Our Stratford Page

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 201, 22 February 1912, Page 3

Our Stratford Page

A BOMBSHELL.

* From Our Resident Reporter. * * * $ Office: No. 3, York Chambers, Stratford. * * * *************'******************

A DIFFERENCE WITH THE COMPANY. The following letter from the Mayor to the ratepayers is reckoned by most to just about settle the lighting loan question:— TO THE RATEPAYERS. • Fellow Ratepayers,—l very much regret that the amount stated by the company's directors as the cost of the new plant landed and installed in full working order has been exceeded by £561. The amount given to the committee, £3604, was distinctly stated by the directors to more than cover the eo«i In fact, they informed us this sum had been over-estimated. However, the committee, in framing their report to the Council, took the precaution to add another £IOO to the estimate given by the company, in order to be on the safe side. It is now found that the cost will be more like £4150. I This fact was discovered by the town clerk yesterday afternoon, and was im-1 mediately communicated to me. This ] morning Cr. AVard and myself met the j directors with the object of endeavoring to get them to shoulder the burden of their own mistakes, and to stick to the original estimate. This, after due consideration, I regret they could not do. I therefore consider 'it my duty to inform the ratepayers at the earliest possible opportunity that the cost of the new plant will exceed the amount allowed for by the committee by at least £6OO, and I now leave the matter in your hands to deal with as you think fit at the poll to-morrow. J. MASTERS, Mayor.

THE ELECTKIG LIGHT. THE OPPOSITION MEETING. FORCEFUL CRITICISM BY DR. PAGET At Tuesday night's meeting, addressed by Crs. Healy, Morison and Paget, on the loan question,

Cr. Morison complained that, although professing that he would not bring any undue influence to bear on the ratepayers to make them support the loan proposals, he had, in the course of his address last Friday night, stretched every conceivable point in its favor, even to lauding a certain section of the Council and disparaging the others. As to the Mayor's eulogy of Cr. King, that was all right. He agreed with Mr. Masters that, all things being equal, the ratepayers should own this plant, but all things were not equal. The company was having by far the best of the deal. He disagreed with the Mayor's statement of the cost of the borough lighting. Altogether this concern, if taken over by the Council, would be a white elephant. The Mayor had not put the position fairly when he said some people were advocating the policy of "letting it rip." so as "to get something for nothing." Mr. Morison thought that before very long the Council would be able to put in a plant of their own for £8044, including mains. Was it businesslike, then, to undertake to buy an obsolete plant, which would cost £4OOO or £SOOO to bring it up to this standard? It might pay, too, to wait till the railway touched the big Ohura coalfield, and then establish gashworks in Stratford. (Applause.) This £14,000 could be better spent on street improvements. A streets loan was coming, for £20,000, £30,000 or £60,000. Cr. Paget said that when he arrived at the Mayor's meeting on Friday night the first words he heard fall from Mr. Masters' lips were "That man's a scoundrel." (Laughter.) For the moment he imagined himself at a Borough Council meeting, and that the words were meant for him, so familiar they seemed. (Laughter.) Seriously,' though, if hard things had been said, who was responsible? Who covered the whole transaction with secrecy? Who adopted Star Chamber methods? Why ; Mr. Masters and his "waistcoat-pocket majority." When Mr. King was Mayor he was also chairman of the company. It was unfortunate for Mr. Masters and no blame or slur could attach to him—that his son, Mr. IJ. Masters, was chairman of the company. He severely criticised the action of the Mayor and his supporter;; in withholding the original report from publication. Cr. Paget complained that it had been left to him and one or two others to have these accounts enquired into. Why hadn't the Council done this very necessary thing? Then there was the agreement entered into between the Council and the com- : pany, which provided, amongst other things, that the Council should pay the

•■■ PRESENTATIONS. On Tuesday night there was a large gathering of members of the Egmont Club and the Stratford Football Club at the Egmont Club, to make a presentation to Mr. E. D. Brown on behalf of the members of the Football Club. Mr. T. C. Pookes, president of the club, in handing to Mr. Brown a handsome travelling bag, referred in eulogistic terras to the recipient's long and useful connection with the club.- He had played the game straight and clean for the game's sake, and had also filled several offices in the club, including that of secretary, with great credit to himself and benefit to the club.. He much regretted that Mr. Brown was leaving Stratford, apart altogether from h7s connection with this sport, for the town must be the poorer on account of the departure of its promising young men: Other speakers spoke in a similar strain, wishing him every prosperity in his new walk in life. Mr. Brown responded, modestly disclaiming any credit for what he had done, but regretting his severance from so] many pleasant sssociation.s. Mr. Brown was also presented by his fellow employees at the Stratford branch of the New Zealand Loan & Mercantile Agency Company with a handsome dressing-ease. The presentation was made by Mr. W. A. Hewitt, the manager, who referred in complimentary terms to the faithful service given by Mr. Brown during his nine years' connection with the firm in Stratford.

