KARORI AFFAIRS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1108, 22 April 1911, Page 7

KARORI AFFAIRS.

■ » MUNICIPAL YEAR REVIEWED. "GO SLOW" POLICY ADVOCATED. A review of tho past municipal year as far as the Karori Borough Council is concerned was given by the retiring Mayor of the borough (Mr. C. 1. Dasent) and his cjuneillors last evening, beforo a fairly largo number of ratepayers. Mr. Dasent said, he thought it was only right, seeing that ho would not have another opportunity of addressing the ratepayers, that such a meeting as tlie presenc should be called, lie went into a detailed explanation of tlie financial position of the borough. Mr. Dasent said that the receipts were as under: — Tramways, £82U5; rates, £3001); other receipts, £088. The expenditure was— General, £'3374; tramways, £'3'JL'7; omnibuses, £870. The credit balance was £1010. When he took office three years aijo thero was a considerable deficiency, but various credit balances had been obtained. The council had not been extravagant, and if money had not been expended for the purpose for whicli it was voted it had been brought forward. The number of passengers carried on the trams for the past year was '79,592, and on tho omnibuses about 46,1)00. The latter registered a loss of nearly £100 more than in the previous year. Tenders were now being called lor the sale of the plant. The loss on the tramways for the first year would bo about £800, which was very near the total estimated two years ago. The traffic was now increasing steadily, and it would go on increasing. A payment of 6s. a day had to be paid by tho council for tho overlaying of the cars, which was a serious matter. This, however, was only temporary, and would bo bettered when the terminus was altered. The conucil could not select its time-table at present, as it was dependent on the requirements of tho citv services, but this would soon be changed. Tho loans of the borough were nothing startling, the council having borrowed 19 per cent., which was not unreasonable. In three years, however, tlisro had been a shrinkage of £17,000 in the rating value of the borough, and this made him uneasy at times, as he was not sure how far'they would havo to go beforo they reached bottom in those values. As a result, the incoming council would, in his opinion, have |o be very careful in the matter of raising further loans during tho next three years. The interest charge on loans at present was £3540.

A voice: "Does that include the present loan." The Mayor: ''Yes." Government anil sinking Funds. Exception was taken by Mr. Dasent to the action of the Government in making local bodies, invest their sinking funds m the Public Trustee. He stated that the average ■interest the funds hnd earned in the past was £4 12s. Cd. ; £700 brought 5 per cent, and £500 brought 0 per cent. The last tramway extension loa:i and any future loan's would only earn 3J per cent lo'3-i per cent in Government securities. Tlie new arrangement, ho urged; was a great hardship and very unsatisfactory from the point of view of the council. He had stressed this when the matter was before the public, and the Prime Minister said that, the attitude of Karori was unreasonable as the legislation benefited the country as a whole. Tho country, as far as he (Mr. Dasent) was ..concerned,--was the, Karori Borough. (Applause.)' '•" " ' "'■'' ! ' 1:

The borough had no overdraft whereas the other boroughs all had overdrafts, and it; was a matter for congratulation for them when they paid sums off their overdraft. Further, outstanding rates, on March 31 were only £11G, which sum had probably been reduced by half now. Referring to the retirement of Councillor Spiers the Mayor said the late councillor had served the borough faithfully for 17 years. As to the borough staff, probably no 'borough in Now Zealand was eervoci hv a better little staff. There was probably no borough of the size better equipped with plant than Karori Borough.

. ConcßKning Cas, Negotiations. There, was an impression abroad that the council was.opposed to the introduction of gas into the borough, bi.it this was not so. 110 proceeded to detail tho negotiations which had taken place between tho council and tho Company during tho past, few years. After some tim?, he said, the company came out into the open and said they would not outer tho borough unless tho council, gnvo them from six to twelvestreet lamps now, and from thirty to forty within a certain number of years. No price was quoted by tho company, but tho price quoted for Onslow was 80 per cent, more than was being paid for the electric light. The-whole point was that the council was not prepared to accede to tho demands of tho company. Tho Fuutro. Referring to. the future, Mr. Dasent said he had come to the conclusion that, viewing the decline in tho valuation of the borough, what the borough required was a rest. When the present works wore completed and tho borough had a tram service from end to end, he thought the time would be ripe for allowing the borough to strengthen itself. There would be heavy calls in years to come for drainage, etc., and until this tho borough should refrain from borrowing any more money. They should turn their immediate attention to the tramways, which wore an expensive property. The trams were carrying all tho population of the borough at present, but they had not begun to pay interest or sinking fund. At tho same timo tho trams were doing all they could bo cxncctcd to do, but yet they were not' meeting their obligation's. The first work of the now council should bo to make, the best of tho j traffic and reduce the losses as much as possible, although losses could not bo eliminated' altogether. It was not tho intention of the council to strike ,i special rate for the tramways this year, but it would come next year.

Views of the Maiw-ElKt. Mr. C. Cathie, Mayor-elect, after referring to the excellent service rendered by the engineer and the town clerk, intimated {hat the policy of the, now year would have to be one of "go slow." Having raised £27,000, the borough certainly required a rest, but lie was not, frightened at tho amount of the loans the borough carried. . It was a reasonable percentage of the unimproved value. The loan money was not all spent yet, and there would he a balance when tho work was completed. Without going to the ratepayers for any more money, he would probably ask permission later to spend the balance of the loan for purposes other than that for which the loan was raised. One of tho greatest needs of the borough at present was a good town hall. There was n section adjoining the town had set apart for this purpose. He did not think it would put-any further burden on the ratepayers if they authorised tho council to spend the balance of the loan on a town hall, council chambers, and officers, the hall being at the back. He was quite sure this work could bo carried out with the unexpended balance. It would be rash to talk about introducing a sanitation and water scheme with the present population of the borough, and he did not think ratepayers would be worried with such schemes during the coming year. He agreed with what Mr. Dasenl had said about the gas negotiations. The borough could not undertake the gas nn the conditions the company ivished. Af-

ter all tlm money they had spent on the recreation gi-ounil, lie thought they must popularise the ground. He thought residents might, for a start, contribute tries to be planted in the park on Arbour Day. They should encourage the tram traffic in every reasonable by advertising the park, and they might also have to erect a refreshment room, ?o as to supply picnic parties with hot water. Street widening would have to be gone on with a little" at a time. Councillor Hildreth said there was only need for a policy on one point, and that was in regard to ihe shortening of the route to the, city. He hoped tho incoming council would set up a committee to consider and report on the suggestion. In his opinion the council could not afford to stand still. Several other councillors also addressed the meeting briclly, and the ratepayers entered into a lengthy discussion on borough affairs.