South of the Bridge.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 20, 15 May 1914, Page 5

South of the Bridge.

NEEDS OF RATEPAYERS. A FORWARD MOVE. There were about thirty southend ratepayers at the meeting held in the Hiuemoa Lodgeroom last night to discuss the needs of the south end. All the motions submitted were carried unanimously, though some differences of opinion were expressed. \ Mr H. Wilson was voted to the chair. Apologies for absence were received from Messrs T. Lawson, B. Harkness, and P. Phelan. In opening the meeting the chairman said he was sorry so few were present, but ho was sure all present were enthusiastic and that what was done that night would have- some effect. A few of the south-end ratepayers had met and discussed the wants of the district. Resolutions would be submitted urging that in any loan proposals provision should bo made for widening the bridge and for doing extensive work on the south end roads; that the Mayor he asked to call a public meeting to consider loan proposals; and that a vigilance committee be formed to look after the interests of the south end. From the way the town was laid out it seemed evident that it was the intention to make the south end the business part of the town. On the north side all the reserves had been placed and those reserves stopped the business section spreading. On the south side the streets intersected each other beautifully, so that when a street got full up the business could overflow into another, and so form a compact nucleus of a town. Unfortunately the river was in the way. No doubt it was useful to take off storm water and to make electricity and probably in time to •ome it would be made beautiful with olantations. Everybody who came to the town recognised that the bridge was strangling the town. Naturally, businesses had grown up •ouud the post office. It was a hard thing to shift a business, but it was not desired to do that, but only to get justice for the south end. In last year’s loan proposals the bridge received the greatest support. It was again proposed to raise a loan for water and drainage. Those things were necessary he admitted, but were they necessary for the south end. The south needed them to some extent, but not so much as the north. Cr. Boon suggested that drainage he lone out of revenue, ' but payers of rates desired that their rates should be expended to benefit their properties. Properties north of the bridge could readily he sold for twice as nucli as was got for southern sections. This was merely because the mrth had been increased in value through the expenditure of public money, and any public money spent was really divided pro rata among the property owners. If £2O was spent on a footpath to a £2O section, that section would probably sell for £SO >r £6O. A Voice; There is a footpath in front of my section and I am rated mi £6O. The man over the road has no footpath and ho is rated on £35. The Chairman said the south wanted work on the streets. The south must he developed, but that would not be done by voting for water and drainage for the north side. The south should demand that a good slice of any loan should he spent in the south.

Widening the Bridge. Mr Blick moved that the meeting pledge itself to vote solidly agafnst any loan proposal which did not prorido for the widening of the bridge and for a fair proportion of the amount to bo spent in the south. He said that the councillors should be reasonable and should buy tlfh electric light and pay for the goodwill. There was not a man in Stratford who would sell his business without goodwill, and he thought citizens owed a lot to the syndicate. Let the Company go ahead and push things or lot the Borough buy the plant and push the business, hut not lot the town stand still while two or three busyoodies wore furthering their own cuds. As to the bridge, he had observed during his residence in Stratford that the centre of gravity was the National Bank and Newton King’s corner, and from there Stratford would grow. If a now post office was erected on the section just over the bridge there would soon be a number of good buildings round it. He asked ratepayers to notice the difference in the amount of work being done on the north and south sides of the river, and asked if it was a fact that councillors might bo interested. What councillors might bo interested? Ho thought the Mayor and Crs. Richards, Fredric, Boon, King, and Masters. If a man was on the Council ho should not work merely for what he could get out of it. Mr Moroney seconded. Mr Mackay said he would not pledge himself to the widening of the bridge. Ho did not think it needed widening. He had never seen the traffic congested, and there was need for the money to he spent elsewhere. The widening of the bridge would only enhance the value of properties close to it. If it was dosired to take traffic off the bridge why not build another one somewhere else to take the dairy factory traffic. An expert opinion had been given that the present bridge would last for some years. If tbo bridge was made the full width of the si reef it would not pull business over the river.

