SUBURBAN FINANCES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 127, 20 May 1908, Page 3

SUBURBAN FINANCES.

KATE REDUCTION" SCHEME*. "When you touch a man's pocket, you touch his most vulnerable point,'' remarked Mr. Carter, the chairman of the Carrington Road Board, in commenting last night upon the large attendant of rateriaycrs and the very intelligent interest displayed l>y them in the two proposals submitted to them for discussion with a view to tin- ultimate reduction of the excessive nitey in that and adjacent -ulmrlwu di-tricl>. The meeting had been adjourned li"ui a couple of weeks previous for the reception of the report of the delegates appointed to comer with representatives of the Eliot and Frankley road districts, and the conclusion, of that conference (already published) were submitted. They submitted to the ratepayers two alternative schemes—Firstly, the formation of the three road dis tricts mentioned into a new county; sod secondly, the mergiug of the lower portions of the district into the New Plymouth borough, as part of the Greater New Plymouth scheme. The chairman said that the delegates bad been erected with power only to confer, and not to commit their respective districts to any line of action. He wanted now to place the position iairly before the ratepayers, as regarded each proposal. As at present constituted. the Carrington road district would this year contribute to the county fundi, ZbiA, being £421 17s 6d in general rate, and the subsidy thereon. Out of that they received back Only a »mall aunt, which they had had to" beg from the County Council. The rate would be struck on a capital value of Jtl33,<JoO, for that was the amount on the valuation roll after making; deductions from and a few additions to the figures urrivcr at in the recent revaluation, since last meeting he had ascertained that both the gas and electric lighting systems, about whose entry there bad beeu •o much trouble, were to become contributors to the Board's revenue in the matter of rates. As one of the delegates, he requested the meeting to fully thresh out the pros. and cons, that nigut, Inn to reserve am vote lor the cumliinej meeting on Friday evening in the Town Hall. A peat deal of interest was bciug centred in this movement, and he had had to explain to the chairman of the Bar

wtt and Mongorei road districts wh>-| they had not been consulted. The reason, of course, ku that if they decided to form « new county they would have • much stronger case without thi-e tricts, for they each a gnud len ? tn of county roail, whilst the Eliot. Frank ley, and Garrington road district, ,u-ri\ - ed no direct benefit from monevs paid into the county fund. l!r. Carter again quoted the figures given at the previous meeting, showing that about four tifths of the £30,000 increase of valuationl had been in the Vogeltown district.! leaving only one-fifth for the "upper I end." The county scheme, if adept,.!, I Wag intended to benefit tile whole district by the abolition of the pic-em system of dual rating, but by joining the borough it was recommended |,v the delegates that exemption -iioui.l he made to compensate the up|K-r end settlers of the combined district for Ving left isolated and without anv bii-h----ly-valned land from which to" draw rates. The speaker then read out about twenty instances showing that the ratePayers in the Carrington road district would save 48 per cent, in the general rates by joining the trough, exclusive of the reduction in water rates, etc. Mr. Loahbrook wanted to know what guarantee they had that the boroufili would not increase the rates as soon M the suburban districts joined in. The chairman said there was a greater chance of the rates being reduced.. for the sewerage, electric light, anil water schemes should earn enough to as•ist the general fund. Again, the general rate in the borough had just l>ecn reduced by making the special rates a charge on the special fnnd instead of the general fund. The new portion of the enlarged borough could not. of course, be held liable for .special rates Bow levied in the borough. Mr. Lashbrook said he could understand people with property in the borough advocating the of this. district into New Plymouth, thus securing a reduction in their Ixiroiigh rates, but it didn't appeal in that way to those who had no stake now iu the borough

Hie chairman: I think I have shown yon tkat you can save rale* either by forming a new county or joining the borough. It's for \ou lo decide. Mr. Lashbrook: Yea, but what about the future!

Mr Cock thought they needn't bother themselves very much about the Jim futare. They had no security of tenure upon this earth, and mightn't Ik here another day. It was useless to anticipate the future The people of the future, or of the present either, would get more and more convenience*, either in Vogeltown or in New Plymouth, if they wanted them. The chairman. however, bad shown very deaily what enormous saving would he effected by joining the borough, and, he said, "Let's go somewhere to pet the reductions." Mr. Lashbrook: Couldn't we do better in a county? Mr. Cock: ThatS what we're here to find ont. They could not do any good by dragging in the bogey of the future. It might appeal to Mr. Lashbrook that this Vogeltown district, when in the borough, might compel the borough to raise a loan for Vogeltown improvements. (Laughter). He saw many advantages in the l>orongh scheme, and one of them was the remission of half rates upon untenanted houses. The new portion of the borough would not be insignificant, for it would contain a goodly share of population. Mr. Avanu asked if, in the event of joining the borough, the area included would have to share the borough's ii»-' trilitiet, and the chairman replied that be did not think so. Each party would ■till carry its special rates. Continuing, he said that a new county would bare to take its share o. the Taranaki county's liabilities. There would, however, be a county council constituted to look after this compact county, and the Carrington riding, on a valu.it ion basis, would have the preponderance of voting. He mentioned that the I!«n. Mr. MeGowan recently informed the Carrington Road Hoard deputation that the fiovernment was strongly ndver-c t" the multiplication of small couniic-. There would, of course, be this advantage, that Mr Okey. M.V. for the district, was warmly Interested in the county scheme, and the disadvantage that the Taranaki County Councjl would just as strongly oppose it. In answer to Mr. Wells, the chairman said the county scheme would f- i!i in about the same rating as the borough proposal. A penny rate would probably suffice. There wai <V danger, of course, that the new cotioty. having all the powers to construct its own lighting schemes and so forth, might not get the same consideration from the New Plymouth borough a- v.*. given to the'lJond Hoard. Mr. Lashbrook: We jny cnmi 2 1l tor now.

