CITY WORKS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 205, 31 August 1933, Page 10

CITY WORKS.

LOAN APPROVED. APATHETIC RATEPAYERS. EXPENDITURE OF £116,000. .Approval by tlie ratepayers of Auckland was given at yesterday's loan poll to the raising of £110,000 for a programme of essential city works. Electors- showed their customary apathy, and out of 20,000 voters only 3028, or about 15 per cent, took tljo trouble to exercise the franchise. The official count was completed this morning, the ligures being as under: — For the proposal 2111 Against 1772 Informal 41) Majority for the loan 1139 Originally the council proposed a loan of £l 73,000, under legislation, which enabled the raising of the money without reference to the ratepayers, provided it was for the relief of unemployment. The proposals were not sanctioned by tlii> Local Government Loans Buavd, »nil the schedule was then amended and approved by the board lor submission to a poll. Waitakere Pipeline. The largest item, £05,000, is for the reconditioning of the Waitakere pipeline. This work has become necessary owing to the deterioration of the steel pipes, which lias been going on for several years. The city waterworks engineer, Mr. A. D. Mead, reported that if the work were not undertaken at a comparatively early date the corrosion would be so bad that the city would be faced with the cost of complete replacement. That and the other works for submission to the ratepayers were chosen because of the large amount of labour involved. A subsidy would be paid bv the Unemployment Board to enable the council to engage a number of men at standard wages. Scheduled Works. The following is the complete schedule: — City stornnvater drainage £PO,OOO Moiint Hobson reservoir 14,500 Reconditioning oE Waitakere pipeline .03,000 Campbell's Point Reserve —rock facing and improvement to batters 2,030 St. J urte Street —road improvements 2-10 Cliff Koad—construction and surfacing 1,100 St. lienor's lia.v —stornnvater drainage for business area . 1,500 ' Costs of raising loan 1,110 Total £110,000 At 19 of the 24 polling places the majority of the voters recorded their approval of the loan. The heaviest voting took place at the Chamber of Commerce, where 572 votes were cast, the j majority being 58. There was a majority of 54 at the Town Hall, where 400 votes were recorded. Adverse votes were recorded at Leys Institute, Ponsonby, Remuera Library, Parncll Library, Blockhouse Bay and Green \ Lane.