LYTTELTON BOROUCTH COUNCIL.

Press, Volume L, Issue 15014, 8 July 1914, Page 12

LYTTELTON BOROUCTH COUNCIL.

TO THR EDITOR OF "TOE PRESS." Sir,—Now that the demands for rat«s arc in the hands of the ratepayers, they will fully realise what the progressive (?) policy of certain mombers of the Council means to them. Does not this additional rate—"water rate," it is termed—of about <d w the £ show how little credence can be given to the etatements that were made by the then Mayor and others, when the Diamond Harbour Estate purchase was before the ratepayers f How many of tho promises then made hare be 3 n kept? Perhaps- those took tho lea<J in thnt matter will tell us how many havo been broken. Ifie ratepayers were toldl by those uho forced this unprofitable "spec." on the borough that-ft would not increase the rate, tut. should it not be a success, it would, at the most, only mean Id mine £. Efow has it panned out? Sevenponce in the £! Will. ex-Mayor MiHer kindly explain the position as it stands to-day in regard to profits accrued or losses sustained in connexion With this estate since it was purchased by tne Council, or for the first year's working? ike may also be in a position to say to what extent the promises have been kept which he made at the meetfcg of ratepayers that was. called to. consider the purchase of this, estate jit is a fact well known to the man >in the street" that there has oeen considerable loss on each of the Counctf s experiments; and, m-spite of Jheee losses, it is still contrauing-tp squander the ratepayers' money in attempting to develop what must be for many years, if not fo?aU time, a "white elephant to this borough. To meet the.losses thus created the ratepayer is mulcted in this additional rate. ata tune when ho is least' able to bear it,, seeing that we are very slowly recovering from the Jesulte of a strike, which has .been most disastrous to the financial uiterthe pronortv-owners and tradesSen of the P borough. . What" have the members of the Council to say m defence of their vital importance to this towui , —xours, etc -> TIIUE BLUE.