STRATFORD.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 December 1917, Page 3

STRATFORD.

b (From Our Own Correspondent). I All communication?, letters, etc., left with ilr. U. ,1. Hopkins, bookseller, will receive prompt attention.] RATEPAV KUS' iIEKTLN li Stratford, Dec. 19. The attendance of ratepayers in numbers was rather disappointing at tilt meeting convened 'by the Mayor in the town linil last evening, but" those who were present took a lively interest in tile proceedings. The ilayor stated he desired to place before tile burgesses facts and figures in support ot the council's recommendation to raisi- a moderate loan of .CIo.OOO for t!ie purpose of putting down in concrete the streets that are taking the heaviest traffic, thereby reducing- to a minimum the cosl of'upkeep, and to divert the savings to the back streets, where improvements are urgently required. It was a pleasure to record that the members of the council were unanimously in favor of the loan, and t!is should materially assist ratepayers to support the proposal. They should not continue a go-slow policy, and should not pay attention to those whose excuse was that nothing should ho done till after the war. If one knew when the war would be over, perhaps it would not bo bad a<lvice, but material and money would not hj? cheaper then than now. He 'believed the council was fully justified in asking ratepayers to vote a loan for the purpose. Sixteen years ago, when he was a resident of the South Island, it was stated there that Stratford was highly spoken of as a go-ahead town, but of ]atc years it had been hardly mentioned outside the province. This was not the fault of tha councils of the past, as there was no hope of keeping up to-da-te out of revenue, all the re-

vhuui being absorbed in keeping the streets in <i fair condition. Traffic was becoming more intense in weight, speed and quantity. The council could not keep th? streets in fair condition unless some other road-making material or method was adopted. Concrete has been acknowledged by experts to stand the traffic best, and was being adopted with

success in America, in Britain, and in towns of New Zealand. Tlir ; ratepayers! should have sufficient pride in Stratford to make it up-to-date and as pleasant a-i possible to live in. With good streets there wculd be good buildings, and in that respect Stratford was also bsing left behind. That day a business man hurt remarked that lie bad never been in i more dusty town than Stratford, and lie (the Mayor) believed him. Cr. .1. Masters, chairman of th? Works

Committee, slated that the problem of the upkeep of Broadway was no new thing to Strafford. The'council* of the ]<&'-t had used tiieir best efforts with 11. o revenue available i,t keep the streets going, but the main thoroughfare. Broadway, was in urgent need of repair. Th» road at present was a mixture of sand, rubble, and stone, and required something more than patching up. If they did not go in for the concrete road it meant that £IOOO would be required in Broadway'alone for merely patching. T:i fact, £SOOO spent on the same meth-

ods would secure no permanent results. He strongly favored a concrete formation, and believed it would prove a sound Investment for the town. "He reminded them that the rates to be struck to keep Broadway going under present conditions would be heavier than a rate necessary to pay interest, etc., on the loan.

Cr. Coleman said ratepayers should remember that councillors had had more opportunities of obtaining information, and their opinions were entitled to respect and honest consideration. Through one toll-gate there was an increase of 1000 motors compared with the previous rear, and this increase would continue as the years went by. Heavy lorries loaded passed through the boroinh. and they had to provide for thesfc loaus. Broadway was not now a good metalled road, and it would mean at least Ud in the £ for necessary repairs from Regan Street to the bridge. He did not anticipate any difficulty in raising the loan. The council did not desire to increase the general revenue. They had in the past started electric lighting, water, and drainage, town hall, etc., and these were a credit to the town. They should

make the most of their opportunities. Dr. Paget said he heartily agreed with ■i.uy proposal to put down a permanent road, but he deplored the council bringing down the proposal at the eleventh

hour He moved that in the opinion of the meeting it was advisable to postpone the poll until further details are available.

