Stratford Summary

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 125, 17 November 1911, Page 3

Stratford Summary

(From our Resident Reporter.) MI'XICII'ALISLXU t'UBLIC SERVICES. A PROBLEM FOR [STRATFORD RATEPAYERS. WHAT MAYOR MASTERS SAYS ABOUT IT. Stratford, Thursday. The. .street-corner controversy concernin" the acquisition of the property, rights and business of the Stratford Electrical Supply Company by the municipality is so bewildering that today [ sought an interview with the Mayor, Mr. J. Masters. He's an enthusiast about it, a red-hot supporter of the proposition, on the grounds that the scheme will pay, and that the people are entitled to the profits made from such a service of public utility. The Mayor was in his garden when I called, but be readily dropped his work, and threw himself on the mercy of the interviewer. "You want to know something about the electric light, eh? Well, fire away, and Til try and tell you something. First of all THE GOVERNMENT WOXT LEND

THE MONEY. We have received a letter from the State Guaranteed Advances Office, and it runs ]ikc this: "I have to inform you that your Council's application for a proposed loan of £14,000 to purchase the business and undertaking of the Stratford Electrical Supply Company, Ltd.. was submitted for tlie consideration of the Advances Board at its meeting held to-day, with the result that the Board resolved to decline to entertain such application."

"So, you see, all our plans may have to he altered. We had reckoned on getting the Government money, but it seems the Guaranteed Advances Board does not favor lending money to local bodies for commercial undertakings like this. You remember they refused to grant ; loans for this sort of thins' at Hastings and Elthum."

THE ALTERNATIVE. •'What do you propose doing now? You'll go on, of course," I remarked. •Oh, yes. I will now recommend the Council to endeavor to raise a loan elsewhere. But; if we can't get the money at a sufficiently low rate of interest to enable ns to create a sinking fund of, say, one per cent., and leave a fair margin of profit after payment of that sinking fund and interest, I certainly would not advise the ratepayers to.touch ,the business. We can't' get a loan inscribed, as you doubtless know; -from private parties on the same easy terms as from the Government, so would have to create a sinking fund ourselves by setting aside funds for that-purpose."-'THAT' REPORT." "About that report. Mr. Masters. Was there anything very dreadful in it that made you object to its ■publication?" •'Xo. That was what is called the original report of a special committee set up to advise the' Council of the possibilities of the ■undertaking,. The committee worked.Out tlii> position upon a basis of £15,000, Which .they, considered was the maximum 'am6imt which the Council could afford; to. pay. All their calculations we're hyaiie on that basis. The Council, by-a nYi'jority of two to one, considered that; the publication of those figures before the valuers had completed their work would not have been in. the best interests' of the and, when the valuers' report actually came down, and we found that a lesser sum than .•C1'5,000 wYmltt be required,, then the figures arrtve'd atby : the committee' could be of.no vatu& "whatever to the ratepayers, aS>''tlioj-'Vrefe Wtfrked on a wrong basis. ';As -ytni-'know, only j fU.UQO is required -now. There lias been no intention to conceal anything from the ratepayers.! 1 ; Items'-been my intention all along- to place the report, before the public, from-the platform when the proper •time arrives, and to show it side ;by side : with the .report showing the.'actual tfiifle HP affairs. For r believe that: the 1 actual' co*t of the goodwill, etc.,' atfd aW:the other' details, fchoirld '-'he. -pla'cefl •'btf-6rfi lr f>MTrltepayers iat one and the'-srfhie •time:'.'? : ' ■' ' "" >'•

"To crime linefc W>'i;fl(\ f of in-w-hiit'-rftte f ''W> : iriteJ ( est' l (Io yoti think it would- prty'-.thfe -: bt>ronfrli to give, if they a re" tb > "m^^ke s ft? r Hl'ofi fc? ° ; : On top of-that' woiihT'be iM ; Sinking- fund of one per cent.- to'toei'mitt aside 1 annuallv; find theft-'wtfttld tnen'StVll We a frfir margin of profit after pacing these ■.charges."'" ■' -'i-iij.'!"-!] t«'v .>*<■• ■.

