NEW PLYMOUTH BOROUGH

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 238, 6 April 1912, Page 7

NEW PLYMOUTH BOROUGH

LAST YEAR'S OPERATIONS KEVIEWED. A review of the operations of 'the borough during the year ended March 31st has been prepared by the town clerk, Mr. F. T. Bellringer. RefeVring to the municipal elections, Mr. Bellringer recalls that interest in } the election of councillors centred in the question of Greater New Plymouth and the installation of tramways, and! the result was the return iof a council pledged' to support these two progressive movements. Contested elections took place in the CentTal and Western Wards. Only the required number were nominated for the Eastern Ward and those candidates were returned unopposed. • ! GREATER NEW .PLYMOUTH. Tiie Greater New Plymouth scheme, the report adds, continued from the ' previous year, was undoubtedly 'the miost important matter dealt with during the year. On the successful carrying into effect of this scheme depends to a large extent the question of the installation of tramways. The council decided that the installation of tVamways should be a municipal undertaking, and no steps should! be taken to raise the necessary loans for this purpose until the euburlbs bad an opportunity off applying to bo added to the borough and! joining with the .borough in this important work. Notwithstanding the imamy unforeseen difficulties and delays which have arisen, the 'response of the suburbs, with the exception of St. Aubyn, has been .extremely satisfactory. A poll was taken on! August 16 on the proposal that a portion of the Fitzroy Town District be added to the borough. The proposal was carried, 244 voting for it and 131 against. A poll was taken on March 19, 1918, on <a proposal to add a poVtion of Tiaranaiki County Jo 'Kp borough, the area embracing Vo"ge"-'>wi, West own, and Frankleigli Park, ISP voting for and 29 against the The) .St. Aubyn noil was taken on March- 26, 102 voting for the proposal -and 107 against. The proposal was therefore lost. , This rebuff has altered matters considerably, and what effect it will have on the tramway scheme remains to be seen. ' Mr. Bellringer then proceeds' to set out as follows the greater New Plymouth scheme and the "result to date: AREA. Acres. New Plymouth (original boundaries) 875 Fiteroy COO Volegtown, Westown, and Frankleigh Park 1710 Area merged 3185 Area not merged'--St. Aubyn : ~ 455 Moturoa 330 [ . Area comprised in scheme 3070 VALUATION. '£ New Plymouth Borough 1,222,748 Fitzroy 132,330 Vogeltown, Westown, and j> Frankleigli Park (estimat- ■ ed) 200,000 , ■„ . £1,555,078; Not merged— i St. Aubyn 93,726 Moturoa (estimated) 21,000) £1,609,804 POPULATION. New Plymouth 5238 Fi'tzroy 700 VogeFtown, Westown, and Frankleigli Park area 900 GB3B Not merged— St: Aubyn 6000 i-l*Sioturoa 100 7538 PROGRESS OF THE BOROUGH. Regarding the progress of the borough the report states:— "In attempting to gauge the progress pf a town it is necessary atoongst other things to consider'the movement of the population, the number and value of the •new buildings erected, and the increase or decrease of the yaluations. Having in. July of last yea"r completed my tenth year of service as town* clerk, I feel that it would .not be out olf place on this occasion to compare the figures under the above heads ten years agp with those of the present time. These figures refer only to the area, comprised within- the original boundaries of the borough, and do not include the area recently added!

"At the census of 1001 the papulation of New Plymouth was 4405, and' at the 1911 census 5238, showing an increase of j 533. ' At first glance it must be admitted that these figures appear disappointing. But when we consider the area of the borough was only 875 acres at the time the census was taiken, and that of : this approximately 200 acres consist of •reserves which cannot be sold or leased, it is apparent that there is very little room within the original borough boundaries for much expansion, and that as the town grew the increase took place in the suburbs immediately adjpinine, and not in the borough itself. In this connection, therefore, it is very satisfactory to note that the suburbs show a very substantial growth during the period' referred to." VALUATIONS. The valuations of New Plymouth are based on what is known a® the "annual value." At March, 1003 (according to the 'report), the valuation oif the borough amounted to £40,307, and at March 31, 1912, t'o £59,747, showing an increase of. £19,440, or nearly 50 per cent. A very satisfactory feature of the increase in the valuations is that a g*reat factor has been the number of new buildings erected. BUILDING OPERATIONS. During the period referred! to (19031912), building permits have been granted for the erection of buildings to the vakie of £261,825. Continuing on the position, Mr. Bellringer states that it will he seen that although New Plymouth has had nothfing out of the ordinary to cause a boom the town, has progressed in a substantial fashion, whJch is, after all, the best guarantee of future prosperity, Having, reviewed the progress of the borough, it may perhaps be advisable to consideV the progress of the publiic debt of the borough during the .period mentioned. Ten years ago the public debt 'amounted to £29,000, it is now £142,793. This appears to be a very large debt, but in order to arrite at the true position it is necessah-y to consider for vh|at purposes the money has been raised and what portion of it is revenue producing and what portion is not revenue producing. The /purposes for which the loans were raised are as follow: £' Waterworks 51,231 Electric Lighting 26,969 ■ Streets and bridges .. 35,023 Sewerage Svstem 16,602 Baths 3,000 , Abattoirs 9,368 £142,793 From the above it will be seen that of the whole amount raised only £35,623 is not actually revenue producing. Of this amount approximately £14,000 has been spent in bridge* and culverts, which, with one exception, have been 1 built of concrete, and .should be practically everlasting. The exception is the

Henuii bridge, Devon Road, costing •£4400, a- steel bridge with concrete abutments. ; m^jimlhl