RATES AGAIN REDUCED.

Putaruru Press, Volume VI, Issue 237, 17 May 1928, Page 5

RATES AGAIN REDUCED.

TOWN BOARD ESTIMATES.

TOWN HALL PROFITS TO BE ALLOCATED

At Monday’s meeting of the Pufcaruru Town Board it was decided by ix majority of five votes to two to set aside the net profits from the present town hall as a nucleus of a fund to be added to yearly for the jpurposes of providing a new building in conformity with the modern requirements.

i The estimates as brought down 'showed the balance as at March 31 fo be £2ll 17s 9d. Various items of receipts were: licenses, £180; hall rents, £370; sanitation, £497; rates [(outstanding), £254 9s; subsidy, #100; total, £1613 6s 9d.

On the payments side there were: Sundry creditors, £316 18s Id; administration, etc., £275; roads and streets, £110; lighting, £80; hall account, £75; sanitation, £497; interest Bnd sinking fund, £157 2s; hospital levy, £132 19s lOd; heavy traffic, £2O. {Added to this total a lid rate as fetruck last year produced a surplus •pf £409 16s. Speaking to the estimates, the Chairman stated that following the inspection of streets by the board, estimates for the proposed new work had been prepared as follows: Bent road (metalling 9ft wide by Sin deep): Carberry avenue to present metal, £6 2s 8d; present metal to top of McDermott’s hill, £l4 19s; total, £2l Is Bd. This metalling would prevent the present metal from being washed, and would give a continuous metalled road from Barr Brown’s to McDermott’s hill. Glen Shea Road: Earthwork, £8 8s 8d; rhyolite to Neal’s fence, £l3 0s 8d; water tables, £1 10s; total, £22 tl9s 4d.

Overdale Road: Widening to 20ft, £25; water-tables, £5; total, £3O. Further estimates on subsidy had been prepared as follows: Buekland Road: Earthwork, £26 lls 3d.

An application for this work, read at the meeting, stated that four section owners holding land opposite had agreed to contribute half of this cost.

Henderson Road Filling: Mr. R. A. Bent had agreed with the resident engineer to contribute £26 10s towards work at this point provided 1000 yards of spoil was moved. This would raise the filling approximately four feet and broaden it to 20ft. Some 400 yards of spoil would be left over and this could be used for levelling the reserve and making it suitable for a site for a training shed.

A further application for work to he done on Buekland road, past Marchant street, was also read.

The speaker thought the above ■ work would provide much needed improvements where loan money would not be spent. In regard to the surplus the board could do either one of two things: Substantially reduce the Tates or allocate £350 from hall profits to a fund for providing a new hall. The present hall was too • small and uncomfortable, and a site could be provided for a new building free of cost in the centre of the town. In his opinion hall profits should not go to relieve the general T@te as was done last year, but should be earmarked for a new building. A building of some kind would have to be erected shortly as at present they were in the absurd position of having their safe in one office and the staff in another. Further, a ladies’ -rest room was an urgent re■quirement. If gone about in the right way a new hall could be erected at practically no cost to the ratepayers.

Mr. Barr Brown pointed out there (■ras no estimate for metalling Override road. This was agreed to. Mr. Lindsay thought a greater allowance should be made for maintenance.

The chairman urged that in view of the huge capital expenditure maintenance should be kept down to a minimum. When the loans were spent the board would have something to maintain. Mr. Yandle: Part of Overdale Toad can be done from loan account, can’t it? The chairman: Yes, earthwork. Mr. Barr Brown thought that if a 1 football ground could be provided from loan work, other work could be g-jc?ie. *”'Mr. Yandle pointed out the ground

was being made by extra spoil which had to be dumped somewhere. Mr. Barr Brown: I take it the work asked for in Buekland road is the removal of the bank between the sections and the road at the entrance. It’s a good improvement and should be done.

Mr. Lindsay: Didn’t Mr. Tomalin promise a subsidy towards the thing of Henderson street ?

Mr. Tomalin explained that he stated he would consider a payment towards a wall under certain conditions.

The board then decided to adopt the estimates for road works, with the addition of some 1 metalling for Overdale road, for all roads with the exception of Buekland road extension.

Mr. McDermott: I take it, Mr. Chairman, that we can reduce the rates substantially if we do npt allocate the hall profits ?

The chairman: That is so. Mr. Barr Brown: It seems good policy to earmark them. Mr. Tomalin stated he was strongly of the opinion that the hall profits should be set aside for a new hall. A all was badly needed, and he felt that the time had come when the board should let it be known that it had a hall in view. By renting it for pictures it could be erected at no cost to the ratepayers. “In any ease,” he added, “ surely we want something better than this for a board room.” (Laughter). Mr. Barr Brown: Where would you have the site? The chairman: There is one free of cost opposite the Bank of New Zealand. The board could take steps now to have it closed. Mr. Lindsay thought it was not a good site, and would block the view on the corner. The chairman: There is ample room after setting the building back a chain from the road, and it would be situated right in the centre of almost a mile of garden. Mr. Tomalin: I think it is an ideal site and couldn’t be improved upon. Mr. Barr Brown: If they shunt at night it may be awkward. The chairman: In the new layout of iue railway yards all shunting is provided for at the far end. Mr. Barr Brown: I’ve heard that for nearly 30 years. (Laughter). Mr. Tomalin: It’s all in black and white now. Mr. Yandle: What will the new hall cost ? Mr. Barr Brown: £IO,OOO at least. The chairman pointed out such details could be left till later, the question before the meeting was solely one of policy as to whether estimated hall profits to the amount of £350 covering two years should be allocated towards a new hall or not. The board had to consider whether it was a fair thing to apply such profits to general account for roads, etc., when a new hall and rest room, etc., were urgently needed. Mr. McDermott stated he was agreed, but thought it should be left at net profits. The question of site, he thought, should be deferred. Mr. Neal supported this view, and held it was essential to look to the future and arrange to provide a building with board room, rest room and library attached to a new hall. Mr. Yandle: I think we should apply the money to reduce the rates. There will be two and seven-tenths pence in addition for loan.

The chairman: Only part this year. Mr. Barr Brown agreed with this view. The motion to allocate the net profits from the hall to a new hall fund was then put and carried, the voting being:— For: Messrs. Lindsay, McDermott, Neal, Tomalin and Griffiths. Against: Messrs. Yandle and Barr Brown. The chairman: We can still reduce the rates if the board wants to. It will give little to come and go on, hut while capital expenditure is so high I thing we should do it if we can. Mr. Lindsay thought that it would be a mistake as next year they would have to be bumped up. The chairman: All the more reason to keep them down this year. ’Jr. Lindsay pointed out maintenance on the main roads alone was a big item. Mr. Barr Brown: Let’s reduce them if we can. The clerk pointed out that £157 for

interest on county loans in addition to the estimates would have to be provided. The chairman , urged that he had not included this in the estimates, because it was due on April 1 next. If the board had spent everything at March 31 and had {ro rates outstanding they could still pay the amount out of next year’s overdraft. Two half-years were already in the estimates. It was then unanimously decided to reduce the rates by ?,d, and to make the general rate for the coming year Ud.