What margin of profit, .do you con-, sidcr, tiui borough c;in eaa-n_after paying' 'interest 1 arid sirikijig fund?"'.', ' "I have worked it out, and.can see a. profit of over '£7oo 'a' year to-the rate-; payers when the new plant is 'lnstalled,! making a day load jfossible. 'The Conn-j oil. through its 'committee.-' has had enquiries -made-ns ko 'thrf'proofttile- amount; of current which.-'will' be consumed for motive purposes during the-day, and the, outlook iri thi.-vdirectionis-very good. I: have based ; my'calculations on the earn-' ings of the company'durirfg the yeari ending March 31Ha'*t;' : "And what* iire -the prospects of in-; creased revenue?" - '' :

■The revenue r for. the. seven months; ending October 31 showed an increase of; £220 as compared. Willi, the. figures for! the corresponding period in, 1,010. .On top | of that, the■ .-company -is 'making freshconnections daily. And, seei.j\g that the! <'ouncil will be in a position, to supply l a better light than has been done by: the company, maryy .people wb.o are noti now connected will, there-is not t-h, e least j doubt, beeonie consumers of current. It' is unnecessary, to menti.pn, ; perh.aps, that! there is a. good denl of building going on' here now. ami this should be a good' thing also." : "liegarding the valuers' report, Mr. 1 "Masters, (,'an von tell me if it is pro-, posed to pay' £IO3B for the'machinery: alone? Some difference, of opinion seems: to exist," ' The Mayor replied thai this. £IO3B in-, eludes the water-race. weir, power-house, turbines, generator', and so on. ■'Doe* that, com; anywhere r.enr thevalue of these .things as assessed by the; couipany iiselfv"-"'Xo. . The value of, these is -hown ill (lie assets of the Electrical Supplv in ;'= last balanee-sbeet as' follow-: Weir .-.lid 5,1: buildings. CIOO-: .plant, £2121; less' (b-pri'cieliim. C:!'-8 lis l >d: leaving a balance of C27OS 3s 0,1. And we get £2708 Us !),i worth for £1038." (Vkrext Eon ro\y-ETi'Prn?osES.! '•Talking of consumption of electricity; for power purposes What is used now?" "Oil. most of (he machinery in the, town is driven by water-power, from our mains, and from lip-- the Council derives a revenue of ab,<ut £IOO a year. Most of those people are pretty well bound to iu-tal electric motors ns soon as mey. are available, whether the company or* the Council provides the current. The demand for household supplies of water is constantly increasing, and this must lessen the pressure derivable from the mains for power purposes" ; Mr. Masters added that the statement was being made tl.at the company's plant was just about worn out. and that it would soon have to be discarded. He

" would like to emphasise that, the valuers declared the plant fit for several years' good service if the present demand were to continue. Should thn increasing demand for current necessitate the duplication of the new fuel-driven plant now on order, then the two new plants would suffice, and render the present waterdriven plant unnecessary. That was a question for the years to come. He would suggest, too, that the Council should make provision for this by setting aside annually some portion of the profits for the purpose of replacements and renewals, thus enabling the Council to keep the plant equal to the demand without having to make any further call on the ratepayers. Ho added that he had hoped that the Government's letter regarding the loan would have been favorable, in which case he had intended addressing the ratepayers next week from the public platform, but now his address would have to be deferred until something definite was ieamed regarding the financing of the scheme. He would then be able to place the proposals, with the proposed expenditure and estimated revenue, fully before, the ratepayers, and these figures, ho considered, would convince the great majority of the ratepayer.•■ that the purchase of the company's* interest by the Borough Council i would be in the best interests of the I borough.

BOWLING. STRATFORD 129 v. WEST END GO. The first banner match was played at Stratford yesterday, when West End. sent five rinks to meet the local club. The green played splendidly, and the visitors had a good time, being hospitably entertained by the local club. But tke Stratford bowlers were too superior, and won by 120 points to GO. On the No. 1 rink matters proceeded merrily, and with but a few beads to go the scores read Firth and G. Smart 13 all. The usual complimentary remarks were made by the respective presidents at the conclusion of the play, and the West Enders promised to try and return the 'compliment when the clubs meet again. The scores were as under, the West End rinks being shown first: Francis, Greiner, Wood, { Beale (s) : :..' '.. 14 White, G. Curtis, F. Jackson, J. Jackson; (s) 22 Martin, McQuade, Bullot, Xewell'(s) 14 Fookes, Munro, Wade, King (s) "25 R. Lee, Bendall, F. Lee, Johnston (s) 14 Rogers, J. Masters, Penn, McDonald (s) 28 T. Sole, Johnson, Bigclow, J. D. Sole (s) 14 Ryan, R.. Masters, A. Black,. Sangster (s)' 27) Lye, Hill. Newell, Firth (s) 13 I Webb, Newton, Porritt, G. [ Smart (s) 17; . Totals: Stratford 129, West End GO. I GENERAL NOTES. . ;D?\ Paget returned from Auckland this morning., jHe had been to the northern capital with 'Mr. J. R. Mackay, the popular secretary of the Stratford Racing Club, who was surgically operated upon there a day or two ago. Mr. Mackay is now-out of danger, and is convalescent. Mr. Frank Mackay, his brother, who accompanied the invalid on the journey! returned by the same train. The, Right Hon. Sir Joseph Ward has arranged to lay the foundation stone of the new, Stratford School on the 27th November. ; He will arrive here fromTfewera by the; 3.10 p.m. train, and will go on to Inglewood the same evening. The Premier is billed to give a political address there.

