LOAN PROPOSALS AT OPAHEKE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 51, 1 March 1901, Page 3

LOAN PROPOSALS AT OPAHEKE.

(To the Editor.)

Sir,—l desire to offer through the medium of the press an honest criticism on the proposal of a number of ratepayers in the Opahi'kc district to borrow for the said district tli(. sum of £1500 for « period of 41 years tindci the Loans to Local Bodies Act and its amendments. Whilst admitting the several good points of this Act, provided that all loans raised under it are expended in a judicious and righteous manner. I also assert that, it can be construed into a positive curse if the provisions of the Act are not adhered to, and the money uot allocated in a manner iv keeping with tke amount of rates' collected throughout the respective parts of v district, lv regard to the present borrowing policy 1 think it a most scandalous action on the part cf the Opaheke Road Board to make a second attempt to raise a loau, seeing that their primary effort was rejected by the ratepayers only a few months ago. A second and suffieieut reason against continual ballots of the ratepayers on a question of this kind is the great expense attached to these proceedings —about £25 on each occasion. As tho total annual revenue <>f the Opaheke Board with a rate of id in the £ only amounts to about £120, it can readily be perceived that a double attempt' iv one year costs £50 —an item which the ratepayers would do well to note. The interest on £1500 at 3J per cent, per aunum amounts to £52 10/ 1 and as the ratepayers with properties fronting the Great South Koad nre exempt, It will require a special rate of about 7-16ths of a penny in the £ to meet the interest. This special rate, coupled with the ordinary rate of Jd in the £, will unquestionably make itself felt. Moreover, when the lean haa once been secured the ratepayers are pledged for the repayment to tho Treasury of the sum of £2102 10/. It would he weil for property-holders in the western portion of the district to bear in mind that according to the provisions of the Act loan money cannot he used for the purpose of maintenance, and as it was decided that the money .should only be expended on the main road It should at once become apparent to the most obtuse Individual that only a few chains of road throughout the No. 1 division can benefit by the loan. Picking up any part of a road which has previously been metalled and re-metalled is regarded as maintenance. If the present Board are desirous of benefiting the whole of the district, why do they not expend ou the byeroads in Maketu the money which they cannot legally and judiciously apply to the main road? Furthermore, it goes ngninst the spirit of justice that the ratepayers in the No. 3 division should only be called upon to pay for the amount expended in the back of the district when they use equally as much those parts of the roads maintained by Nos. 1 and 2.—1 am, etc.,

•VERITAS. Rama Rama, February 25, 1901.