Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 1930. EAST STREET IMPROVEMENT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 50, Issue 153, 10 April 1930, Page 4

Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 1930. EAST STREET IMPROVEMENT.

The application .that; is to be made by the Borough Council for assistance from the Main Highways Board in the matter, of treating East Street with, bituminous sealing should receive favourable consideration by the central body. The necessity of so treating a street which carries almost all the through traffic from north to south is recognised by the Board, but unfortunately it has not seen fit to meet the Council adequately in the matter of finance, thereby„ jeopardising the immediate carrying out of a work that would be in the interests of the travelling public generally. The proposed work includes the sealing* of East Street, for the full width from Cox Street to Walnut Avenue, and for a width of eighteen feet thence to the saleyards, which mark the Borough boundary. This is quite in keeping with the requirements, and it is only justice to the Board to acknowledge the fairness with which it met the Council's desire that the town portion of the length in question should be treated over its entire width. The Board offers to bear two-thirds of the cost, estimated approximately at a total of £'3ooo, thus leaving the Council to provide £IOOO. The Board requires that this amount-be paid on completion of the contract. This demand, it is apparent, places on the Council a burden that is not in keeping with the financial position of the Borough. The Council, by the exercise of economy, has recently liquidated its antecedent liabilitv, consequently it has no large reserve fund, and to ask the ratepayers to provide in one year £IOOO in addition to meeting the ordinary expenditure of the Borough is to place on them a burden that only dire necessity would warrant. The Council therefore seeks an advance from the Board, repayable by instalments within four years, interest at the rate of 5% per cent, to be paid on outstanding balances. Cash payment by the Council would necessitate the raising of a loan, with its accompanying expense, that would be avoided if the funds were advanced by the Board. The Board in dealing with the County Council in the matter of the -portion of the Main Highway under the latters jurisdiction agreed to repavment within ten years of a subsidy of £3 to £l. The Borough request is in accordance with sound business principle and it is hard to see whv a line of action adopted in regard to one governing body* should not apply to another.