GREATER WELLINGTON

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3097, 30 May 1917, Page 3

GREATER WELLINGTON

MEETING OF THE ASSOCIATION

The adjourned meeting of the (/(teller ■Wcuiugton Xowu-l'lauiiiiig ami jUuuHiintl Electors' Association was helu last t:\uiiing mv. Jjiiiuiijjer presiding. jlr. Ji. (J. Jack ultrouucL'd the subject of "jJxpeuuituro on capital works out of Kevuuue." Ho said tliac tlio City Council iiad m rccuiic years constructed extensive works out of revenue. Tho Act did not contemplate that large siime of _ money snoutu bo spent in uas way. Tho Act did provido for the construction ami maintenance of certain works out of mu general fund. Of late years tho City Council had carried out the practico so far that a. poll on any such, expenditure had not been taken lor many years. I'or instance, tho Constablo Strcot tram route was turned down by thu ratepayers, but it was built out ot revenue. The Mayor shielded himself behind tho statement that the works wero built out of tramway money. During the past six years about .£100,1)00 had been spent out of Revenue— that was about J20.000 a year had been spent out of rates which should havo been submitted to a poll of tho ratepayers, and tho ratepayers had been excessively taxed to the extent of the expenditure. The ratepayers "hail teen ing to limit the powers of tho council in this respect. He instanced other works, such, for instance, as that at Orongo-Orongo, which, being capital expenditure, should not huvc been constructed out of revenue, and ho urged that tho principle was wrong. The City Council should bo compelled to obtain the. authority of tho ratepayers to raise loans in respect to all necessitating more than ,£lo,ooo'expenditure. Under euch circumstances tho city would mako greater progress. The City Tramways were in a bad way because so much of the revenuo was being used for capital expenditure , . Mr. Jack concluded by moving: "That this representative meeting of ratepayers is strongly of tho opinion that no new works which will ultimately cost over »CIO,OOO be undertaken without tho direct authority of tho ratepayer?'as expressed-by a poll on tho raising of a loan for such works." This was seconded by Mr. Cnrwell Cooke, who strongly supported Mr. Jack's arguments on the subject. Tho resolution was carried unanimously.

Mr. Eallingcr dealt with the subject of the proposed alterations in tho tramway servico. He said that when he read Mr. Morton's report on this matter and of tho coalminors' strike ho was of opinion that Mt. Morton's scheme should have been immediately adopted. But siuco then the coal question, had undergone a change, and the matter had been dropped. He (Mr. Balliuger) was of opinion that the principle ehould have been affirmed, and efforts made to conservo tho coal. With respect to streot lighting, ho could not seo why tho larger lamps could not bo discontinued, or lamps of lower candfo power substituted. This would save current and savo coal. Generally ho supported Mr. Morton's scheme with Tespect to tho reduction of the tram service during the slack hours of the day. He thought it was a great pity that tho officers were not supported by the council. The object of tho 6cliemo was to savo coal and electric current. Ho gavo details of the increases in the tramway services between 1913 aud 1916.' Th fuel increase in tho period wa3 413111; power expenses, including fuel, .£1292; general repairs and maintenance, .£1192; wages of niotornicn and conductors, J29031; wages of track employees, ,£S80; cleaning, oiling, and sanding, JE1854;. light department, X 200; uniforms, iCl22'; sundries, activo service pay, «£2I9G; and general expenses, .£413. Mr. Ballinger agreed with the proposal that there should bo no penny fares. This would reduco the number of passengers who take short journeys, and inconvenience those who liave to take long lides travelling to tho 6ubui*3. He maintained that tho tramways belonged to the ratepayers, and if he had his way ho would not allow tho City Council to manage the tramways, but would place tho management in the hands of a board elected by tho ratepayers. Ho moved that this meeting approves of most of tho proposals recently submitted to the City Council by Mr. Morton.

The matter was very fully discussed, but most of the spenkere were opposed to the proposal, the arguments being mostly of a parochial nature. On a show of hands, tl?o motion was dec Tared lost.

Mr. C. K. Wheeler, who intended reading a paper on town lilanning, was unavoidably absent. nil mooting adjourned to June 12, to take Mr. Wheeler's paper, anil any other business that may bo brought forward.