only one year’s earnings the only good year they have had. I note, sir, you say the! boggey about increasing the rales deserves to he “scotched!” Time will tell. If the above figures are anyway out of elder, I hope, some of the Councillors will put them to pieces, and I sincerely hope all ratepayers will roll up and use their judgment on the 23rd. T am etc., TIIOS. AY. HUNT. Sir,—-As one of the large rateof the Borough (my rates (his year are over £s(i)_, situated outside the inner area and not receiving any direct benefit from the water and drainage! or gasworks, although contributing in rates towards the cost of these things, it is amusing to hear the comments and moaiiing.4 from the so-called ‘ progressive” people who are opposing the rebuilding of our Town Hall. We know where most of this originates from, and I trust the ratepayers will carry the loan with an overwhelming majority on Wednesday next. I myself have postponed my holiday' until after the poll in order to record mv vote favour of the proposal. Yours etc., K, J. THOMSON.