CORRESPONDENCE. THE LOAN PROPOSALS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 58, 10 March 1913, Page 5

CORRESPONDENCE.

THE LOAN PROPOSALS.

“COME TO THE POLL,”

(To the Editor “Stratford Post.”)

I Sir, —On the 19th of this month the ratepayers of Stratford will bo called upon to exercise their privilege of voting for a loan for the general improvement of the borough. As one who lias had considerable experience in local matters for the last fifteen years, both as Mayor and Councillor, I should like to say a little on the subject, but in doing so I want it to be distinctly understood that it is not my, wish to try and influence the ratepayers to vote for any particular portion of the loan. That a loan is necessary is, I believe, freely admitted. I have visited a good many other towns about the same size as our own, and I must say that from a point of general appearance they are points ahead of us. It is utterly impossible to do the necessary works out of revenue, lake the width of our streets, for instance; they are about double the width of streets in other towns, and must therefore need a larger amount of money to keep them in anything like order, even if they were all made, with the money the Council has at its disposal, ami unless wo are content to wait for some years before Stratford.is placed on a level with other towns in this respect, a loan is necessary.

Then, again, take the water supply. Something must be done to increase the pressure ,and also for filtration, and to give those ratepayers who have not got it a service they are justly entitled to. This cannot be done out of revenue. Take the drainage question. I think all will admit that drainage is most essential for the health of the borough. This, again, cannot be done out of revenue. Now we come to the bridge, and when I touch upon this question I know I am getting on dangerous ground.* Personally ,1 do not think a new bridge is necessary at the present time. The time is coming wdien a new bridge will have to be built, but in my opinion that time has not arrived yet. However, those that do think so will have an opportunity of expressing their views on polling day.

Sir, we have the making of a splendid town in Stratford, and the time is not far d'istant when we shall have double the population we have now. Owing to our geographical position, and from the fact that Stratford will in the near future be one of the most important junctions in New Zealand, with, railways running into her from north, east, south and west—this alone will make her one of the most important inland towns in the Dominion . ,We, as citizens, are proud of our town —and we, have reason to be-r-and we have every faith in her future. That being so, let us endeavour to bring her up-to-date with other towns. If the loan is carried the rates must necessarily be higher, but wC must remember that the money will be spread over a number of years, and probably before all the money is spent the revenue from reserves and other sources will increase to such an extent that the rise in rates will not be so much as anticipated. Now comes a most important question,.! would like to impress upon the ratepayers the necessity to “roll up and vote.’ Let no apathy be shown in the matter. “It is to your interests to vote, whether you Vote for or against the loan; but come to the poll. The way you vote rests with yourselves; if you cast your vote you will know that, at any rate, you have done your duty as a ratepayer”—l am, etc.,

N. J. KING. Stratford, 10-3-13. HOW MUCH SHALL WE BORROW ? (To the Editor “Stratford Post.”) Sir, —Surely Mr Fisher, M.P., Minister of Customs, and other things, had been reading the “Stratford Evening Post,” and the published accounts of the Mayor’s utterances when he made use of that now famous statemenl that “Consistency was the refuge of fools.” Now, I take it that the Mayor agrees with Mr Fisher, because when he was so anxious to he elected Mayor, the limit of the loan he would agree to was £ISOO for everything. He has never raised his voice against the £42,000 and apparently is in favour of it. After all, why be consistent when you have Mr Fisher’s refuge to go to.—l am, etc., CONSISTENT.

LOG-ROLLING IN THE OPEN. (To the Editor, Stratford Post.) Sir, —Heaven help Stratford if “Southerner’s” arguments are to carry weight! New Plymouth votes for a loan; therefore we must do the same. Northerners consider, with good reason, a new bridge a mad extravagance, but they must not oppose it lest southerners retaliate. To bribe the north to let the bridge vote go through, the soutli must consent to what it believes to be entirely unnecessary ex-' penditure in northern street extensions and sewerage works. Log-roll-ing is nothing new, but it is not often so openly advocated. The Town Clerk’s brilliant idea of taxing waterclosets, if it had been adopted, might have helped the ratepayers to give honest votes, but it is in the clouds, and, if the loan is carried, will remain there. “Southerner” says we “must” have street improvements, presumably £20,000 worth. Why must wep How many ratepayers can conscientiously declare that they suffer so much inconvenience at present as to justify the addition of so large a sum to the borough debt? Then we have Stratford’s “future greatness” urged as a reason for pulling down a

bridge that no one can honestly and seriously say is inadequate to the traffic. Let us at least wait until that “greatness’ 7 is something more than a vision of the distant future. We can all agree with “Southerner” in his concluding hope that ratepayers will sink all differences as between north and south. In that case, being free to advocate common-sense and prudence, they will reject the whole of the proposals'on the ground that they are all alike extravagant, and total about £30,000 more than the town requires or can safely borrow.—l am, * etc., ANOTHER SOUTHERNER.

Stratford, March Bth, 1913. P.S.—Of the New Plymouth loan of £97,000 the sum of £55,000 is for trams—a reasonably good business proposition. The balance for roads and sewers coincides with our proposed £42,000. There is no further coincidence, New Plymouth having about three times the population and probably five times the wealth.