j A Voice; It will bring population. I Mr Mackay said that when the north got full the population would go over the bridge, whether it was widened or not. Some business people had recoguise-d that the north was the best business part and had moved their businesses from the south to the north. The Chairman said he had shifted his business from the south; but the chief reason was that the narrow bridge kept business in the north. Mr Blick thought the increase in the rates would pay the interest on the bridge. The motion was carried. To Consider Lear.;. Mr E. W. Hancock moved: “That His Worship the Mayor be requested to call a public meeting at an early date to consider loan matters.” In doing so, Air Hancock said there should be a loan for streets, drainage, the bridge, the electric light and a public convenience. More money should be spent on the back streets. Quite enough had been spent on Broadway, which should now be good for some years. But the last loan proposals provided for the spending of £3OOO on Broadway between the bridge and Hogan Street. More drainage was wanted in the thicklypopulated parts of tho town. The Mayor wanted another pipe to the water supply headworks, hut he (the speaker) thought the present pipe would suffice for years to come if '.‘steps were taken to conserve the present supply. The town was in need of a public convenience, and if it was worked on the penny-ih-the-Blot principle it should not cost the Council anything. In Eltham there had been trouble over widening the bridge, but “ they had pulled together and made their main street a fine one. Mr Mackav seconded.

Mr Blick said that the Wellington City Council had bought out a private company and though the whole of the plant was obsolete then the light made a profit of £Iu,OOU last year. Mr Jones did not think the Council should bo asked to buy the light. , There was only a little time to wait till the expiry of the concession. The Council could make better terms when the concession ran out. He was not against the Council owing the light, but at present a good sum would have to be paid for it. Mr Hancock said at preser.* me Council paid hundreds of pounds annually for the light and this sum would easily pay interest on the loan. If the Council owned the light they could iiav© more lights and many were badly needed. The motion was carried. A Vigilance Committee. Mr Harry Childs moved: “That a committee of five be set up for tho purpose of interviewing the Borough Council regarding any matter south of the river.” Speaking »o #u o motion, Mr Childs said the committee would receive complaints from ratepayers ana fight the matter out with tha Council. At present when a ratepayer wrote the Council asking’ for work to bo done he received a reply from the Council, but whether anything was done was another matter. The committee would be a good training ground for councillors. At present they had to accept men as councillors who had never been tried—they enjoyed tho privilege of sitting at the table, but did not work. A few councillors monopolised the time of the Council, and tho rest would |not take the trouble to light matters {out. Tho only good man tho south {had ever had on the Council was Dr. | Paget—they could always tell when ho was at a meeting. On the south jside there were streets in a deplorable condition—he instanced the road loutsido the hall. A Voice: They resemble Whangamomona. Another Voice: The roads are all right to the doors of councillors. Mr Childs said that if the members of tho committee could get work done they would bo good men to put on tho Council. Councillors said they put up hard fights for Works, but nothing was over seen in the newspapers about these fights. A Voice: Perhaps the papers don’t publish them. Mr Chard seconded. He said the committee was highly necessary. He had written to the council every month for a year and in tine end had to spend £l2 in order to get £l6 worth of work done. j Mr Lamason said the money which had been wasted on cleaning waterjtables would have kerbed and channelled the streets three times over. The motion was carried. Separate Rating Area. . Nine gentlemen wars uomiaatsd

for the committee and tho ballot resulted in the election of Messrs H. Wilson, H. Childs, P. G. Brooking, E. W. Hancock, and 0. E. James. Mr C. Martin moved, and Mr W. V. Wilson seconded: “That should the committee think it advisable alter the public meeting, they be authorised to request His Worship the Mayor to take a poll for the purpose of forming the district adjoining the bridge, and that south of the bridge into aspecial rating area to carry out suck works as the south requires.” Tho Chairman said he did not think tho separate area would come about, but it was desirable to be prepared. Mr Chard: It will show the north that we are willing to help ourselves if they will not help us. Mr Mackay said tho rates in the south were not large and the question should be carefully considered. Mr G. E. Wilson said it would be a disgrace to the -Borough if the separate rating area was created. He deprecated the present tug-of-war between the “frosty north and the sunny south.” air Hancock thought the south should remain with the north. The south had stuck to the north and given them good streets and now there was a chance for the north to stick to the south and gire them good roads. The Chairman said the unimproved value of the properties near the bridge was £-14,000, including the properties on the north side. The owners of these properties had expressed themselves in favor of widening the bridge. Mr G. V ilson moved as an amendment; that His Worship the Mayor he requested to place a sum losm proposals sufficient to pay for the construction of a new bridge over the river, the full width of Broadway. This was seconded by Mr Chard and on being put to the meeting was carried, nem dis. This was al] the business, and the meeting f-lce-ed with s vote of th«uik» to tho chair.