LOAN MONEYS AND EXPENDITURE.

Putaruru Press, Volume VIII, Issue 328, 6 March 1930, Page 4

LOAN MONEYS AND EXPENDITURE.

(To the Editor). Sir,—With fellow ratepayers of this Town Board area I have noted the extensive works now in progress, and trust that the town will be the better for the expenditure. What I would like to know is why the beautifying society can have such control over the main highways, town board and ratepayers. It appears to me that the greater area not covered with bitumen pays the highways boards to the detriment of town ratepayers. I understand that a subsidy of £2 for £1 is paid by the Highways Board, so why not get it? What could be better than a pavement in front of our busiest junction ? The rain we sometimes get will keep it clean and healthy, with no annual cost to the ratepayers. To put in a garden with no one to look after it is nonsense. If a caretaker is appointed who is to pay him, not only to keep the place in good order, but to stay out all night, every night in the week, also all day on Sunday, to keep travelling or stray stock from demolishing the whole place ? Again, motorists coming into the town will be right into the area before they have a chance to notice the obstruction. Should the place not be protected then a serious accident may occur. My idea is to make accidents impossible to fair-minded persons, and to place gardens on main highways is no way to do that.

The idea of beautifying this town at the present juncture is out of all sense and reason. I will agree that provision should be made for future possibilities, but until we have our first object, that is water, I fail to see what good the society will do. I would respectfully draw your attention to the junction of Kensington and McKenzie streets; weeds are the crop, and we do not want that in front of the post office. The main highway turn off between Becca’s and the Hotel seems to me to be out of all reason; to put a footpath on the southern side of this road at the expense of the roadway is ridiculous. As I have previously stated, we have £2 for £1 subsidy for roads, and we pay for the footpaths ourselves, so make it all road. If in the bye-and-bye we want a footpath we can put the kerbing in. What’s more, the time is not distant when a silent policeman will be wanted at that corner, and if any town board, main Highway or beautifying society member can place it, I for one would like to see him take a laden lorry around th«- same.

Now, Mr. Editor, I do not wish to take up too much space in your paper, but I do hope some one interested will give their views on the matter, so that influence will be brought to bear on the powers that be before it is too iate, and have the anomalies rectified. In speaking to soma members of the town board, I find that they are more interested in who is to be the next chairman.—l am, etc., 0.H.8. :