BOROUGH MATTERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 July 1918, Page 7

BOROUGH MATTERS.

To the Editor. Sir, —As new proposals involving extra expenditure in connection with our municipal administration keep looming on the horizon of our municipality, I think that it is necessary and essential that we confine ourselves first to completing the work now before the Council and engineer. Our footpaths, especially on the main street, need completing. The public convenience has yet to be installed. We imported the necessary Dalton ware for the purpose some years ago, and why those modern appliances aro still being stored up passes my comprehension. Then come 3 our drainage system. That calls for special attention, at the East End portion of the town especially. A scheme should be devised compelling property owners to connect under a deferred payment scale, as in other towns. Then our progressive suburb, Fitzroy, need not be the dumping ground for all refuse, piggeries included. I don't favor the present method of dumpinjr channel deposits on the road side. Take Gill street, bottom end, for example. The rating on the unimproved values is another question the 'municipal council should turn its attention to. Other towns have adopted this equitable measure of rating. It would ,ilso prove an important factor in eliminating some of the unsightly and insanitary conditions of vacant sections. Our municipal electric lighting concern' has been so prosperous that our public parks aim rc.-erves have suffered. Tlie lighting should not be interfered with on moral grounds alone. The payment of borough rates should be half-yearly and publicly announced. The borough would then be able to make use of that finance with probably less bank interest to meet. As a citizen interested in the progress of this town I foresee great possibilities for its future, and I commend our Mayor, who is an advocate of municipal economy, and our civil servants should see that the questions here out-lined have precedence over any new schemes that may involve ex'lra expenditure and probably create foremen, managers, etc—T am, etc.,

A. ,T. HICHARDS, New Plymouth, 2f!rd Juiy.