MARTON BOROUGH LOANS.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXII, Issue 9003, 16 November 1907, Page 2

MARTON BOROUGH LOANS.

MEETING OF RATEPAYERS,

The meeting of ratepayers at Mar ion last evening, to consider the

loan proposals, was not largely attended. In the unavoidable absence of tbo Mayor (Dr. Skerman) and Crs. Me* Eldowuoy and Sutcliffe, the chairwas occupied by Or. A. Lyon. Or. Lyon said there were two separate loans —£lsoo for improvements to main streets and footpaths and £4OOO for roads and footpaths in the back streets. The loan of £ISOO could not bo obtained from Government as Council’s borrowing limit was £4OOO for two years. It was proposed to apply to Government for the £4OOO and to raise the £ISOO privately which, of course would bo at a higher rate of interest. The

latter would cost about £B3 10s a year against £l4O for the big loan. The Government loan would be

spread over a much longer period and in the 'other caso they had 15

years to extinguish it. A sinking fund would help to do that. No increase iu the rates was anticipated. They could have takeu Gd iu the £ off the general rate last year, but they did not do so. The general rate now stood at 2s iu the £ which was the full rating power of Council. It was proposed, if the loans were carried, to reduce the general rate to Is Gd and strike a special rate of sixpence to pay interest, so that | the rates would still be the samet There were two reasons for wiping out the sixpence on the general rate. Money had been saved on the siukiug fund and so reduced the present loans and the rateable value of the borough was very much higher than formerly. Tho total rateable value was now £I2,GGI against £SU)OO a few years ago. The method of taking off the sixpence off the general rate and calling it a special rate could bo done without increasing the rates. At first ho was opposed to loans but uow ho could see tho revenue of tho borough was not sufficient for reconstruction of roads and footpaths.' In years gone by many of tho borough roads had boon neglected and now in view of the fact of the opening of the Main Trunk Railway it was necessary to keep pace with the times. No doubt this lino will greatly increase tho importance of Martou and tho prosperity of the town. Places like Palmerston come to the fore just at tho proper time and so Mavtoniaus should strike tho iron while it was hot. They should offer every inducement for people to come and live iu Martou. This meant more revenue. It seejnod unfair that ratepayers living cm the "Outskirts of the borough should have to contribute towards those loam} but unfortunately there was no power existing to differentiate. It was necessary for both loans to be carried and it would bo a pity to kill thojproposal by supporting only one loan. If die poll was carried it djq not follotv that Council load to py6s coed with tbo'work. Concluding Cv Lyon said that no now works iu tlm back streets could bo done- out of revenue and urged that those works bo undertaken out of loan money. ( Applause).} Mr',!. IV Steely, engineer, supplied full details of Works proposed to bo done iu the various streets and gave an estimate of cost, The total sum required working out at £;i/50vi. ' Mr.T. Mathers wanted to know tllq cost of recent kerbiug and channelling as compared with the original csti-’

iuai«. Mr Sicoly said the estimate worked out at about £4 a chain. The Conn; oil go( a tender, for £4 12s (id but; thought the work could ho dope cheaper by day labor, The original estimate of cost was £340 and the work cost £330. ' THltnn cnhl iu 0 total cost of 40 chains was ' £345 Is lid, which worked out at about £S l-’s <.d tje-

chain. ' • Air J. Mathers: At that rate the present estimate of those works now proposed, if carried out, would cost £7OOO instead of £5500. It would mean another loan, a difficulty that always followed these’proposal;,, The Chairman explained that tho work would bo douo by contract so tliat tenders would bo kept well within tho estimate. Mr Mathers was of opinion that too much expenditure was being involved Ho questioned whether all these works were necessary. In view of tiie object lesson of tho lire there were far more important matters tq consider. So miserable was the water supply that life and valuable property was endangered. They wanted a bettor water supply before carrying out the proposals now before them. < Hear, hoar). Mr J. J. McDonald was opposed to tho loan of £ISOO. The Council had power to do the work and charge half cost to tho person whoso property it abuts. The business men ought to ho culled upon to pay Ihaiy share. ’••• »• - The Chairman explained that this could only ba doue when now works were undertaken, Mr McDonald said the proposal before them was practically for noyi work. When asphalting was first undertaken it was only temporary work. It was tho original intention of Council to concrete tho footpaths but as they had uo proper levels this could not be done. There should ba enough money for this work out of revenue, The trouble was that Oonucil was making! up the deficiency, "causcd'by 'defalcations, out of revenue, instead £of striking a special rate for about” two years to make up the loss. (I The" chairman; said Council had dono”its best to encourage economics. Applications for new work wore before theTh at every meeting and had to be refused for want of funds. It was better to pay £3OO a year and have the capital value of £5500. . • Mr McDonald said people did not build houses to make pretty streets but for practical purposes. Mr Mathers explained’'that he way not altogether against the proposals but bo wanted first to see a better water supply and a better system of drainage. Mr T. White proposed and Mr R. G. Goebel seconded a motion tliat the Mayor bo request'd to take a poll of ratepayers for’a loan of £ISOO. In support of the motion Mr White said the streets were in urgent need of repair, and this gave visitors a bad impression of tho town. If tho work could not be paid for out of revenue, they should support a loan for it. Tho motion was carried. A number of ratepayers refrained from voting. A motion proposed and seconded by two Robert-street residents, to take a poll for £4OOO for back streets was declared lost by tho chairman. His ruling was challenged by Mr J. Meyers but nothing came of it aud Hie meeting closed with a vote of thanks*to'the chairman.