SUBSIDIES FOR THE SUBURBS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 92, 7 April 1908, Page 4

SUBSIDIES FOR THE SUBURBS.

COUNTY COUNCIL INCREASES THE AMOUNT. Yesterday afternoon MeSsi's. 11. Okey, M.P., chairman of the Frankley Road Hoard. C. Carter, chairman of the Carringtoii Road Hoard, and Mr. .1. tilegg, ! chairman of the Eliot Road Hoard, waited on the Taran.iki County Council and asked that body to grant a 'nigger subsidy to the Hoards than had hitherto been voted. .Mr. Okey was the lirsl speaker, and stated the object of the deputation. l.;iM year the amount grunted wa-- UlJe, which, considering the amount that the Council received from these ,-„id districts in rates and Government Kiili-idy on rates, was a fair amount . These suburbs were situated close to the borough —ill fact, adjacent to it—and the rc-iu-ents dciircd all the advantages of the town. Consequently the expenditure w«niucU heavier tlnn that of the lW'd Board under ordinary circumstance". Tlie valuations, too, Of these suburbs had increased largely of late. Let them take, for iindauee, tile Cairington road district, including Vogeltown. There t:.e recent valuations showed an increase ol

£34,000. This was the outcome >i w improved access and incrca-cd laciliUcs, brought about ill a large measure by tno progressive Hoard and the ai-tiini of the ratepayers ill rating thcinsehv- for a loan of nearly £3OOO. Probably no utlier road districts in the colony vv.to situated as these. Their general ra.-e amounted to £OO7 •'■'•-, and on this the county received a subsidy of £174. (making £B7l 3s, which the Council received from that part of the county last year. In return the districts received only £125, and did not derive ,uiy hcuoiit from the Council's expenditure. „iu.-o lio' people did not use the coiiidy road. They asked now that the Council refund onethird of the general rate and one-third of the subsidy.

In reply to Cr. Ilopsou, it transpired that an allocation on this lnnw would mean a refund of about £2OO to Uic Hoards-

.Mr. Carter, in endorsing .Mr. Ukcy's remarks, quoted figures to show thai in the past live years the Carrington roau district had paid £IOOO 18s id to Hie county in general rates, and Hoveriinienl subsidies amounting to £385 4- lid; a total of £I9SO 3s Id. -Not one penny of that money had been expended in the Carrington road district. In the p.i-f three years the county had paid to I he road district £2ll 5s Id, ,o that they were doing very well out of New Plymouth's suburbs. On the present valuation of £135,000, the' Caningtou roau district would pay to the county fund £421 17* Od, which, with Hie Govorninent subsidy, meant £527 IK 10'/,d gain to the county. lie thought that on those ligures tile district was justly entitled to a better subsidy than' the Council hail heretofore granted', and the leanest made was reasonable. .Mr. (ilegg endorsed tho-e remarks. The chairman said the deputation inferred that the money expended in the county by the Council was ol no benelit to these'road districts, which was not the case. The county roads belonged I to them, and not to the other parts of the county; and they were of direct aim I indirect benelit to New Plymouth and its I suburbs.

Mr. Okey reminded Hie Council that unless these suburbs received fair treatment there was a possibility of their merging into the borough of New Plymouth. He thought it would be to the Council's advantage to grant the rl- - for they could not all'ord to lose the revenue. I The chairman mentioned thai the

Council had done all it could keep Vitzroy in the county, but the people there got all they could and then sreed-

C'r. Tiitu asked tin; deputation to consider and devise si'inc scheme I>,v wliicii the county might nuilvriuku the niuiiiU'liunce of the principal roads in the districts. Tiic county could do the wo'.'< more cheaply than "the road no ird-. Ile Council could not afford to lose the suburbs and th»ir revenue.

Cr. llopson: We've got to lusc some Di them.

fr. Andrews wanted to know if the deputation was asking the Council to make an annual vote.

The chairman said the Council could hardly bind its successors, but he would like to see it li.vd for a year or two.

Cr. George moved and Cr. Hill seconded tint a third of the rates be refunded. The seconder said that with tlie improved means of locomotion the suburbs would increase in value, people preferring them to the borough.

Cr. Andrews moved an sinii'iidtiicnlto refund a third of the rates and subsidy. He thought the Council could all'ord it, as the valuations were increasing. Cr. Stevens seconded. It would lie a mistake to kill a goose which was laying golden eggs for the Council. There was no disguising the fad thai the Council was doing very well out 01 the New Plymouth suburb's. Tlicy piiid big rates and got no expenditure in return, and did not damage the county roads. It would be a mistake to give them an excuse for "cutting the paiuler."

Cr. llopson opposed giving away the subsidy, which was paid to Hie Council as trust money to be expended over the county. Cr. Hill: Well, they're a portion of the county.

Cr. Tate supported the amendment. He liad always recognised thai these ' districts did not get from the county benclits in proportion to the amount of their rates. They were wry valuable portions of the county, and there seemed some chance oi' their merging into the borough, but even if they were going to secede to-morrow the Council must still do its duty by them. lie did not think they would secede if they were fairly treated. The chairman said he was convinced that these districts had a claim. mi> before members became too liberal they should just glance at the bank-book and see the amount of the Council's overdraft.

I Cr. Adlam said he wa- prepared to give more than a third of Hie rates, but not to the extent asked. Half of the amount of rates collected .should suffice. The amendment was 10-l, Councillors Stevens, Andrews, and Tate voting for it. -V further amendment was moved by Cr. Adlani and seconded by Cr. Hill tin; X2W be the amount of the refund. This was carried, Cr. George dissenting. Cr. Hill wanted to know if the whole of the monev would he spent on the roads. The chairman said that if the Council made a grant to the road board-, he was not going to ask them what they would do with it.