FEILDING BOROUGH.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLV, Issue 123, 28 April 1925, Page 5

FEILDING BOROUGH.

ADDRESS BY A 1 AYOR-ELECT. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Air J. S. Tingey, Mayor of Feilding, presided over u meeting called last evening by llio Mayor-elect, Air W. E. Carthew, in order to hear tho policy ho proposed to inaugurate and carry out during iiis term of office; Thero was a good attendance. There was no need for Air Carthew to call the meeting, said tho Mayor, but out of courtesy he considered it advisable to make his policy clear. Air Carthew, who was received with sustained applause, thanked the Alayor for his remarks and trusted he would fill the position as well ns tho retiring Mayor The speaker said he was a Feilding hoy and was proud of his town. He desired nothing better than to do his best for his follow citizens. As finance is a matter of great importance, he would devote some time io the question. The total indebtedness of the borough was £147,060, made up hv loans for water, sewerage, etc. These loans all carried a sinking fund which, in course of time, would liquidate them. One matter that deserved mention was that all the loan accounts were in credit arid this showed that all the works had been carried out under tho estimate. At, council had at credit a sum of £6OOO- - mostly the result of tlie profits _ made by the electrical plant. He considered tlie rate of progress made ’by the road engineer quite satisfactory. The hardest part of the work was done first, and if the weather wus anything like the average the whole of the work would be finished in ten years. Tlie engineer hud stated that the surface of the road would improve for two or three years. Several county engineers who had inspected the road had stated that it will be quite all right and had expressed surprise at tho cheapness of the undertaking, no other road being laid down so economically. Tho engineer was recognised as a leading authority in New Zealand on road construction, and the total cost of the engineer’s charges would not be more than £350. The road between Gorton’s corner and the Oroua bridge had been declared a highway and would now be tar-sealed. They had in the borough 35 miles of roads and when tho present works were completed 11 of these would be tar-seuled. lie had been much, impressed by the information given regarding the use of a light grader to keep tlie roads in repair und he would do liis best to have one U6ed in the town. By means of a plan Air Carthew in dealing with the waterworks, illustrated the pipe line and the various tunnels, two of which had now collapsed and the pipes broken. It was a very serious matter and there was very little between the town and a water famine. In the opinion of the waterworks engineer tho only satisfactory manner to clarify the water would be a settling basin and this would he done. Referring to the sale of the electrio light plant to the Manawatu-Oroua Power Board, Air Carthew said they could not possibly have run in competition with the board. They could, of course, have purchased power from the board and sold it at. 8d per unit, hut it would have used up tho whole of the accumulated profits in distributing the power, lie had it on the very best authority that tho price of light would soon bo reduced to about 6d. Tho nrea of parks in the town wus about 50 acres. Unfortunately, they have no endowment and so were handicapped and any improvements must bo done out of rates. It was proposed to spend about £2OO in improving the Soutli street entrance of the town and ho hoped tlie'council would agree to the sum of £25 for the planting of trees and this sum, well spent, would soon givo the town a better appearance. As they knew he was keen for a resident engineer tmd was very pleased with the calibre of the men who applied for the position and lie was satisfied they lmd secured a very suitable man, QUESTION TIME.

Air I J . C. Guy asked if the Alayor-elcct could toll him how many tons of cement had been used during tho past year and the cost. A luugh wus raised by the questioner further asking if the Mayorelect knew that the council had been able to buy tons at the same price as others could buy sacks. No information, however, could ho given the questioner. The Aorangi bridge, continued Mr Carthew. was in a very bad state and lie thought it was only a matter of a short time before a new bridge would bo built, but tho Oroua County Council were the controlling body and must make the first move.

The Mayor-elect at this stage invited those who were standing for election either to the council or hoards to speak. Mr B. N. Sandilands said he hud been in Feilding a few more months than the Mayor-elect. This was his first appearance as an aspirant for municipal honours. He hud, however, been connected with many semi-public bodies and this had, ho considered, been good training for him. lie came before them to he introduced to those burgesses who had not kno.wn him personally. Mr P. G.- Guy also briefly addressed the meeting.

Mr 11. Tolley, a candidate for the Harbour Board, addressed tho meeting on tho lines of a previous address. Mr J. G. Cobbe asked permission to reply to some of tho statements made by Mr Tolley, but Mr Tolley objcctod. The audience, however, showed they would like to hoar Mr Cobbe. First, he congratulated the Feilding hoys on tho excellent speeches they had made that night. Mr Cobbe said tho Wellington Harbour Board was tho most efficient and economical of any board south of the Lino. Ho hoped that, as a result of the reclamation made by the board, and the lino rents they wore bringing in, tho port would in a few years’ time bo freo. Referring to Mr Tolley’s criticism of tho absence of rails on Queen’s wharf, the speaker said that, on account of the narrowness of tho wharf, a line of rails would causo a block and also risk an accident. He was satisfied that a wntersidor would ho killed once a week and the wives of tho watersiders would object and oven the watorsiders themselves. If tho electors wished to turn out ono of tho sitting members, Mr Cobbe suggested it should not be Mr Cohen as his knowledge of finance and the ports of tho world was too valuable to lose. Mr Tolley moved a vote of thanks to tho Mayor-elect for the very lucid speech ho had made. Mr Carthow thanked tho audience for their voto and proposed a vote of thanks to the Mayor for presiding. Both votes wore carried in the usual way.