MUNICIPAL LOAN PROPOSALS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 415, 26 January 1909, Page 6

MUNICIPAL LOAN PROPOSALS.

Sir, —In view of tho immense amount of loan money that our civic representatives are : 'asking, us to pledge our properties "for, 1 think it is necessary for us to consider very deeply whether or not we, as ratepayers,; can afford to pay the extra rates should the loans referred to become an accomplished fact. ,Values of property in "Wellington and suburbs of late years nave gone up to such an extent that tho present rates are prohibitive, to..buyers of , residential properties, and' in face of the great increase of values our municipal' rates and taxes are struck on the same proportion as when sanctioned, ■ thus giving pur council jurisdiction over a greater amount of capital than was anticipated. Wo are asked to pledge our property for an extra sum of . ABBroziroatoly. ono ouartor of a ioilliau,

pounds. -The Government valuations have increased so regularly that we may expect a continuance of same. What then, -1 ask, will bo our position in. another two or three years? Our liabilities will have gone up with the alleged value of property, and we shall be burdened "witK : rites''that are "so high as to bo detrimental to .the. further advancement of our city, where the cost of living at present is higher than in' any'other city in the : Dominion. The present era shows-that a wave of depression which has visited pother countries is causing its influence to be- felt here, and it behoves our publio bodies to curb that indiscriminate 'handling of finance which ip not shown in their private individual capacities as • been business men.'. ■ In enumerating' the, various loan proposals one cannot hut be struck with the incongruity of paying £22,000 to allow the double-decker tTams to run to Miramar, and considering that Kilbirnie and surrounding districts are all served with a tram at present there is no necessity for the .Cpnstable Street extension. Recreation grounds have been heard of so much of _ late - years that citizens ; should :Wait to see if the present reserves: how completed are not sufficient. The.proposal to expend £49,500 on reclaiming a few acres, of land to form a '.'Napier" sea wall with outer road and .tramway is. not in accordance with the spirit of our councillors*' action in voting, against the proposal to purchase the Kelburne tram. Surely the Elbirne loan should 1 be purely a local-expenditure; and the rating for same should be born© by the people whoso property is .benefited, /'and; in /the-' area 'in which improvements are' confined, seeing that- Wadestowh, Brooklyn,' and Northland are called up6n ; to bear.the liability of. their own trams, otc.y and are also requested to pay portion of the Kilbirnie'extension. -With reference to workmen's homes, £27,500, a glance at tW newspaper • will. show, many houses, to. let from Island Bay to Lower Hutt. Ti l sufficient' empty houses to domicile all the people who require homes; ; I would suggest ' that a -public meeting be. ? ~4 to consider 'very carefully the whole P 9 ?,! ao . 1 V take whatever; steps are. to .facilitate the'defeat of this unwarranted expenditure, or, as ah alternative, to : vote; all proposals that arei not conducive, to the welfare and prosperity .of the district. Trusting that some abler pen willgiye the ratepayer the benefit of its views on this most important question.—l am, etc., GEORGE BURNEY.