TOWN CLERK'S REPORT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 239, 9 April 1912, Page 3

TOWN CLERK'S REPORT.

FURTHER EXTRACTS. ■ SUGGESTED ABOLITION OF THE ! WARD SYSTEM. 1 Regarding Iqans, "tflie town clerk (Mr. , J/. T. Bellringer) states, 'in his anmial report, 'to lie brought before to-night'* meeting of the borough council, that the year has ndt b,een marked! by any .large operations. The £11,225 loan, for extension of drainage and street form|ation, etc., was duly raised during /the yehr, und 'the only new 'loan authorised during the year was one of £12,000 for the extension of electric lighting. The council decided not to raise this loan 'by sale of fch,e debentures, but to raise whatever furids are required' from its bankers on overdraft, secured by the hypothecation of tttie debentures' It •was anticipated that the profits from the electric .light department Would be sufficient to extinguish /the overdraft im a few years and 1 Ito render tlie actual sale of the debentures unnecessary. The report added that it was satisfactory to note that the flebi't bakn'ce of £1906 district fund account, brought forward at the beginning of the year, had been reduced to £.1867. STREETS EXPENDITURE. Excluding street lighting and sewers, fo'lio expenditure under the heading of streets expenditure amounted Ito £4456. Mr. Bellringer also subimtteflj a table showing that ill 10 years- the streets expenditure had increased from £2307 i to £4450. representing an average for tli.e past four years of £4457. WARD SYSTEM. '"Wfltli the extended boundaries o'f the borough," continues the report, "and tilio | consequent necessity for the readjustni.ent of the wards, it .should be con- | sidererl whether the time has. noil armed f° r r t' lo abolition of tliie wartl ! system. Whilst it is beyond doubt that the couni'illprs endeavor to serve the best interest of the borough ys a whoJe, irrespective of the ward they respectively represent, it cannot be denied tßiat on occasion, in spile of all attempts to repress •it, Hie feeling of one ward against another will assert Itself. He also believes that greater interest would be taken in 'the biennial elections if councillors Were elected by the whole of the electors, and not. as at present, where each ward ele'ets its. own representatives. Tihc necessary steps should, in tlie clerk's opinion, be taken in time for the biennial election o.f councillors in 191,3. SANITATION. The report goes on to recall that during the year a more vigorous policy of compelling conneetion wiSi the sewage system was instituted. A lliirgc sirin of iiiiioney was expended in- laying sewers : .throughout 'the ttown, and* whilst t'he large majority of properties, had been

connected there were still a- few properties not yet connected'. In every case iproceediiigs have been or aire being instituted to compel connection. These unsewered premises in some cases not only created a menace to the public hrialt'Ji, but in every 'case (represented a direct monetary loss Ito the borough Si waiter charges. There was. absolultely no excuse for properties not being connected, as in the few cases- where owners- were not in a financial position to immediately pay the cost of 'the work 'tllie council did] the work land accepted paymenifc in yearly instalments. Lastly, the report ideals with tilie disposal otf bouse refuse, in- fthe following terms:—"The method 'of collection and disposal of house refuse, etc., as at present adopted, is open to considerable improvement, and l as a matter of fact is altogether oiflt df place in a progressive town. The district health officer, reporting on this matter in July last, recommended the erection of a properly designed and) constructed, destructor, and this, without doubt., is the only satisfactory solution. The heavy initial Vioslt and the cost off mfiintenatnce and' interest charges are t?ie stum/bliiig blocks a't present, but the question must soon be faced. In the meantime the present sanitary contract, in'clifding the removal of house refuse, has been extended! to March 31st, 1013, when, the question will again be considM'eid by tlhe council."