PETONE BOROUGH

Evening Post, Volume XCIX, Issue 138, 11 June 1920, Page 2

PETONE BOROUGH

ESTIMATES AND RATES FOB, CUR-

RENT YEAR,

A full meeting of the Petone Borough Council, presided over by the. Mayor, Mr. J. W. M'Ewan, held last ' evening, gave practically final consideration, to the estimates of receipts and expenditure for the coming ■ financial year. A portion of the estimates for the gasworks, relating to the wages to be paid, was leftover for consideration after the dispute with the Gasworkers' Union has been settled. At the close of the consideration of the estimates for the general account, the Mayor staled that increases proposed 1 over last year's: expenditure, coupled with a reduction in. certain items of receipts, made a debit of about £1000, which would mean an increase ill the general rate of about |d in the £. He thought this was not the time for nonessential expenditure, and that the borough ought to manage without an increase in the general rate. He suggested' means whereby the receipts could be increased by some £300 by decreasing the outstanding rates, and selling certain, plant not now used. On the expenditure side, he considered that items amounting to £750 could be cut out. Possibly, _if certain proposals which he had in mind, were carried out, a saving could be effected on streets maintenance. He moved that the estimates be altered' to give effect to his suggestions. The motion was carried. Councillor Hay said he hoped coimciilors would keep to the estimates, and not be swayed by pleas .during the year for further expenditure. There histl been too much expenditure on non-essential work, and he instanced . the bowling green. The estimates as they stand provide for a general'rate of 3d in the £, the same as last year, an increase in the Hospital rate, but slight decreases in certain other rates, showing altogether a decrease of nearly ad'in the £on the total. STREET IMPROVEMENT LOAN FORESHADOWED. tn regard to his proposal for a. reduction, in the streets maintenance charges, the Mayor moved: "That the engineer and the Works Committee report upon the cost of tai-Hna, sailding, and where necessary, asphalting, the streets of. thes boroujrh : also the widening out, of Hec-tors-lane, mid improving the esplanade, and ai\v other matters, with a view to considering whether h loaii raised for the purpose would not Save the borough considerable expenditure arthiiaJlj- tin maintenance." ■ Tlie motion received the support of the whole of the councillors.

A lease for 10.000 years must surely be the "record" for Dunedin, if not for Australasia (says the Otago Daily,'times). It is known that more than one lease for a similar period of time exists in Britain; lint it v/as acnerally assumed that the political accident which gave New Zealand tht 999 year*' letee established * record in tenures in the Dominion. That is not so. however, for in the '.ochl Lands and Deeds Registry office there is a- pcr 1 fectly valid title to a lease for a piece of land fof 10.000 years. The lease concerns the ri?ht-of--.vay which separates the Bank of New Zealand premises in Lower Hia-h-street from the offices of the National Fire and Mat-hie Irisnranc9 CtJnipnny. ' The area is niheteen-oue* hundvef'ths of n pole. In the records of the- -Dulled)!) U'ase, which are most volu; miiiniu-. Iho iimi's of tjS>veval early setfir-?, ipcliirliiirr that, of Mr. .lolin Joiisi« <!}■£ tneutimiad.