OUR LETTER BOX.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5494, 4 May 1910, Page 2

OUR LETTER BOX.

We are not responsible for opinions ex. pressed by Correspondents.) BOROUGH AFFAIRS. (To tbo Editor). Sir,— Re tb_> bovoHgb affairs- For nnn.v years little interest was tak•n in these, tout the* time has now t ri'lvcd «La the people will insist ipon thorn htffag ran on. piiactfcal >usiness-likc linos, &ni it, is in these ut crests that I am offering myself is a. candidate A»r the vacant seat tn tho Council. The present Library rate is a thing itoat. should be at once done a way ft-ith. The public have already demonstrated that they «do -not want :ue Library! »>' not l us*ng it. Tho Lfbrary and Reading-ORtoom (especially tho latter) are things that we should have. Years ago when tho {«w» had a much smaller population than at the present time and not so well off, the Library was run without this rate, awl I *bel|ieye it could ]be so run ngjaitv. If wot I would say do (a'wmy wfith the lend-* "r»s department altogether and keep the read Lngntoom .{foin'g, even, if -it hurl to be carried on in the vestibule of the Council ChttKnJbers. 'I ho Baths arc another load that wo are carrying on unbusiness-Hke lines. The revenue from these would be miuch increased ami the money of more strangers spent in the town were hot ' salt-water |raths added to the i lant — which could be "done at a small cost. At the present "time people go from all parts of the X'orlh Island to Napier to indulge in this luxury and curative course, tiuito recently patients 'have been s<nl to Napier, from our neignbour--ing towns of Te Arotoa -a-rod Rotorua. These people "would uiul-oujbted-ly 'have come to Taiura'nga had we had the salt-water I would suggest that we went into the matter cf appointing a man at a fixed salary to undertake the positions of. inspector of nui^afneos,, bath-keeper,, dog registrar, cattle and horse registrar, end perhaps some other littlcl j duties, which would Pfiy a reliaWo man to undertake thefrn. 1 feel assured lh.it tho result would be a satisfactory and (business-like cno. i Tho .endowments of tho town should l»e placed on a I>etter business footing antl made to i*aj< interest <n value. The one opposite tho Star Hotel (although i .myself am interested in it) should never, have been leased, . and should mow be acquired by the Council, no mutter what tli3 cost, and a sum of money borrowed to ljuild a town hall, council chambers and other offices, with i'hopp underneath. The meney can tie obtained at about ■&£ pen cent, which [iays the interest and also pays off tho principal in about 36 years. Tho ♦ own would then hiave m invest ment ttoatt wov_\l not anly pay; itself off from tho rents, but return a pro/it of from four to six hundred pec annum until the sum was paid off* when the net rents would' B\e aIJ profit. I consider 1-bat under the pro sent terms that local tatties can borrow on, that any council that doesn't borrow foi? any • reproductivework is simply committing semi-sui-cide. The time has arrived: -when we must consider the tqjuestion. of metalling the main arteries cf the borough and I very much doubt if the interest on a Joan for this purpose would cost much more tttan tho pre^ sent tinkering and up-keep, while wo should nave the benefit of good roads. Drainage is another ' matter that we will have -to igfo, into almost Immediately, and this, like all other matters, should 'be 'handled,' and different schemes di^UMjj^d^ crii- gone, into in a jbiusiness-Kke way, also the spending of the'watenvorkfi memy. 1 would ask the iPMrtfesses of the town to tarefully consider thbse subjects and many others whan voting, not only at the elaction on Thursday but at/ all subsequent elections, nnd re-j Him mcii that n>'e 1 to go into* these matters. When I brought for ward some 'of these 'affairs tibotit a yea-r ngo I. was tolcl that they wore visionary. They are not ; they arthard sense business propositions and most of your readers now recognise this and the time will come w-hen all must recognise it. Ini conclusion, ) would «tsk (all that believe in mo to be sure amd record their /vote on Thursday, as there is a strc«g block vote that would sooner see "Old Nick" returntd than myself (for wihy I do not kmaw), as I suppose I have done as much to bring Tauranga to where it now stands, as any individual in the place. I have <a fair, grasp of <h.s borough affairs an! the inter- j ests of all classes. I can understand tho troubles of the working man, having deny my share of that, working alciagjside some of you ijvjith spade and shovel for my 6s per day —which was a high ■wage before the present Government came into power. I've been there; I ajm in sympathy with the business man ami borough property-owner becauso I a m there. Thankin® you in tajt'tjfcipatfcttif— l* am, etc., ' ■ COLIN KORRIvS.