CORRESPONDENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 January 1918, Page 6

CORRESPONDENCE.

BOROUGH AFFAIRS. To the Editor. Sir, —You are to be commended for your outspoken remarks re mismanagement and delays in repairs to roads, etc., and you certainly hit the mark when you state that any private business (unless it liiul unlimited capital) ea'rried on as the Borough's business is conducted, would have to go bankruptcy. Might 1 point out the unbusiness-like manner in which roads are made? A good metalled road is provided to the beach at Pioneer road, where there is no traffic, while the ratepayers on Cutfield road are having a mullocky gravel road, and this after paying rates for iiO £«trs. When I sawjthe metal dumped on the road there was no counter-sinking done or any camber on the road. This road should have been put down with good metal It would then have relieved that part of the South road (from Deacon's corner to the town, which is very narrow) of a lot of the traffic, as it is a wider street, antl a better grade than either Belt road or Morley street. The Council recently fixed the price to consumers and ratepayers for electric light: It has now adopted a new charge, viz, 3Gs per annum, which will include cooking and heating if required, to campers. My lighting costs approx. £3 to £4 per annum. If I and other ratepayers demand it at 36s what position will the Council be placed in? ?4a. ' err. sfreß k i sadergtss-J. b teliSKs? it The Council says it may test to check consumption. How awfully silly any person would be when the Council put in the meter for testing purposes to continue to use more than the average 3s worth while the meter was connected! The Council is making application to the Minister for tliat portion of the railway reserve from Bayly road to Belt road, ostensibly to build whares to let at 30s per week, instead of beautifying purposes, which the scheme was originally started for. I think, sir, that this portion should be handed over to the Kawaroa Committee, which deserves every credit for the manner in which, it has turned a wilderness into a thing of beauty. If the Minister does lease it to the Borough and the latter vests it in the Kawaroa Committee, I shall be pleased to assist it with a donation of £5, but I would not give one penny piece to the Ngamotu Committee, as it appears to be a money-grabbing institution instead of a beautifying association, as attempts have been tnade to move a man who has improved his place and lived on tile reserve for a good number of years. Possibly this move on the committee's part to get the reserve is to clear him out. However, lam watching the game. The action of the committee in building in front of the Maori portion is quite" beyond' my comprehension unless it js riding the high horse, for a fall. —1 am, etc., 21 YEARS A RATEPAYER.