Meeting of Ratepayers.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7873, 15 July 1905, Page 2

Meeting of Ratepayers.

LOAN PROPOSALS APPROVIOD,

' In accordance with notice toy His Worship the Mayor, a public meeting of ratepayers was held at the Town Hall on Friday evening to consider the additional loan proposals. The Mayor (Mr R. Cock) presided, and there was an attendance of thirty

ratepayers. | jj .„, In explaining the position, Mayor said that it was proposed to raise £7OOO to complete the water • scheme and electric light .scheme. The

former had ■been underestimated by some £3OOO, and to make a.satisfactory and adequate lighting scheme would involve im expenditure of about £10(10 mote tJrin had been originally provided for. The Council luouyu iney were bound to bring the question before the ratepayers. Although the borough had grown so much during I tic last few years that it might nave been possible to deal with the additional work by way of overdraft, that method would be ansatisfactory, as it would cripple the Council in providing the money for general road work and maintenance. He explained the position of the two funds, and went on to say that the Council had a further scheme for the ratepayers' considera't'ion for the borrowing of £SOOO for the purpose of extending Gill Street to St. Aubyn Street. He dwelt on the advantages of this scheme for easing the heavy traffic in Devon.Street by mating another thoroughfare, nearer the railway goods sheds. This scheme had been advocated some years ago when the property where Mr Berry's warehouse now stood could have been acquired for £ISOO. The price was now prohibitive, but the Council thought, after due consideration, that the piece of ground offered by Mr Newman alongside the railway yards would be equally as beneficial to the borough as the opening of Oil I ' Street immediately opposite Ariki ' Street. Mr Newman bad offered his ' property for £3250, and was prcpar|cd to take £3500 worth of deben--1 lures at 4J per cent. In regard to the Harbour Board's piece of land on the other side of the river, Mi ' Newton King, the tenant, was will- ' ingto vacate if the Council would 1 shift his stables, and the Board 1 would sell for £l5O. The engineer * estimated that it would cost £100(1 '" tor a bridge, and £320 for the ap- ■" proaches to the new street, while

the remainder of the £SOOO was made up of £250 for the first year's interest and £3O for preliminary expenses. The opening up ol a new street was absolutely necessary ; it must conic in time, and the longer it was delayed the greater outlay it ■ would finally involve on the Council Sir Joseph Ward, was in -favour of the scheme, and promised to allow the Council the right to a piece of land at the back of Mr Newman's warc> house, and also one foot of railway land to make the street the full 6i> feet wide. When the whole of the money was subscribed the interest would be 1} per cent, on £OO,OOO, £4050 • 5 per cent, on £12,000, £6OO ; total £4650 per annum. In the estimates for the present year provision was made for payment of £4030 interest, thus leaving £O2O to be made up. If a rate had to be imposed, it would bo only, threepence in the £ on *e7o V ' a J u f t J on 0[ £:> MOO, producing 4.W2, but he did not for one moment think it would be necessary to increase the rating by this amount He pointed out thai this could be met by economy, „s the estimates included a number 0 f lion-recurri™ items. 1,, nnoth«- year, ,„I SO| the Council s revenue would I*. becnninL-

largely augmented by the returns iroin the sewage and water schemes. ..°. loa " lU '«ount overdraft was £.Y-'7O, and the delay in miaite tho money had really .been „. saving of interest to (he Council. Witi .increased revenue was, he qonsiderod, toeJng well expended, and in making New Ply mouth an up-to-date town he diid not Ltink -tin: ratepayers were being overburdened. (Applause.) He moved a motion approving of the proposal to borrow n special loan of £SOOO for the.Gill Street extension on the terms published, and requesting, that a poll of the ratepayer* bo taken on thciquestion. . Cr. Iln,)oking seconded. ](e considered the matter one of urgency. Hr E. Stevenson questioned whether the Molesworth Street extension were mot possible at less expense. The Mayor said that the ra-i!«i-«\' authorities were adverse to that proposal. The Minister approved of the present scheme, I Mr S. Shuw was inclined to agree with Mr Stevenson in regard to Molesworth Street. Th c Department had smply filched the foreshore and caused ull the difficulty to tfifctown. He conSjidejnqctthib puljilic! should put in a strong protest ug|ainst the. |iepartinent's attitude. (Hear, hjisar.) Mr K. Docfcrill said he had seen the necessity when ih? the Counoil for something being dome, ile had mudu a suggestion to the railway engineer at that time that a b'ridge be put down to empty the yards from both sides. The Mayor, in reply to MrGovett, said Mr Newman's offer was only open till November. Continuing, liu said that h|e and the Council ' had fought'ths fmestijon with thc Do-

