PAPANUI AND THE CITY.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17272, 10 October 1921, Page 9

PAPANUI AND THE CITY.

COUNTY COUNCIL'S POSITION.

J There was a largo attendance in. the Waimairi County Council chambers on | Saturday night, when, at the invitation of the Papanui Progress League, members of the "Waimairi County gave reasons wiry Papanui should remain in the county'. Mr "\V. J* Boyce presided. Mr W, J. Walter, chairman of the Council, who was excused from speaking at length owing to the fact that he had risen from a sick bed to attend tho meeting, coufiucd himself to numerous sets of«figures setting out the financial • position, of . the ..County and its,.various ridings.. ..Amongst other .details, he said that the capital value of tho county was £3,169,000, and • tho unimproved value £1,829,180. Of these amounts the .Papanui riding represented £376/215 •and £163,828. respectively. . The total Minus) revenue of tho Council was £16,198 Is. At March 31st, the Council as a whole, was in debit to the extent of £5907 15s 6d, but numerous, other items brought the total amount up to £9498 3s. Mr Waiter explained the positions <>f the various ridings, revealing*the fact that the Papanui riding' was substantially in credit. The riveF Styx, he pointed out, -was responsible for a considerable portion of the debit of the county. < Mr R. W. Uawke, a member of. the Council spoke at considerable length, explaining-tho county's expenditure, the position regarding loans, and. the improvements to the ridings under tin Council's regime. Since the inception of the Council some 12 years ago ho said, the capital value of the Papanui riding-had risen from £325,000 to the sum mentioned by Mr Walter. Mr Hawko referred in particular tp the p 'cellence of the County's electricity sys-. tem, which he said, was unrivalled anywhere in Canterbury, and he incidentally remarked that whereas there were at the inception of the Council, 11 street gas-lamps and a hurricane lamp or two,burning for a few hours at night, there were now 83 electrio street lamps burning all night at just double the amount of expenditure entailed by the inadequate old system. Papanui, as a residential area, was quite the best in and around Cliristchurch, and he was sure that the Council, if it were given the full confidence of the ratepayers, would "steer the ship clear of all rocks." A large number of questions on various subjects connected with the Council and the Papanui riding were answered by the speakers at the conclusion of Mr Hawke's address.