Te Aroha Borough Council.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVI, Issue 4308, 20 April 1907, Page 2

Te Aroha Borough Council.

The ordinary meeting of the Borough Council was held last evening instead of on Wednesday next. Present: CrsP. O’Meagher, W. Hetlierington, J. Rowe, E. Devey, G. Spence. In the absence of the Mayor, Cr Hotherington was voted to the chair. Minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed and correspondence read. Sanitary Contract. —The sanitary contractor had been notified that his refusal to remove refuse from any premises was wrong. His proper procedure would be to carry out his duties and sue for recovery of amount due.

Tar. —The Auckland Gas Company wrote stating that they were at present unable to supply Council’s order for ten additional barrels of tar. Reclamation Association. —A communication from the Reclamation Association inviting the Council to appoint a representative to the Committee of the Association, to attend the meeting which will be held at Te Aroha on an early date. On the motion of Cr O’Meagher, it was resolved that the Mayor and Cr Mclndoe he appointed to represent the Council as requested. Ei.ectp.ic Light Leads. —The Clerk stated that the telephone officials would not connect up the telephone exchange until all the electric light lead wires were fully insulated. There was a dispute between the Council and Department as to who should bear the expense of the insulation. On the motion of Cr Hetherington, seconded by Cr O’Meagher, it was resolved that the Council should at once proceed with the insulation of the leads, and send the account in to the Department. It was also resolved that if wire could not he immediately procurred from Messrs Turnhull and Jones, that it be obtained from Messrs Steuart and Fenn. Foreman’s Report. —The foreman reported on work done during the month. - He called attention to the cracking of the new asphalt in front of the Catholic Church and Mr Thomas’ section, and suggested that owners be requested to cut a small drain inside fence to carry off soakage through pipe to watertable.—Resolved that owners he requested. Electrician’s Report. The Borough electrician reported that the recent stoppage of the electric light was caused by each dam being silted up with stones, leaves, etc. He stated that his assistant had inspected the flumes next morning and discovered the trouble. . , ~ Cr Mclndoe said that the inspection should have been made the previous evening, after the heavy deluge, instead of next morning. The stoppage would then have been averted, which was as important point, as they did not want to shake confidence in the electric light. . . , . It was resolved that the electrician he instructed in future to see that the fluinings were clear on any evening after exceptional

rain. , Railway Station. —Cr Mclndoe proposed, “That this Council join with the Piako County Council in making a joint offer to the Minister for Railways, that at our joint expense a verandah be erected over the railway platform at Te Aroha, with the consent of the Department, and in aecordance with the requirements of the Department. This was carried unanimously. Finance. —The balance-sheet previous to being audited, was submitted and read, showing'that although the past year opened with a debit balance of £9OB 2s 3d on the general account, it now closes with a debit balance of £B4B 17s 3d, a reduction of £59 ss. The overdraft at present is £1167 6s 2d, an increase of £632 6s 5d over last year. This increase has been brought about by extraordinary expenditure £231 5s of which was expended in the extension of the waterworks system and £576 13s 4d in additions and extensions to the electric lighting plant, that is, capital expenditure paid out of revenue, It these extraordinary charges upon the revenue had not been necessitated by additional extensions, the overdraft on the district fund ' would at the present moment he £370. The Clerk submitted an estimate of the probable expenditure on the electric light foi the year now c immencerl. From consumers, £690 ; street lighting, £l4O ; total, £B3O- Salaries and wages, £300; interest, £250; repairs and renewals, =£lßo ; total, £730. Thus it will be seen that if no serious unforeseen contingencies arise, a credit balance of £IOO should result. Tim waterworks supply has paid well, the balance-sheet showing that on April 1, 1906, the account was in credit £371 15s. The income for the past year has been £350 9s lid. Expenditure: salaries and maintenance £/3 Is 4d ; Extension, £254 7s 6d, and the year closes with a credit balance of £2/8 2s Id. The Clerk also stated that there had been a considerable increase in tlio jrold revenue, that for 1906 being £l5O, whilst for 1907 it was £312. The increase was of course accounted for by revenue from Lipsoytown, recently purchased by the Government. There had <f course been also increased revenue from the extra threepence added to the rates, which Cr Mclndoe regretted had not been sixpence. Cr Mclndoe said he considered that the Mayor and Councillors should ho congratulated upon the very satisfactory progress that had been made during the year now closing. They harl had an exceptionally expensive summer as regards the upkeep of roads, and out, of it all they had emerged in a flourishing state and reduced the debit balance to £B4B 17s 3d, which was perfectly satisfactory, as development work had been done with the income. The Council was also to be conj gratulated on the fact that the debit ( balance on the general account had been reduced by £6O, in spite of the fact that salaries had been increased and an extra surfaceman employed, and he thought that when these facts into account, this, too, was satisfactory. Some ratepayers had said that the Council was on the wrong side of the ledger, but both the Mayor and Councillors had ignored these charges, as they knew that the financial position was safe. He congratulated the Borough upon its increased revenue from the properties in the town, and said that if the Council was kept; pn an even keel in the future as during the past year, this town might in a few years become rate free. If would perhaps necessitate a little further struggling for about two years in order to get the electric light scheme into a completed state. One could see by the increase of revenue from the Government property in the town, and from the general improvement, that the town will have a steadily improving increase in revenue, and if the waterworks and endowments are properly developed they alone would easily pay the interest on the difference of cost of the traffic bridge. The town was at present in an unique position, as it was rapidly drifting into the hands of the Government. The Government had expended so much money in the Domain that they could not now stop, as some people had suggested, hut were bound to continue their work of improvement. Some ■ day ho believed that the town would he I placed by the Government on the same footing as Rotorua, when the whole of the revenue would be handed over for the improvement of the town. It was not right that a small handful of people should ho able or attempt to hinder the development of the town or spoil its chances of development for tourists. The fact of the lagoon reserve having been recently given to the Council, showed that tho town had the confidence of the Government. Although we had not much to thank tho Government for, it would not do to stop urging them onward, although we were rating ourselves heavily in order to improve Government property If the town was not all in the hands of tho Government at tho present moment, it will be in a month or two, said Cr Mclndoe. It was not advisable to go in for a penurious policy, for should ties town he over hi debt, tho Government would co io to the rescue. He had gone into this matter to lot tho ratepayers see that tho policy of tho presout Council would

in the end redound to their credit. We were going to have a Council returned that would support the Mayor and his'present policy. His. Worship had always sunk self for the - vancement of the town, and when one looked at the balance-sheet and noted the steady advance that had been made since last year, it did not seem out of the way to congratulate the Mayor for the very satisfactory way m which he had conducted the business during the past year, and the Town Clerk for the excellent manner in which he bad financed the Borough. This was carried unanimously as a vote’of thanks, coupled with a hope that the present Councillors who were standing again would be returned. , Cr O’Meagher congratulated Cr Mclndoe on the few words he had spoken, and expressed a hope that the new Council would do as well as the old one. There was no mistake that the Mayor was the right man m the right place. Cr Hetherington said that the extravagance which had been alleged by outsiders was entirely disproved by the balance-sheet, ho was not tired of the Council although he was retiring ; it had been a pleasure during the past years to sit with the Mayor and cillors, particularly since Mr Somers elected, who ' carried everything through without fear or favour. After further valedictory remarks and the passing of accounts, thebaeeting closed. —— fl