POLL ON LOAN PROPOSALS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7889, 3 August 1905, Page 2

POLL ON LOAN PROPOSALS.

THE £7OOO LOAM AUTHORISED. JILL STREET EXTENSION NEGATIVED. Considering the importance of the ulditional loan proposals, involving a. sum of ±112,000, the poll of rate- , layers which ' was held 011 Wedncsilay, attracted very little interest, the remarkable apathy of ratepayers being demonstrated by the small number of volts east, though 110 doubt the unpropiiious weather militated against a large poll. There were three polling plates, the Central being presided over by the TiAm Clerk as Returning Officer, while while Messrs E. 'Armitage and M. Fleetwood oificiakd in the East and Weal Wards respectively. With respect to the loan of £700" for the completion 01" tlve electric lighting scheme ami additional work on the water scheme, the sanction of are ratepayers was an almost foregone conclusion, as it was recognised that the money must be raised to satisfactorily complete the Council's large undertakings. The result of the voting was a two to one majority in favour of the loan, the figures being 208 to 103. In the East Ward, however, the ratepayers were not so unanimous on the question, 47 voting against the proposal as compared with 52 in support. Despite the advocacy of the Mayor and Council for the opening up of a new thoroughfare, the ratepayers, by 16i4 Totes to 137, rejected the proposal to borrow £SOOO to connect Will Street with St. Aubynl Street. In face of the assent at the ratepayers' meeting recently, and of the fact that tilt, IVlolesworth Street extension is effectively blocked 'by the Railway, Department, the result of the poll caused some little surprise. Apparently the majority consider the extension to be net worth the large outlay involved. The East Ward polled solidly against the loan, while the West End was divided in opinion, ana the majority of 20 in favour cast by the. Central Ward could not avert the defeat. Ihis is ill. second occasion' on which the ratepayers have vetoed such proposals, as some years ago when the land in question could have been purchased very cheaply, it was decided at a public meeting not to go on with the scheme. The result of the poll was announced shortly after 7.30 p.m. by the Returning Officer, the details of the voting being as follows £7OOO LOAN. For Agst Inf Last Ward ... 52 47 1 Central Ward ... 125 43 5 West Ward ... 20 7 \ Totals ... 206 103 7 Majority for 103 £SOOO LOAN. For Agst Inf East Ward ... 26 72 2 Central Ward ... 95 75 9 West Ward ... 16 17 i Totals ... 137 164 15 Majority against ... 27 The number of voters u n the 101 l approximates 1250. The Council proposes to lew a special rate of 2«l in connection with the loan of £7,000.