STRATFORD NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 7, 27 May 1914, Page 3

STRATFORD NEWS.

FROM OUR RESIDENT REPORTER. OSe* and Job Printing Works: York Chambers (upstairs) Telephn.i- n. 113.

BOROUGH IMPROVEMENTS,

LOAN PROPOSALS. MEETING OF RATEPAYERS. In response to the invitation of his Worship the Mayor, Mr. W. P. Kirkwood, between eighty and a hundred ratepayers and residents were present at the Town Hall on Monday evening to consider the loan proposals submitted by the Mayor. When opening, the proceedings, His Worship expressed his regret that i.hc attendance was so small, as he expected that- as there were over 500 ratepayers, greater interest would have been taken ! in a matter of so much importance. He \ particularly regretted the absence of j ladies, who, though not specially in- ] vited, were entitled to be present. Tie stated that he had convened the meet- i ing in fulfilment of the pledges given 'by ' him during the Mayoral contest, adding | that he had then said he favored a loan j of about £ISOO, but would call a meet- | ing of ratepayers to ascertain whether i they favored such a loan so that pro- ] posals could be formally placed before \ them. He reminded the meeting that ! last year loan proposals amounting to ' over £40.000 had been voted upon and . rejected. The total amount was so large j that although th.-- proposals we;.: ..{/.'.1 up into certain definite objects there j might have been a fear that by votii-'o; j for any one or more of the proposals the whole of them would be carried. | He had been urged to bring forward j larger proposals than lie considered expedient, and while not wishing to act | the part of a rock, he preferred to act as a guiding light. His present programme was not an ambitious one, as ' he considered that later on the borough l could entertain other proposals. WATER AND DRAINAGE. The Mayor said he intended to move a formal resolution in favor of a loan covering the cost of. extending the drainage and water supply amounting to £16.000, in the belief that a small loan would be carried. The land around Stratford was being rapidly developed, and the property within the borough was worth half a million sterling, while | the total indebtedness of the borough was only £42,000, so that it could not be said that Stratford had over-bor-rowed. The half-million was only the value for the purpose of taxation, so that the actual value was considerably greater. Farmers came to live in -Stratford during llie winter while their improvements were being cirried out, '.Mid they exneeted the conveniences of drainage and water. It was •desirahle that the town should he brought up to date, but it was only practicable to carry out the necessarv improvements by degrees. He was strqngly of opinion that drainage and water were the most urgent requirements at present, but if any of those present had other views they could bring them forward. Referring to the meeting of the southern residents, the Mayor said that it was quite competent for any section of ratepayers to meet and discuss borough affair*, but he deprecated anv action being taken at such meetings that were likely to cause friction, and he sincerely hoped that friction would not arise. At the same time, the statements made at the meeting referred to were not onlv unfair to himself ami members of the Council, but were quite uncalled for. The resolution passed at that meeting was to the effect that unless the widening of the 'bridge was included in any loan proposals brought forward by th" Council the propo-vils would be opposed, but he trusted that no such action would he taken, as it was opposed to the interests of the borough as a whole 1 (Applause.) lie pointed out that any resolution which might be carried tha' I evening would only be in the nature of a recommendation to the Council, and would not commit the ratepayers, win would have the opportunity of volin': on the proposals at the poll in the usual way. It was open to any ratepayers present to move an amendment, but he asked the non-ratepayers present not to vote on the motions or amendments submitted. His Worship then formally moved—"That for the purpo.se of providing a comprehensive drainage scheme, and the completion of the water reticulation in the borough, it he a recommendation to the Borough Council to take a poll of the ratepayers for a. loan of £IO,OOO, this sum being made up of £12,(100 for drainage and £4OOO for water." Continuing his remarks, the Mayor said the time had. arrived for extending the drainage system. With regard to the water, the sum proposed was for additions and extensions. At the head works it was probable that some additional land would have to be acquired for nitration works, but it was for the Council to decide whether the water should be filtered at the head works or in the reticulation pipes. The latter would slightly reduce tile pressure. The drainage area affected by the proposal was bounded o"n the north by Die Pembroke road, on the south by Colin street, on the east by Swansea road, and on the west by Hamlet street. The scheme would affect 500 houses, and would only leave out 41). At present tHie owners of property in that area were paying £1 a year to the sanitary contractor, and if they paid £1 a year as a sanitary rate it would cover the interest on the loan without 'increasing the cost to them. The water extensions would practically be self supporting and pay the interest on the loan. At present the Council recognised that to enforce compulsory connections would in many case* prove :\ great, hardship, but under the new scheme it would come easier, as the amount to be borrowed would include o sum that could be. advanced by way o: loan for making connection I *. The m"si urgent requirements at present wen water and drainage. The inrproveinen of streets and footpaths would conn afterwards. His scheme for water ei i teneion would practically complete th reticulation of the borough. With tb I present water Mmply it. iiiinht be lie jcesKiry to cut oil''the cxtraordhni; j KUjipiies. (hi very good authority h ' had it that an ■••vtV.i service pipe w.-n'.h c.st £70(11). ana that musi lie the i-uV jer-l of ,i special loan. It wa,. a que; lion m to whether the present lieail works should be enlarged or water ol taincd from another source. The e> lia pipe liu.' was a matter that vvoul have to he v. ry carefully consider: l by the CoKikil. ' lie mentioned iha tile llawcra Jionuigli Council was c: pi riiuciitlng with a machine for e'en ing the wutcr-pipes of corrosion, and that were successful its application t I thy Stry tJ'-Vii pipes would enable tl

