THE BOROUGH LOAN.

Feilding Star, Volume XVI, Issue 263, 10 May 1895, Page 2

THE BOROUGH LOAN.

TO THE KDITiMt OF THK STAK. Sir,—At the meeting of ratepayers held on the Ist instant, I asked the f chairman what had been paid to draw the plans of the proposed new Municipal Building. I did not get a satisfactory reply. I have since been informed that £12 was paid, but arrangements had been entered into with the architect to the effect that if the poll was carried, aud the building gone on with the same architect would be instructed to prepare the specifications and superintend the work at the rate of 6A or 7 per cent. Now, sir, I say if that report is true the cost will be too much. The Council bas had an offer made by the Town Clerk, who is also an architect, to draw plans of a building which would cost from £400 to £600' and to superintend the same at about half the price. I would ask our worthy Mayor, if what I say is not true, to put the facts before the ratepayers. I endorse the remarks made by Councillor Goodbehere at the last meetiug of the Council, when he said it was only right the ratepayers should kuow what was being done. I believe the loan proposals will be lost because they are too generous to the Fire Brigade in asking for another £100 iv the way of building them an engine shed and meetiug house. It is unfair to ask any ratepayer to subscribe to anything whicii is useless to such of them who live two miles away from Manchester Square, more especially when it is considered the Brigade has already received £50 of the ratepayers movey —money wiiich would have gone a long way towards repairing the damage done by the recent floods. If the Council will strike out the Fire Brigade portions from the plans of the proposed building, and leave only what is wanted for Municipal purposes and the Free Public Library, many burgesses in the same situation as myself, would be more inclined to vote in favor of the loan. I am., etc., W. Eeid. Makiuo, 9th May, 1895.