STRATFORD NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 June 1915, Page 3

STRATFORD NEWS.

«■£» j BOROCJiI (O'J-XCIL. I.OAX PUtJPOSALs. (From Our (hni Currospomlci't.) A special ill.; ■; ill- of till' lioroii"'.! C'otiiK-ii was held MijAiomiay ni;,ht !<•• consider luan proposals. I'ri'M'iit: iiis W.i.'.-hip the .Ma VI)!- Oh'. ,1. W. ilooill, (is. Hunt.'!-, Th.mi],-urn. "Davev, Laws,,,:, Voiiiiii', iliiiii-ock. Stauicv, l'lutheri'iinl. and AoiiiiHi-, Worship state! I Miit in drawing 11]) the j)VOi)usi)].--, thov wore mil-,- tentative. It wn; propu-od to m-iul- Jiroadwuv :>mi t;ir .rill i(. I'f. TllOllipioll said i! Wil.- well Hi", I thcv should consider (in, limit tin' i.iaii should lie. Hi- in-tan, is! tin- failure „i tlr' he-i lean,ami :-aal 11.., l ,:: the propo.ais brought down l,y i In' May, r notion;; had been mentioned a hunt drainage. This ho con-idcrod was in,..1 important, lie thought if tln-y tiaeV. hvi-i- tin- clo.tr'eal pn..cr* ami show tlu-ra that the profits I'l-i.-in llu: electrical i-i-iu- ni inni.i pay intero-t mi a fairly Kg draina-c loan. Cr. Hunter supported (v. Thompson. IT,' personally was against a loan at the present time, which was nio-t moppertunc, lie contiaided they should husband their resources aiai make t'lc ia- i. of tlicni. Unless the council could -how the ratepayer- it Wjis not going to incrcaM' the rates the proposals would I) ' thrown out. At pvc-eiit lie won!:! vote against a loan.

Cr. Tho)ii]isi)ii moved: ''That in view of tile proposed conference with the of n street improvement loan lie held 'over, pending the re-'aiv. of such conference.'' •Cr. Hunter seconded the motion. His Worship said that in dravimj; u]i his propolis If liad calculated on a loan not to exceed ,C 12,11:1!). | Cr. tliithcri'ord moveil an amendment that a loan'of Clll,n,!l) he rai ed. 'f.".oil!i of which to be devoted to extension of drainage anil £."jl''(l''l for strict improvements as follows: (1) CKIfIO for ters'aiing lirondwav from Regan Street to Kenton Street: (i) £-l-.'.<n to lie spent on I't'iiton Street and Uogau Streel (between Miranda and .luliet Streets), and footpaths and road snrfacp_work throughout the borough, from J'rnaifSynv oiitwarils. """' Cr. llutherford sf.id it was nonseme to suppose that t'.ie taking over hi the Electrical .Supply Company's uiidertal*> ing- would delude the ratepayers into voting for a street improvement loan. 1 lis 'Worship said the first duty of the council was to give people reasonable access to their property. Contentious matter such as the light undertaking should not be included in •the loan proposals. 'He said the ratepayers were calling out for improvements to roads and footpaths throughout the borough, and they had been -paying ' rates for years and were -entitled 1 to a little consideration. The wood kerbing at present down was in a bad state and must he renewed at once; they could not do these improvement* out of revenue, and there was no other,course, hut to go to the ratepayers and ask for a loan. Tie instanced the state the finances were left in by the late council. Broadway wast simply a disgrace, and it would cost at -least £ 101 l to nut it in decent order. Further, he stated that .10 increase in the rates would be ve- j quired for his proposals. The entrance* to the town must 'be made presentable, and that could only be done by kerbing and channelling. I'ast estimates had shown that it would cost €ll,(Wil' to drain the north-east portion of the town. Another septic tank and site would have to be 'bought to drain this portion.

Ci\ Hunter said the council should first see if they could get the money and then frame their proposals for the benefit of the whole borough- Tie still contended the electric light question should be the first proposal to tackle. Cr. Young seconded the amendment pro forma, but said it was unwise to state a iixed amount, and he did not agree to the. proposal, for a drainage loan being brought into the discussion. The amendment was put and lost. Cr. Thompson, in ''.lis reply, stated that the loan meant more rates for the ratepayers, despite what the 'Mayor had isaid, and in postponing the discussion on the loan he did not favor dropping the loan altogether, but that the electric light proposals should come first, as the whole of the works proposed were not reproductive and the electric lighl was.

His Worship said the council could surely not ask liim to bring down tin' proposals again. He would take it as a want of confidence. On the motion lieing put it was lost by 7 to 3, (.Vs. Thompson, Hunter, an'l, Linvson voting for it. His Worship then moved: ''That a street improvement loan, not to exceed £12,(100, be submitted to the ratepayers."—This was seconded thy Cr. Young and carried. It was decided to get out estimates for the '"-oposed works mentioned in the schedule Rdmiitted to the council. NOTES. A son of Mr. V. Alembcrgs met with a painful accident yesterday. He fell off a step and had the misfortune 41-i break his shoulder blade. llr. Hubert Masters is again a candidate for a seat on the Education 'Hoard, leprt'senting the east ward. Air. Masters, has proved toy Ins past work on the hoard that he hart certainly taken a keen interest in educational matters, and .should have no difficulty in being re-elected.