LOAN PROPOSALS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 106, 6 May 1914, Page 8

LOAN PROPOSALS

OVER £300,000 INVOLVED FOR CITY IMPROVEMENT MAYOR'S SURPRISE PACKET. In the course of his reply to the congratulations of councillors at the installation ceremony to-day, the Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) took the opportunity to explain the loan proposals shortly to tie submitted to the ratepayeis. The novel piocedure, together with the magnitude of the sums involved, created something of ar sensation. The total amount involved in his statement comes to close on £340,000. Of this the sum of £220,158 is the estimate for the general loan for various public works, while for special tramway works it is proposed to go to the ratepayers for £y&,850. The sum of £21,959 is contemplated also as special expenditure out of revenue. The total sum, of course, will cover a period of years! SOME OF THE PROPOSED WORKS. In introducing his important statement in regard to loan proposals, the Mayor reminded his hearers that for some time past he had advocated the improvement of the city by various .works out of loan money. The City Engineer (Mr. Morton) had now produced his schedule of proposed, works which were deemed necessary in the interests of the city. He did not think the council would offer any objection to these proposals. First there was the traffic tunnel through Mount Victoria, a proposal which he heartily endorsed as of great moment to the citizens of Wellington. He believed it would find favour with the public of Wellington as improving access to the growing communities beyond the dividing ridge and allowing of more humane methods of transport over easy grades. Next, there was the wood-blocking of the streets. If traffic was to be diverted from congested Willis-street and Man-ners-street, it would be absolutely necessary to wood-block the adjacent thoroughfares. It was proposed to wood block Thorndon-quay from Lambton Station to the beginning of th,e Hutt-road. Other, streets it was proposed to deal with in this way were Wakefield-street to Clydequay, Jervois-quay and Lower Taranakistreet, Mercer-street, and Featherstonstreet down to Lambton Station. TOWN HALL EXTENSION. Then increased , accommodation was urgently needed for the staff m the Town Hall, who were now working in all sorts of odd corners in the building and the basement. The staff had a positive claim on the ratepayers for better' accommodation. The scheme was to add to the Town Hall in the rear a sufficiently large extension to cope with the needs of expansion in years to come. The Oriental Bay Espjanade was another work which he thought the citizens generally would approve as tending to beautify a portion of the city which was already a highly popular resort, not only of residents but of visitors to the city. Then there was a proposal for an esplanade at Island Bay which he thought was worthy of the consideration of the ratepayers. It was proposed to regrade Hawkerstreet and construct a new t road round to Roseiieath — a work which lie thought tho council would approve and the ralepayers endorse. • I Another scheme oh the schedule was the completion of a new' road to Brooklyn alongside the tramway. This would give a grade of 1 in 12 as compared with the present road with its grade of 1 in 7. The new road was already partially constructed, and it would not require much money to complete it. A new road to Vogeltown was also proposed, and he thought it was only fair that an old-established settlement like Vogeltown should get better access to the city. It was further proposed to set aside a sum for the improvement of Central Park, which could be made another and more accessible botanical gardens, and one of the chief beauty spots of the city. The Kilbirnie Recreation Ground was also' included in the schedule. The extension of this ground would work in excellently with the construction of the traffic tunnel through Mount Victoria, from which the spoil could be used for extending by reclamation the present recreation ground. Among other works were the construction of ' an ocean bathing house at Lyall Bay, an, openair swimming bath at Island Bay on the lines of 'the St. Clair baths at Dunedin, baths at Kilbirnie, a bathing shed at Ballena Bay, and baths at Brooklyn. The total sum estimated for the construction of these works was £220,158. * TRAMWAY EXTENSION. The Mayor then proceeded to explain the proposals for the extension and improvement of the^ city_ tramways, the capital invested in which was already over £600,000. It was a municipal enterprise which was absolutely sound financially and commercially. The Tramway Board considered it absolutely necessary in the interests of tho undertaking to furnish the facilities which the public had a right to demand in a large city. It was proposed to build ten more cars in addition to the ten being constructed out of revenue. New workshops and a now car shed it was proposed to erect at the site at Adelaide-road. Additional machinery was required at the power house. The duplication of the ConstableBtreefc line was needed from the Newtown Hotel right through to Kilbirnie. Double tracks were required along Thomdonquay and a new line through Hill-street, connecting Molesworth-street and Tina-kon-road, thus materially shortening the route to Karori. The tramway proposals represented a sum of £96,850. Ho believed the people would agree that these were very urgent matters for the best possible running of the tramways and would vote for them. OUT OF REVENUE. During the present year the City Council intended to carry out certain works out of revenue. Eight new cars would be built— already referred to— and the rest of the cars which had to be altered under the Act would be altered. The cost of alteration was estimated at £3420, and the new cars at £3800. Ihere were three motor-buses, an electric motor-car, and motor-lorry, 'costing £5395. The completion of the car workshops at Newtown would cost £1156. Track extensions and duplications would be required at Kilbirnie and Lyall Bay. It would be necessary also to remove the centre-poles on the routes where thoy still existed. Tho total cost of theso improvements was estimated at £21,959. FIRE BRIGADE IMPROVEMENTS. The Mayor then made reference to the need for improvements in the lire-fight-ing equipment of the city, paying a compliment to tho superintendent and his staff, which were thoroughly efficient, but urging that the equipment was by no means complete. Mr. Luke stated that it '.was proposed to raise money for the establishment of sub lire stations at Northland, Brooklyn, Wadestown, Roseneath, Kelburne, and Island Bay, and the erection of a new fire station on the Conutable-street hill. Each station will contain (juarters for a married couple u j

