MORE ABOUT BOROUGH MATTERS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81876, 29 October 1906, Page 2

MORE ABOUT BOROUGH MATTERS.

To the Editor. Sir,—lt is currently reported that the. abortive meeting of the How-not-to-do-it Society—otherwise the Borough Council—which was called without due notico for Fridajy afternoon, was intended to deal not only with the matter of tiic purchase of Mr lloldsworth's property as a she for the proposed Public Library, but also to pass accounts in connection with the Governor's recent visit to our town. This is a matter in which the ratepayers expect the councillors to do their duty. It is satisfactory to know that a section of them at any rate will endeavour to prevent us from being saddled with expenses which the Mayor has incurred and ought to pay. When the estimates for tho current year were being- considered in April last, it was proposed to reduce the Mayor's honorarium to £75, but Mr Dockrill asked that it should remain at the former figure of £IOO, and urged that during the current year lie would have to_entcrlain His Excellency during his promised visit.

Touching the Library site: The Council has possibly done good business in leuing nearly the whole of the municipal reserve next the Town Hall, for the position is not a good one for a library and rending room except that it is handy to the railway siation, and would therefore have been a convenient resting place, for our country friends while waiting for their trains. It goes wiihout saying that the ratepayers are not going to stand a large expenditure in a site, and the purchase of Mr lloldsworth's nice residential property even at the reduced price would saddle the borough with a large dwelling bouse, somewhat expensive to maintain and not very easy to let. An infinitely cheaper and in most respects better site can be found between Messrs Holdsworth's and Brooking's properties. Let the committee try again. Mr Brooking's resignation is not to be wondered at, but even those burgesses who feel that he (in perfect good faith) placed himself in a somewhat false position, must agree that his withdrawal from municipal life is a severe loss to the borough, and will join with me in sncerely hoping that he will stand again and give us the continued benefit of his very practical experience.—I am. .etc., A POOR OLD RATEPAYER. October 27, 190 G.

[Certain personal references have been excised from the above Had the writer attached his name, we would have been pleased to insert the contribution in full.]