Mr. W. A. Hewitt seconded. In laying down concrete at the cattle yard's, a depth of nine inches was suggested, but he found three inches was sufficient, and he thought four inches would be enough in Broadway. They should obtain the best advice before experimenting with the public money. Mr. Percy Thomson said it could not he claimed that the proposal had been brought down at the eleventh hour. 'He had obtained a good idea from the press reports. ■ ,

Cr. J. H. Thompson asked the Mayor to be frank with the ratepayers and tell them that the concrete scheme was the

only scheme that had been discussed in the council during the past four months. Whenever the tarred macadam was suggested by the speaker he was calmly informed that the Works Committee would look into the question, but that was as far as it readied. No details of tarred macadam were ever brought down for the consideration of the council as a whole. He contended that Dr. Paget was quite right in claiming that the Works Committee had not given sufficient consideration to tarred macadam as a counter-proposal, which Cr. Thompson claimed was well worthy of consideration, considering that all the New Zealand cities had excellent tarred macadam streets givin? every satisfaction. He strongly protested against the council's system of holding up all discussion on the counter-scheme of tarred macadam, and claimed there was a deliberate and successful effort made by the Mayor at this week's meeting of the council to gag the speaker when he was quite within his rights. Cr. Campbell Jackson said he was a member of the Works Committee, and the scheme was thoroughly threshed out in committee, and Cr. Thompson knew nothing about it. Regarding the engineer, they had some of his work in Broadway and in the railway crossing, and all could see it had stood the heavy traffic. Cr. .Masters replied to the statements made, by Cr. Thompson; Dr. Paget, and Mr. Hewitt. Mr. W. H. Young questioned the wisdom \pf going in for the loan at this period. They should postpone the scheme until a more favorable financial time. Mr. J. W. Boon said a depth of five or six inches would be enough to carry the traffic. They should not jeopardise tbe

loan. _ If the loan was not parried (hoy would have io pay more rotes than if 1 tliey 'had the loan. There was no doubt J in his mind that concrete was the roail, and there was a piece in Brougham road that was ttauding well. Mr. King was agaitet the motion and advised thy council not to back down. In reply to Mr, Cameron, the engineer stated that 17 or IS gallons of tar wont to the cubic yard of tar macadam, at a cost of Is per gallon, and about 3J 'bags of cement at us per bag. He would not like to be responsible for the lasting powers of a road using only 10 gallons, and he was speaking from experience. Xo cushion would he put on top, but a mixture of tar and sand. The best advice iii Wellington was against a cushion and favored the tav and sand. This would be required every four year=. Mr. IST. J. King was in favor of concrete. He was not afraid of a few more shillings on his rates if they got a good jcl>. Sonic of Stratford's 'streets were in the same state as 25 years ago, and unless a loan was raised they would be the *ame during the next 20 years. A good road properly consolidated would last for forty years. In bis opinion it was the best scheme that the borough had had for many years. The council had placed the matter clearly before the ratepayers, and he hoped they would carry thn loan proposals, After Dr. Paget had briefly replied, the Mayor put the motion, wnieli was lost. A vote of thanks to the Mayor concluded the meeting. : GENERAL. A bleak southerly "buster" made matters anything but pleasnt for pedestrians in Stratford to-day. It was a proper Antarctic blast, and those who commenced the day in summer attire were glad to get. into something more reasonable, if not seasonable. There are some very promising potato patches, around Stratford and Eltham this summer. The icy gales will do the crops no good, whilst those who had tomatoes well forward now .bewail the fact that this popular vegetable ior fruit) is off. A steady stream of satisiki customers each day at Mr. C. E. James'- jewellerv warehouse indicates that the ladies and ' others arc making the most of the op portunity to get in early st the exeep tional range of bargains'now offering li fancy goods, jewellery, chinaware, sta tionery, smoking material, shaving out fits. etc. Toys there are in large array fit for a fretting child and to drive th tears away. Sporting outfits for boys etc. Don's hesitate to'visit C. E. James store.* This is a jewellery Christmas. Fror youth, to old age the jeweller furnisho you with love offerings and mementoe of the brightest, best, and most honoi able events of our lives. The jewel a a gift since time immemorial has bee the emblem of deepest affection. Yo will be rewarded by an inspection of th most useful and appropriate season' gifts now displayed at the premises t Ben. J. Peters, jeweller, Broadwai Stratford. Shop early and at you leisure.*