Appendicitis seems to be very preva lent in Stratford just now.

The contractors, Messrs. Boon Bros..'! have 'been greatly hindered by the badi .weather, in. carrying out the work of; erection 'of tl'ie new school here in brick,' but managed to get in a full day to-day. ; Tuesday's cattle fair in Mr. Newton' Kind's ...yards brought together the biggest yarding of cattle that Stratford has seen 1 ' for many years past. About a''thousand 'head'more than those ad-, vertised came forward, and in all there wcr? about ; thr.ee thousand yarded, principally store cattle, the vendors being representative' of Awakino, Pohokura, Hawera'j and practically every stock-raising centre in the province. Messrs. S. W. Shaw and F. W. Webster were the auctioneers, Mr. Webster putting the heifers through, and, t|he,n. taking his.turn with the stores.-'"Every bullock yarded wasi eo|d, i.paces going as high as £6 18s, whilst ill '(other- lines cleared well' at good, prjees,, i ' _ . • ' Mr. a brother of Mr.' W. I. Lovelock,,.sJe well-known Holstein breeder, hqs..-recently purchased a <SOO-acre fara from Mr.'Cameron. • Dogs ,fwe ; becoming- a very; popular fancy ,1^, 'p'tjfltford, and some valuable in thorns'elv.esi quite a substantial nucleus for- a and their and thcfintjlivsiapftt'of one or two of. th*:principal, breeders, will have the effect 'of .bringing together for the Stratford'A. : anii P,| annual show the ■ g%t)^;'Jiig. of dogs ever seen'in "excepting last- year's,' which was.. record. ■ Prominent fanilefs'aiuj exhibitors from all over New, .Zealand are tq be represented, entries being.foitliconung.airewly, I am told, from HiLwefa^'^ajiganuViPalmcrston. North, 1 liivorca.rgill';.aiKl- New Plymouth. - :

-A lijupibfjr,«f -cricketer^.had a practice, on the. sj.iqjy grounds yesterday. A new. '• pitch-'- been laid down, and if cricket.'dfle'siy.t flourish in Stratford.this year excuse will; have,-to be foimd,.ipr..4ho'' iailure, as the 'ground: cnu..witji elbow grease be,made, •the. ve,ry. (jiing for cricket. It is a fine enclosure,,,, jyqll levelled, and-grassed, but perhaps a .Jj^tle,-humpy in-the outfield. ! ■ The. lr b,utlding .trade appears to -be, pretty,Jjbrjpk... jajbout. Stratford. ■ .There; ari'se,v^r,a.];ne J w.,houses in'coursc.of-.crec-. tion, jindnaHrai-Q-of a good type. 'A tea.ture |r of, ,th(i, Stratford landscape is the . nature-of the residences which,have...been erected in recent.years. Thi}. ne\>;;J).uUding. for theEgmonfc Club in- Brpad)vay, r ]wrth is nearing completion; Mr. John.Leydpn has' secured the-fur-, nishing contract, winning out over the. heads. several, competitors from the; cities. , His .Majesty's Theatre has recently been improved, and enlarged. 'fheuStratford permanent-picture-show does-good business. ; ;,. , ; A motor, .garage is to be erected in Broadway south for a new firm, hailingj I believe; from Wangaimi. A special meeting of the Borough Council will be held on Monday night to discuss ..the, loan proposals, the meeting being rendered necessary by the refusal -of - the State (iunro-ntced Ad? vances .Board to , lend £14,000 to the Council for .the purchase of the Electrical Supply Company's undertaking, j Polities are pretty warm here. Both, sides seem confident of victory. I met a strong Oppositionist tills morning, and he looked at Mr. nine's chances through th« rosiest of spectacles. '■But," 1 ventured' to intrude." the other side seems quite confident, too." "They haven't got as big a chance as I have," he said, ''and I ain't a competitor. See!" and he; snapped his fingers in my face, and\ laughed. By-and-by a well-known Liberal inveigled me into a discussion on the political situation. He was gleeful as a boy in mischief. The'seal-was a, "moral'.''

for "Joe." So I thought I'd find oul what be thought of the otlier fellow's prophecy. Said I. "But a Hine man told me just now that your side had no chance at all. They say the seat's as good as won again for the Opposition." •''They may think it is," said he, with a * fine scorn in his voice, "but you listen to me. I reckon I know something about it, and they don't know what they are talking about. Won? Bah!" Now, which of the two is right. One must be, surely.