SWIMMING. The committee of the Stratford Swiming Club met on Tuesday and appointed the following officials Tor Thursday's 150 yards cup event: Judges, Messrs. W. P. Kirkwood and D. J. Malone; starter, Mr. E. B. Stohr; timekeeper, Mr. J. E. Wat-' son; call stewards, Messrs. A. J. Davey and C. Potts. ■ i Officers for the carnival on the Ist prox. were appointed as follow: Referee, Dr. Carbery; starter, Mr. E...8...5t0hr; timekeeper, Mr. Wntsoii; judge of diving, Mr. C. E. Seabright; call stewardi, Messrs. Malone, Marlow and Davey; gatekeepers, Messrs. D. J. Malone and Finlay. There are fifteen entries for £he club championship series, and more to come. „ GENERAL. "Keep at him while he's in office. He : hasna verra long,"—Cr. Thomson on the Premier. The first mounted parade of the Mounted Rifles will be held at Stratford on Thursday morning at 11 o'clock. No leave will be granted. I

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. CR. PAGET REPLIES TO THE MAYOR. Dear Sir,—With' your permission I will reply, through your paper, to' some statements made by Mr. Masters, Mayor of Stratford, in this afternoon's Stratford Evening Post, as if I wait for its issue to-morrow my remarks will-reach the ratepayers after the majority of them have polled their votes on' the electric light loan. Mr. Masters says as follows—

"As an advocate for taking over the concern, the. ratepayers could not have had a better .one ..than Cr. Paget, so far, at any rate,.as his figures are concerned. He showed the ratepayers last night that after providing £545 for repayment of goodwill and £7* so for depreciation, or a total amount per annum of £1295, the Council would only lose £124 per annum. Worked out for seven years, this means that at the end of that term, according to Cr. Paget, the Council would have received back the whole of their goodwill ( £4000) and an amount for depreciation of £5250 £9250; less a loss of £124 per annum, £B6B, or a net gain altogether in seven years of £8382, for the purpose of repaying the goodwill and depreciation. Surely not .a bad proposition. Cr. Paget's forte is not finance; it is a realm he should not enter."

■Mr. Masters forgets that the fund only represents what has during seven years been lost in payment of £4OOO for goodwill and in depreciated value of the ma l chinery, i.e., to quote his figures that the borough has during seven years lost £9250, and if they have thus replaced it by £9250, less the cost of from £124 to £424 per annum, it is out of -pocket exactly by that amount; that loss per annum reaches either £IO2O or £3230 at the end of the period. To put it in

company any sum the company might spend after July 11, 1011, upon new plant, etc. If it cost £20,000, instead of £3600 as estimated, they had to pay it. If the machinery being installed was. quite unsuitable, and even if it wouldn't work, the Council still had to pay for it, and had no redress. That information he had obtained from Mr. Fookes, the Borough solicitor, at the conference of representatives of the Council and the company, Some of the Mayor's figures were palpably and frankly absurd. He refused to swallow the fact that the day load would earn £450 a year. Criticising the figures, he said that £4OOO ■ was to be thrown into the pockets of the l company for something imaginary. Another thing was that the company's plant was old and badly situated, on a leasehold with five or five and a half years to run, all fixtures to revert to the lessor of the land at the end of that time, not to the Public Trustee. They wouldn't be able to remove the powerhouse, the weir, or the race, for nil property in it absolutely ceased at the end of the lease. No man could say his view was not infinitely more correct than the roseate one that Mr. Masters had presented the other night. The Mayor had said tke street lighting would cost £3OO. He; i knew better than that, and should not make a statement so absolutely incorrect. The Mayor had said the weir and race had not been allowed for in the valuation. Of course it had. Of what use was the powerhouse without the weir and water-race? Did his audience think that for the right to run that plant a mile down the river for five years they were going to pay the company £.300? No. So they must write off this £IO3B (the power station, buildings, etc.) in five years. A popular "hit" I was made by the speaker when he said I that by leaving this thing alone now the ( Council would be able to demand a good-) will of £4OOO or £SOOO from the com-: pany for a further concession to continue their business at the end of the term. Mr. Masters had said the l%d rate would never need to be collected. He thought it would. After questions, a vote of thanks to the chairman terminated the meeting.