partauent,, It was almost iinpos*'blu to have a street opening to Mok.sworth Street. Ho rend the •Government's letter to Mr Dockrill, in which it was stated tiat not till the lino was diverted' could any fresh application be considered. If the present opportunity ras let slipi the Council might never get the. same chance. The whole thing would drift hack, and in ten years' tiinu they would huvc to pay through 1 the mose for the same facilities, Ms Skinner was in favour of the Molesworth Street Extension. 'i'hc Council miight lose the present opHortunity, but 'wa» it worth jumping at at the price ? Mr Govett stated' that he had seen Mr Newman, who said he would g-hc ao extension of time in neguvd to' his ofl'er. His willingness to take debentures got over the financial ■.flfficulty. Mr Goveft disclaimed any faith in regard to Government aid. The Muyjur asked where would they be if they lot thu present chance slif by, and then could 1 get no concession from tho lOovcrciment v Air Newmanhad other offers for his property. Jle (thu Mayor) would be sorry to waste Wine in renewing thp application to the Government, Mr It. C. Hughes said they were just on the point of achieving Ibvir wishes. and dt wiufuld be a pi(ly 'it) I let things go buck to their old> position on tho supposition that by some ' application to the Government tH\\ might get Mo|esp'orVh Street opened

up, Mi' 11, Uoodaci'c dill not think the Government should get off scot free. It wus Mimply a trap having to cross the railway lines tto get to the goods ofliees. They should ask 'the Uowrnmenl to provide hall" t!*.' I street, and tiring the ofllces up to [the street frontage. Cr. Brooking pointed out that tlit Government had absolutely refused to curtail the railway yards. 'Mr J. C. ticorge sukl the (!oveifument tod, rec'ivi'iiied land at considerable cost, and it was not likely, in view of the demands on the railway yaitls, that the IVparlment would give a way 'one Chain to connect Molosworth Street with. St. Aubyii Street. The Department had Hot one inclj to spare from their shunting yard.

' The Mayor wished tho Council had had the opportunity of getting the valuable ivclamHlio" area instead of the. Coveiliinent. lie had no hesitation in saying 'they would never get one toot of railway land as suggested.

'line 'motion ' approving of llw £SOOO inan. was carried ,with but two 'or th|H:e. dissentient voices, The Mayor movAl a resolut lon a|>provlng of ilho £7OOO for the. purpose of paying liabilities already, incurred and to complete the additions an'.i extensions of the waterworks, and proyMins *or Uw electric light

scheme, unci requesting' that a bWlot of I lie nitopujers L« ta!;en on tho proposal. l,'r. Brooking, lin !iccondir(r the motion, explained tjho position of th£ various loaf accounts. On the £lO,000 for sewage, there was Wtill £llßl available for further ext)ans*on of tlnri: vs. The main lines were all' laid, and tic extensions would be I) in:)h and 1 incli mains. Thciv was st'ill a i quantity of pips on hand. The excess of £:w,;<} on the water seihcme ivns principally vine to tile increased cost of the 'tunnel. Mr Mcsta.\\;r's estimate wus JtolOU. The lowest tender was £3395, and witih! the extra work entailed the total cost ran into- £7lOl. The Council had luul some, trouble with the contractorW\v-

iiig to '.clays, etc., and there was to be a -ottlement of accounts betweei. thi'in. The position of the electric lighting scheme wns disappointing. To • wi.ppjy an adequate scrv ce, and impur.L transformers, meters, etc., not include'.! in the original estimate, the Council required £!)198 to Complete a <good installation. The Coutnul had, in order to push on with tue work, entered into obligations tb

cover tho whole of the amount. | Mr CSovctt said the Couridil had g'(t Into "iv 'devil of a mess," and must find the money to put things right. They might save themselves the trouble of discussion. Mr F.. Stevenson drew attention to the report three years' ago when Mr Dockrill, as Mayor, and Cr. Brooking assured the ratepayers that the estimates were on a higjft scale and would not be ahort. Cr. Frascr pointed out that the Council was at the mercy of its advisers. The Council was not tibialis, and should not shelter tho person responsible. Mr Dockrill' did' not see justification' for raising the charges for water closets from 10s, as in his time, t°

The Mayor said that when he came into office the Council was £llOO in debt. Since then Ihcro had been a ■ndit at the end of each year. It was impossible to work without an overdraft through the winter months untl the ratios commenced to come n. He believed in a live Council, and not getting into a "sleepy old groove." '(Laughter and applause.) The motion approving of the £706)0 loan was carried, imantmously, and the jnceting terminated.