THE BAY

Evening Star, Issue 18883, 6 March 1925, Page 10

THE BAY

ENTHUSIASTIC PUBLIC MEETING RATEPAYERS’ ASSOCIATION FORMED CITY COUNCIL CRITICISED. Evidence of the interest, in. matters concerning tho welfare of Anderson Bay "as shown by the largo .attendance ot ratepavers at a meeting held in the Presbyterian Church 11 all last evening for the purpose of forming a ratepayers and householders’ association. About 150 were present, Mr J. C. H. Somerville presiding. The Chairman said thd meeting reminded him of the lime before the Bay joined the city, when largo attendances mild be assured. Since then, however, the Bay had been asleep. The reason for the present meeting was a direct result of a meeting held’ in December, when a committee was appointed to go into the needs of Anderson Bay, and, as they had no doubt, seen in the newspapers, quite a comprehensive report was prepared on matters needing attention. Probably there were, a manv more matters which needed attending "to. He was very pleased to see Cr Wilson present; apologies had been received from several other conneillois. The committee felt it would be wise to invito the mayor and councillors. They felt they could hardly blame the corporation or members of the City Council for the apathy displayed ns far as Anderson Bay was concerned. They had been asleep themselves, but, judging from the that night, they had awakened. When the last loan proposal was pul forward by the City Council Anderson Bay was torgotteu —it was left out altogether. The. only reason ho could give lor that was that limy had not made their voices heard. Ho hoped a strong executive, would be appointed. Mr W. Mackay read a number of apologies and the report prepared by tho committee appointed at the last meeting. Mr Somerville said that years ago tho Bay was a little village, whe.ro everybody know everybody else. .In tho first place, the cemetery had to be handed over to the city owing to tho unhealthy state of tho finances of the district. They would realise, what that meant to tho city in the way of an asset. Jn 1914 or 1915, after the Bay Town Board had been in existence for some years, and had done a great, deal of good work, the movement for amalgamation was started. Personally he was against amalgamation, and would not say much about it. The district, however, amalgamated with the city practically free of debt. The city took over £500,000 worth of unpledged securities, and he did not think any other borough had joined tho city with so clean a slate. What consideration had they got, however, for going in with a clean slate? They wore treated just the same as boroughs which joined deeply in debt. That was not a fair proposition. Their rates went up, although they had been told that they would not be increased. In his opinion the district had been better served,under tho old Bay Town Board than under tire City Council. He trusted the meeting would evolve a scheme whereby the Bay would receive a fairer deal from the City Council. Mr S. B. Macdonald said they should tell tho City Council of its shortcomings in regard to the administration of Anderson Bay. The speaker went on to criticise various works carried on in tho district by the council. He said their streets could be characterised as tho ordinary tracks met with in tho back-country districts of the dominion. He asked why tho council persisted in putting in square corners instead of round corners where the latter were needed. Tho car service should he extended to the lop of the hill, where there were so many building sections.

A Voice! “ The corporation has no money, sir.” Mr Macdonald: ‘‘Judging by the way they are spending money in crushing tins at the tip they have money.” (Laughter.) The speaker went on to say that the car service should be extended to the sections in the district where the worker could get cheaper land and cheaper rents. In respect to the water supply, the position was that if they wanted a bath they had to carry the water from, a tank. An iniquitous proposal was the prohibition of the use of the hose in Anderson Bay at the present time. The council was making lish of one and flesh of another. They were not. getting the same, privileges as other ratepayers. They might get their water by meter, which would solve the water problem. Let the council spend £50,000 on wafer meters. The council was getting on with the drainage, but it would not be available until they wore all eligible for tbo old age pension. Some of tho open ditches fairly ‘‘ hummed,” and it was not fair that they should be. allowed to remain as they were. 'I lien, as to tho public tip, kerosene and benzine tins should be crushed by the owners before they were deposited. Then a public convenience was an absolute necessity, and also a public telephone. Mr E. Anscombo moved—“ That this meeting of Anderson Bay_residents hereby resolves flint an association of Anderson Bay householders and ratepayers be formed for tho purpose of securing improvements and generally furthering'the interests of the district, ‘and that not less than seven members bo elected, with power to add to their number, to act as a.u executive of that association.” The mover said that, while Anderson Bay was tho finest residential suburb in the, dominion, it was the most neglected suburb in Dunedin. _ It was a shabby district, and was getting worse every day. , r T , The motion was seconded by -Mr K. M'Garriglo. In regard to remarks about playing areas in the Bay, Mr Somerville said there was Chisholm Bark, but the Reserves Committee did not spend much on it. , ~ \ Voice : ‘‘ That is the ‘ two-up area. Mr S. Neill suggested Unit the water supplv should be seen to before they touched drainage. Tito idea of metering water seemed to him to bo a filthy habit. The motion was carried, and the following committee was appointed, with power to add to its number:—Messrs J. G. HSoraerville, W. Mackay, >S. B. Macdonald, ]!. Renfreo, E. Ansoombc, A. W. Coopci, T Rosevear, M'Lennan, G. Gibson, J. Dickinson, and R. M'Gamgle. Cr Wilson, in the course of ft brief address, said tho Bay bad not received any of the £175,000 loan because it bad been slow' in coming into the city. Others had been excluded for tho same reason Dp till last year the council had had to scrape all the money it could to give the district any w*oiks at all. He considered that Anderson Bay had been a favored district. It hod been drained under a far better system than the city had, and the residents had to pay loss for drains m common. It w'ould not take many thousands of pounds to complete the Anderson Bay drainage. A Voice: “ How many more years, sir?” Cr Wilson said there had been delay in certain localities for the reason that the engineer did not make up his mind as to how' to treat tho drainage. As to tho delay in works, they would now proceed oil tho five years’ programme—the fivoyearly basis. ‘ Ho. was only toopleased to see the association formed. There were ways in which it could help. They had had no complaints regarding tho water supply last year, and had the complaintcome in earlier matters would have been righted. As to -a public convenience, the council was trying to overcome that matter in various places. The tins deposited at the tip should b cr,rushed at so much per hundred. No district had any agree-

incut with the city, nicy came in and trusted to the city. Ho wished the newly-formed asociation every success, and hoped .that with its help the ratepayers would get further improvements. (Applause.) ' The annual subscription to the association was fixed at 2s 6di Voles of thanks wore passed to tho chairman and Mr Mackey. Or Wilson wnk accorded a vote of thanks as “the only councillor plucky enough to come out here. Ju reply to the chairman, Mr Macdonald said ho would let them know in a few days if he would consent to stand for the' City Council ns a representative of the district. The Chairman : “This has been a memorable meeting for Anderson Bay, and I am satisfied good results will come from it.”