present t)in pipes to serve for some time to come. He appealed to thoae present to give the motion their most careful consideration and to do tho right thing. (Applause). Cr. Morison seconded the motion pro forma, though he wasi not altogether in accord with it, as he favored a loan for street, improvements. He hoped brie ! time would soon come when a loan of I £7OOO would bo raised for kerbing and | channelling, but there were parts of 1 the borough in which roads were urgent- j ly needed, and he considered these should , he first attended to. He dissociated hi'iiself from the agitation made by a portion of the borough residents for "a bridge or nothing." Cr. Wilson moved that loan proposals of an equal amount to that proposed last year, only in one sum, be submitted to the ratepayers. There had been no loan raised for twelve yews. . Stratford was being left behind by her neighbors. The borough waa spoilt by its shabby old bridge. The amendment was seconded. Mr. Porritt considered it unfair to expect people to vote for a loan from the expenditure of which they derived no benefit. He advocated a special rating area being formed. The Mayor replied that such a course was possible, but not desirahle. Mr. Porritt said he would vote for a oehen./, was self-supporting. The Mayor: It will practically be selfsupporting. ! Or. Richards made it clear that no proposal, had yet been before the Coun- | oil. The water scheme would probably , be self-supporting, and tJhc drainage proposal only involved a liability of €10,500, the other £ISOO being repayable. He thought it was 'hardly right that the whole borough should be made liable for benefits given to the area mentioned. A sanitation rate could be lifted at any time. As to Mr. Wilson's proposal, it was too big, and had been turned down so recently and with such a certain voice that the Council would hardly be. justified in submitting it again. He made some caustic remarks relative to what was said at the meeting of southern residents, but intimated that he accepted Mr. Wilson's apology. TTo had advocated a loan for kerbing and channelling which would give more to look at for the money. (Laughter). Mn T-'i. W. Kerr said the people on the eon IN side considered a new bridge was neiTs-arv. They would not build because people could hardly get across the bridge. He believed that the north 1 end was being improved to the detri- - men! of the south. If the bridge were p."t widened a footpath should be pro- . vided or, the outer side of the structure. Mr. S'-oglund (town clerk) said that j he did not think the matters under (lis- ; en-won had been correctly grasped 'by '< everyone. Xo one had ventured to say that those who used the water should be the only people to bear the cost of the loan, yet they paid a. special rate for the water. It would he fair if the Council raised the water rate and made it self-supporting, as the water was now only able to pay its way owing to •the special rates, whereas if the ratepayers were directors of a water supply company they would see to it that the water would not be sold below cost price. The same argument applied to the drainage. It was most unfair that those who were not getting the benefit of the drainage .should vote against it being provided for the congested dis- | triet.s. The number of houses to be i served by the new proposals wtis 441, ! leaving 42 still to bo served by the | sanitary contractor. It was probable that 200 new houses would come with- ! ■in the drainage area. The cost would be no greater to the residents than they paid at present, and others not connected at present with the drainage would he brought into line. He thought the scheme should be carried out. He would like to see a new bridge, but there was no necessity for it at present. He hoped he had convinced those outside the area that the proposed loan would cost them nothing, and that they would vote for it. j Mr. J. Masters contended that those who were using the water wore not paying equal to those who werj not. The latter were getting back the rate in the shape of work on the roads. He favor, ed a loan for street improvements. Only £l7O had been spent last year on kerbing and channelling, and £SOO had been put on the estimates this year, but while that work was done the streets were going to the dogs. Both could not be done out of revenue. Tt would pay Ihe borough to raise a loan for street improvements. He could I point to paths which had been used for Iten years, and only required re-gravel-ling once, while others, where there was no kerbing and channelling, Were conItinually being repaired. The borough could do no further improvements without a loan, but Wie ratepayers would never stand a £40,000 loan. 'The extension of the water supply was necessary. Drainage extension was not so important. The Mayor, in the course of an exhaustive reply, said that £l5O spent on the bridge would be all that would be required for some years. By not going in for a very large, loan the borpuyli would be conserving its strength. The amendment was. then put and 10-t I by 2(i to 10. Cr. Morison then moved that the matter of loan proposals lie referred to the Council for their consideration, ",iel that the meeting he adjourned for two mouths to cnabhi a scheme to be piepared tliat would he acceptable to the majority of the Council. After some discussion, this amendment was 'carried. A vole of thanks to the Mayor concluded the proceedings. The new winter clothing for men iattractive in niiriy ways. Wise me'. : will buy now while the variely is L>'i: ' and they wiil find "The Knsli" price: • made to suit thorn. For high quality am ' low price Mullen and Marshall easik ' lead in Stratford. You hardly feel the razor pa=s ove ' your face when Stan. Sharp hand'es tin _' .shaving operation. Addeil to this de ' liglitful sense of comfort is the know - ledge that every utensil is sterilised, am ■ everything is absolutely clean. Xcx - Bollringer's, Stratford. '" Your photograph will please them a! - I —some of your friends have been oj 1 I peetir.g one for a long time—don't b d I satisfied with one taken years agi t Send them a fresh portrait, jr.st as yo :-1 are to-day: in your everydiy atliri i'- Having your portrait taken is as pier if I pant as an informal call on good friend ■n ] Make an appointment today with M >:■ McAllister, Stratfori