CURRENT TOPICS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 120, 29 August 1910, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS

GREATER NEW PLYMOUTH. It is evident that the greater New Plymouth scheme is not going to be allowed to drop. His Worship the Mayor, who is as keen on the project as he is on the tramways, took the first practical step in connection with the movement on Friday, when at his invitation a small number of representative ratepayers of the Fitzroy town district assembled at the Council Chambers- ant discussed the question of Fitzroy joining the borough. The Mayor placed before the meeting an interesting comparison of rates payable in the Fitzroy town district as now paid with what the rates would be if the district were ineludea in the borough of New Plymouth. The statement showed that at present Fitziroy is paying £773 19s Id in rates, whereas if incorporated in the borough the amount payable would be £4OO 3b Bd, a saving of £373 15s fid. It was, however, pointed out 'by the clerk oi the Fitzroy Town Board that the miximum rate was levied this year to meet exception and non-recurring charges, and that probably a %d rate would cover expenditure in the future. There art other considerations, however, 'which have an- interesting bearing on the question. There is the rate. At the present the water rate charged to residents in Fitzroy is Is 4d in the £ on the annual value of the house and not exceeding hailf an acre of land. If in the borough the rate would be 6d in the £ on -the value upon all lands and buildings to which water is supplied. Other advantages to Fitzroy may be thus summarised: Fitzroy woula share in the revenue from the 2,000 acres reserve at Stratford and which is likely to be considerable in the near future; Fitzroy would share in the profits ol the electric light department, and which are an ever increasing quantity; Fitzroy would have a voice in the extension of both the water mains and electric light; Fitzroy fire brigade would have the free use of water; Fitzroy roads and footpaths would have the attention Of the Council's "up-to-date" roller, crusher, and traction plant; Fitzroy would become part owners of the 70 acres of the reserves on, which are situated the jgravel and metal deposits; the cost of administration would not be increased. And the most important advantage of all is that the formation oi a greater New Plymouth would facilitate the installation of a tramway system, in which, without doubt, jfi?l suburbs must be the greater gainer. New Plymouth would probably benefit to the extent that the town's status would be raised among the towns of the Dominion. As everyone knows, the town is now one of the smallest in area [ in the Dominion, but were it to include its immediate environs, as it should have done years ago, it would make a much better showing, and take its rightful - position among the towns of •New Zealand. In merging into the l borough Fitzroy would undoubtedly have the thick end of the stick, that is, I viewing the matter from the purely selfish standpoint And what applies to \Fitzroy applies with equal force, or almost equal force to the St. Aubyn town district, Vosreltown, and Westown, and we hope that whilst about it Mt. | Tisch will take steps to test" the feelings of the ratepayers of these districts jon this all important question. If the matter is put fairly and intelligently before them, we have little doubt as to the nature of the decision of the suburban ratepayers.

I A iNEW MAIL SERVICE. I It is good to know that a new mail ser- ! vice between New Zealand and San I Franeisco is to be established by the j Union Steam Ship Company, for extra communication between this country ■ and America, especially when established by steamers owned in New Zealand, is of great importance to us. It must strike the least, observant that even now New Zealand manages to keep splendidly in touch with the world, even though she is an isolated' spot in the ocean, thousands of miles from the centres of great happenings. The present Papeete service will be discontinued, and the new service will ibe continuous, giving a total of thirteen round trips each year. A i dependable mail and commercial service leaving Wellington once a month, calling at the islands, and thence direct to San Francisco, will not only augment the present conveniences for mail transports, but must enhance trade with the United States. The boats for this line are to be equipped with the most up-to-date cool chambers and with apparatus for wireless telegraphy. The value to the ordinary business man of this service lies in the fact that it is an extension of that which at present takes in Papeete j as a port of call, and that there will' now be no delay, the time between Auckland and iSian Francisco being reduced to twenty-one days. The enterprising Union Company have seen the advantage to New Zealand in inaugurating this direct line, and it must enhance trade relations between the United States and this Dominion. The extra cost in subsidy to the Government ( £12,500 per annum), will, it is probable, ibe amply repaid by the lesser time taken in the trips, the probable increase in the business done between the two countries, and the smarter passages of mails.

SUOCESSFOiL CO-OPERATION. If an illustration were needed of the 'benefits accruing from the co-operation of producers, the operations of the Taranaki Freezing Works Company for the past few years, and particularly last

year, furnish a striking instance. A few years ago the Bank overdraft of the company stood at £l<JyO{)o. It is now £•21)00. The charge for freezing a box of butter was then sevenpence; it is now fivepence, and from the first prox. it will be reduced to fourpenee, which, by the way, is the lowest rate in the Dominion. The operations of the past year constitute a record. Seven thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight 'boxes of 'butter and 52,535 cases of cheese were received, being an increase of 9968 boxes and 15,285 cases respectively. ■ After writing off an unusually large amount for depreciation on machinery, the balance to the credit of the profit and loss account is 12053, most of which is to ibe allotted to shareholders. The directors intimated that charges for freezing will be reduced in future in respect of both butter and cheese, this being rendered possible by the reduction of the overdraft and the fact that it was not considered advisable to go on earning ■money that would only lie idle at the bank. This will come as good news to shareholders, who are getting their freezing done at a minimum of cost, combined with the highest efficiency. The directors and staff are to be congratulated upon the good results that have attended their management, and the highly .satisfactory position the company has attained.