The Wairarapa Daily THURSDAY, AUGUST 15, 1889. A Progressive Borough.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume X, Issue 3283, 15 August 1889, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily THURSDAY, AUGUST 15, 1889. A Progressive Borough.

The Palmerston North Borough, according to tlio last official statistics, is not quite so large as the Masterton Borouph. It lias a less population, fewer houses, and a smaller income from rates. Probably when the next statistical return is published it will be found that Palmerston has taken the lead and stands first in importance among the inland towns of the North Island. The ordinary revenue of Palmerston for the year ended on 31st March last was but £1,500, the leading items in it being rates £529 and fees £385. The strong point of the borough is its loans 1 It almost takes one's breath away to read in the annual statement that this little municiprlity has borrowed no less a sum than £50,000. Out of .this enormous loan £IO,OOO ace allocated to streets, £20,000 to a water supply, £B,BOO to drainage and sewerage, £2OO to street lighting, and £IO,OOO to the payment of old debts, Now, if it be prudent for Palmerston North to borrow £50,000, it is certainly worth while for Masterton to incur a corresponding liability. It will, however, bo the opinion of most sensible men that Palo.erston lias undertaken excessive lis bilities. The tp boroughs are a striking contrast —Palmerston has borrowed too much and Mastercon too little. Palmerston has a debt of £50,000, Masterton has simply an overdraft, for the spocial loan in this town for gas was almost superfluous, as private enterprise would have supplied the necessary works without the town borrowing a single shilling; but the interest on tins loan will shortly be provided for out of the sale of . gas, and it will cease to be a burden to the ratepayers. For the purposes on which Palmerston expends its loans pot a shilling has been borrowed in Masterton. Those who have faith in the growth and development of this town know that it is only a question of time for pter and .drainage works to be inaugurated, and necessary roads completed, ■ and that these public works will liave to be constructed out of borrowed money. Tbeyn/aintain, liowover, that public opinion in ' Masterton is not yet ripe for incurring liabilities for such works, In three or four years time they look forward to a loan being raised for ! them, not on the Palmerston scale, but still ono tjiat \yill giye a high pressure water supply, good drainage, and satisfactory road communication. If within a few years Miistertop will i inevitably borrow for such works, would it not be an advantage to undertako them at once, and obtain I immediately the benefits they would bring. If, for example, a sum of i £iio,ooip jypjro borrowed at 5 percent, : ?ay'

Street formation in ingparts ofthe borough £BOOO Repayment of i Sundry Liabilities J 00 ° Water and Drainage 15,000 £20,00

would not every man in the Borough benefit by the enterpriso, would not the rateablo value of all property be advanced, would not trade und industries in the town be stimulated? Such a loan would put new life into the Borough, and start a new ora of prosperity. Tfco interest on it would entail an annual payment of £IOOO a year but tliis demand would be largely if not altogether met by an increase in the rateable value of properties, by the sale of. water rights, and by a saving in insurance rates. Though wo regard the £50,000 borrowed by the Palmerston Borough as excessive we should not deem it to have been extravagant if it had limited its loans to £20,000 or £25,000, Such a sum could be prudently borrowed by either Palmerston or Masterlori and would prove, remunerative if expended judiciously. There ought to be a sufficient number of business men in Masterton capable of supervising a public works expenditure such as we have indicated, and with ordinary prudence they could not well make a serious blunder, The way in which the affairs of this borough have been administered during the past two years, cannot have been satisfactory to either Mayor, Council, or ratepayers, and it is about time that some new departure were taken. If the leading public men of the town, instead of wasting their energies in petty quarrels and recrimination, decided to adopt a water and drainage supply scheme they would have but little difficulty in obtaining the consent of the ratepayers to a loan adequate to carrying it out, Pahnerstou North has gone the right way to work to secure the progress of the town, and though it may liavo been over venturesome this fault is not so bad as the excessive timidity from which we suffer m this town. The happy medium is the true policy, and the sooner we strike it in Masterton the bettor it will be for every man, woman and child in the borough.

During.the past year there has been no resident clerk in charge of the sheep office at Masterton, and country settlers who go there on business frequently find that there is no one on the premises to attend to their requirements, No doubt the .Government lias saved a hundred pounds or so by this economy, but as settlers pay heavily for the maintenance of this particular department, they have a distinct claim to the local office being supplied with a clerical inhabitant.

Those who enjoy the pleasure of gunning may be congratulated upon the formation of a strong shooting Cluh for North Wairarapa, A similar institution lias flourished for some years in the southern part of the district and we may now expect to see friendly matches between North and South, which will promote social intercourse' throughout the distriet, and possibly serve to induce outside visitors to come amongst us.

Thmie was to have been a meeting of tho Eketahuna Boad Board yesterday to open tenders for the Makakahi bridge, but owing to the somewhat singular absence of the Chairman there was no quorum, The course adopted by the Chairman in not attending this gathering is somewhat adversely criticised in local circles.

Wis are gratified to learn that there is every prospect of ut Dairy Company being successfully established in Maurioeville, which will he able to supply first-class butter of an even grade to the long suffering dealers f.nd consumers in Masterton. This enterprise is just what Mauriceville farmers need, and Masterton householders require.