ONEHUNGA FINANCE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 86, 10 April 1906, Page 3

ONEHUNGA FINANCE.

INCREASED RATING AGREED TO.

Some important proposals "were placed before the Onehunga Borough Council at' its meeting last, night by the Mayor, Mr Angus Gordon, who moved:— , "(1) That a* general rate of 1/ In the £ i beb levied on all ratable property in the.| borough for the ensuing~year; (2) that a hospital and charitable aid rate of 2d in the £ bo levied for the same period;, (3) that a library rate of id in the £ also-be-levied; (4) that the charges, for domestic water consumption be reduced to three per. cent on ratable valuation, with a minimum cost of 8/ per annul-. -Meter rates for water at lOd per 1000 gallons and other supplies, except to aWmals, to be reduced by 20 per cent.", Mr .recapitulated the post-' tion of affairs" by ; which the Council was confronted when he was elected to office. He considered the position. widely .different ; now, and said 1%, exceeded his greatest ex-' pectatlons. By decreasing the general rate: to 1/, it meant giving the burgesses £300. , However, unless the town wished to re-! main stagnant, it would be necessary to s secure a loan of, say, £10,000 to £15,000. ; This, in his opinion, would not represent the levying of a" rate in excess of the differ-, ence in the former rate and ihat proposednow. The works to be undertaken include (1) Cutting down and formation of. Arthur-street; (2), cutting down and formation of. Hill-street; (3) formation of Cardwell, Nixon, and Cameron streets; (4)'. metalling of .Princes and Church streets: (5) acquirement of .-the-water rights .of Geddes' Basin, and-the formation of an artificial, lake,- with the assistance, perhaps, of • the Tramways Company; (6) drainage scheme*. (7) re-organisation of the: waterworks system. All this would "entail an extra rate of only 6d in the £, and the ratepayers .would .not feel this, in view of the present reduction. He.did not ex-; pect commendation_for his past efforts,but felt proud of the improvement in the executive staff, and in the administration of the Council." . Cr." Barr seconded the motion. As a member of the old Council he was glad that the office had been" cleaned up. . Cr. Osborne Suggested that .metalcrusher should have been included 'in the '■ list of improvements.■•' - Cr Morton considered that a shilling' rate now with the increased, valuations was--; equal to the 1/3 under the-valuation of- ?_ d , , Conn cll, and -with the library and, charitable aid rates; the amount reached" nearly 1/6. .He: was of opinion that with, the Increased be worked on a rate of 1/, which would cover charitable aid and- library,: _rid-_ e proposed to --. move 2 -to .that effect. Of-- course, he : would not expect a seconder amongst those' round the table, but he" thought ss amend- . i.Vto Mayor 1 * »»aofUar_»HC»rtla4i