Mr Cock: That d'Ji-ut' prov.ni in .1 charging more. The chairman, replying to Mr Gm-k. sad the borough extension and tin- intension of the water-mains and lire di> triet, would reduce fire inrniram r rate* from R« 8d (0 8s M per £IOO.

Mr. Hcaly said he noticed the Works Committee of the Borough Coun. I! was proposing the increase of rates charged to suburban resident' for the lioroiijfli supplies. Mr. Peppcrcll: Thai's an in-pirc.t "local." He continued that in hi- own case Hie county scheme would I>e llk better for Him. and qi.nted, on a halt penny rate in the road district and three farthings in the county, his rate-1 would be C!l ss: in the borough t" I* 3d: in the county, £5 lrts. In answer to the chairman In- -aid he was reckoning the water and -pecial rates, and a halfpenny road board rat' 1 . Mr. Carter said the comparison, to >»■ of use, must be on a basi* existent no" There was no linlf-priiny rate in either; of the road di-iricls. ' ||c l,a-e,| lii. Spires on general rates only. Mr ('•■ Browne strongly favored th. merging info tin- l«>roiigli—the <treatci Xew Plymouth -.-heme. Tlic new coun ♦y propo-cd would meet witli opposition /or I lie Taranaki County, for it wapropov.d |n lake out a -lice fr«i„ lh. middle of the prc-ent county and cut j; entirclv in two. with another littlecounty «aridu-ic!ic.| in. [I «.,-riot likely ihal j that position w>ul.| !«■ accepted, j.im was it at all likely that -uiel, an id-., would commend it-e|f fa\orably to tinnirinlierx of Parliament. Kic n „,.;,. the liotindaries acceptable, then- j-j, the drawback that the new couat-, ,■„],' "have to pay a lump «inn to tie I'm «"ki comity or lake over pinion of ■tt liabilitii*. Tlie present ,-. -.- taH.n.Me.'nr .ie/fc.,,, „/,„.;,.,;,.." Hte.r knee, ;„„, Tilltr .. ,„ „, „„ , *Utlm r ;lies f,. P „,;„.... ~,,;,.,, ~ ~„ «f the b0r0,,,,,, W ;.„ M ,„_.„,.,..' ~,; r "£*■ I" -nte,,.|e,, ,„.,! V-.-dt0.,:,, people l|*<l JJ.ll hevn.,,l l|„. r „..,| J,,,,,, -*t«J?e. In th* L"! . ji •>' me pa,t thr.-.- war- tin-

steep road had been graded, to admit ol the 'bus service. In the past Ivrelvi month the main road had been widencc from a country lane to line broad sl,reel and the past eighteen mouth* had sei-i the street lighting an ac-complishec fact. Further progress, was wanted and that could best be obtained b, merging into a borough. Those r . lt J' pavers who were not included m tin scheme, he thought, would be just awell on" as now, for they could mergi into the county. Mi. Seamark a-ked it a dilleicntial i.Uc euuld i„. struck iu the county. the chanmaii was not punitive "mi the point, but he believed so. Such a ran liowever. won hi Im,. t„ lie ;i«reed upon by the Council and not merely by the representative!. of each riding. " Mr. Well, wanted lo know "if the Jior--•ngli Council uould be able to maintain ihe ,-lreel- more economically than the Koad Hoard could. The ehairniau: Well, they will take !»..-third, oi the capital value and only .'•third of the length ol road. That'a clear enough, isn't it i Mr. Cole didn't think the state of the roads would improve under hor.uHi administration, and Mr. Howell said that m the Victoria road just on til' Imm "ugh side of the boundary there wet' "holes nearly up to the axles." A voice: Vou mifct mean go-carts. Mr. tjoek: Let's have the truth. I po up and down regularly, and Tie never seen a hole -i.v inches deep. I don't <•„ to church every Siuidat, but-let's have tin- truth. Mr. Howell: I'm speaking the I nub. Mr. Ulauchett asked if Uicrc was any idea of the attitude' the Imnuigh would lake up a new county mi rejtard to street lights, ele. Mr. Lashbrook: ilicy're so far apart. we won't miss them if they went. The chairman saul that up till recent ly despite l're<|Ucnt rcipiestr, by the Koad Board for their removal," then were trees altogetlier obscuring the view of one of the street lights. Those tree;* were Mr. [.ashbrook'*. Iu answer to Mr. Tookc. as to the Itoroii'gli Council'* preference for a small or bigger area of extension, the chairman said he had no definite information, but he believed the larger scheme would be preferred. The meet ill}; did not vote upon Ihe proposal*. A very hearty vole oi thanks was a<torded to Mr. Carter for the time and trouble devoted to the compilation of information for the guidance of the meeting.