IMPROVEMENTS FOR ONSLOW.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVII, Issue 73, 27 March 1909, Page 7

IMPROVEMENTS FOR ONSLOW.

THE LOAN PROPOSALS. EXPLAINED BY THE MAYOR, The Mayor of OnsJow (Sir. J. G. Harkness) addressed a meeting of ratepayers of the Khandallah Ward last night, m explanation of the Borojigh Council's proposal to borrow £30,00(T Mr. Harkness said tliat the proposals which the council would put before the ratepayers embodied the most important scheme launched since the borough was constituted. The ratepayers were asked to freely discuss these proposals. It was a fact that, while the country as a whole had been passing through a period of financial stringency, the building permits issued in the borough showed that Onslow had gone steadily forward. Other districts had come to a standstill almost, and tome had even gone backwards. For -ihe first two months of the year 53 building permits had l.een issued, for a value of £20,114, an increase of £1890 on ihe corresponding period last year. (Applause.) The loan proposals 01 the borough covered tlireo undertakings, and it would be competent for the ratepayers to tccept or refuse all or any ot them. So far as the proposed loan of £1000 for a town hall was concerned, he explained that £G0 had to bo paid aniually for rent of offices in Wellington. The l.all, he admitted, could be done witho.ii at a pinch. The amount paid in rent would cover the interest on a hall if it were erected at Khandallah. The income from the hall should cover the cost of maintenance. For water supply it was proposed to raise £19,700 at 5£ per cent, (including sinking fund). The loan would be guaranteed by a special rate levied over an area approximating £233,356 in value. It might bo possible to borrow under the Loans to Local Bodies Act at 3^ per cent, and extinguish the debt in 41 years. The present intontion of the council \was to raise £4500 for the dam, £100 for the road, and £4400 for reticulation, leaving £10,700 for future water supply requirerrents. The amount proposed to be so raised would, require a rate of five-tenths ot a penny in the £ only The council had * already purchased the catchment uica. For diainage the council proposed to raise in the meantime a sum of £6000. The proposals involved an area aggregating in value £193,204, which would bung in £667 in interest if a rate of 53-64 d in the £ were struck. After a number of questions had be«n replied to, the meeting expressed itself in favour of the hall proposal, but there was some doubt regaiding the other two proposals. A further meeting will be held at a future date to discuss the matter.