and will be large enough to provide sleeping accommodation for several men. The total expenditure under that head was estimated .at £18,000, and it was proposed to get the money in lots as required, so as to keep down the interest. "WITHIN BOUNDS."' Touching further on finance, Mr. Organ said that, notwithstanding the fact that the council was forced by circumstances to exceed the estimates and undertake workß it had not contemplated, the receipts (exclusive of the ferry service) were £1900, and the disbursements £1651. In the receipts were included outstanding rates, and it was gratifying to know that the council still remained within 1 itS t proper bounds. The most important business of the year was the acquisition of the ferry service. When the service was privately owned there was indecision' on the part of the people to reside in the borough,, and they would all agree with him that this step had been a most satisfactory one. The balance-sheet showed a profit of £1000. The last month had showed a profit of £100, and, with eight* months gone, there was a surplus of £1100. He was confident of the success of the ferry service. Mr. Organ then referred to the cutting up of the Gollan's Valley distriqt, and emphasised the great benefit accruing to Wellington through the opening up of land eastward of the Eastbourne district. As to the coming year, he repeated that the borough must cut its coat according to its cloth. The matter of the drainage system should not bo rushed into. They should wait until they had had control of the ferry service for a year. The putting in' order of the recreation ground was also a matter that would receive attention. The question of a water service would have to be gone into. The council had voted £250 to the purchase of Day's Bay, and, fortunately, the . finances^ of the council would enable this liability to be met. The overdraft had been wiped off, and for the last three months interest on overdraft had ceased to ( exist. SUMMARY OF PROPOSALS. Following is a summary of the various works included in the schedule for the Wellington Expansion and Improvement Loan :— » ' GENERAL WORKS. - • £ Traffic tunnel through Hataitai 70,000 Woodblocking 61,558 Additional offices ... ... 7,500 Oriental Bay improvements ... 10,000 Island Bay improvements ... 2,300 Road to Roseneath, etc. ... 13,500 New road to Brooklyn ' 3,500 New road to Vogeltown ... 11,500 Central Park ... - 13,000 Kilbirnie Reserve 19,000 Bath House, Lyall Bay .... ... 3,000 Swimming Bath, Island Bay ... 3,500 Kilbirnie Bath " 750 Bath, Ballena. Bay - 250 Bath, Brooklyn 800 Total i ...£220.158 TRAMWAY EXTENSIONS. £ Ten cars Nos. 100-109, in addition to those already authorised ... 15,000 New workshops at Newtown car depot _ 10,500 New carshed at Adelaide-road... 12,350 Additional machinery, boilers, etc., at power-house , 18,000 Duplication of Cohstable-street track and extension to Kilbirnie 25,000 Duplication of existing tracks, • Brooklyn and Thorndnn-quay... 3,500 Laud required for tramway purposes, easing curves 2.500 Hill-street route ,»» ... ... 10,000 !' * ... £96)850 OUT OF SPECIAL APPROPRIATION Rolling Stock— £ Completion of 8 cars, Nos. 92 to 99 3,800 Alteiations to cars (centre passage) ' '". ... 3,420 Motor VehiclesThree motor-buses, electric . motor-car, electric lorry ... 5,395 Carshed workshops at Newtown 1,156 Track Extensions — Completition of track through Roy-street (including taking of land) ... ... , 1,382 Extension of track duplication in Kilbirnie 1,200 Completion, of extension in Lyall Bay 1,653 Additional loops (Island Bay ' line) •> 500 Miscellaneous — ' Extensions to power supply system _ ... - 1,000 Alterations from centre pole to side construction (overhead equipment 1,000 Alterations to Thorndon offices 300 Erection of waiting sheds ... 100 Annual payment to • Miramar Borough ... ' ..: 1,053 £21,959