A POLICY FOR HASTINGS BOROUGH.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIII, Issue 74, 9 March 1933, Page 8

A POLICY FOR HASTINGS BOROUGH.

(To The Editor. 1 ) Sir, —The first thing wanted is a stringent cutting down of ail overhead, especially in departmental expenditure, and all borough works of extension must be considerably restricted. It appears to me that a great saving could be saved in the electrical department, for though we pay £B5OO per annum for bulk supply for power and £4OOO for salaries, wages, etc.,.etc., we also pay £3250 per annum for a standby plant; only £165 of this is charged to fuel, while £2BOB ISs 3d is charged to wages. I estimate that a saving could be made in three departments amounting to at least £l5OO per annum. Electric light and power: Very large profits have been made in the last 20 years from this venture. Where have they gone? Forestry: Is this a borough expenditure? Parks, roads, etc., for which posterity should pay their share. The cost to consumers of electricity should have been lower here than in any centre in New Zealand, thus encouraging new business and industries in our town. A 20 per cent, cut in cost to consumers now would benclit them by about £5OOO per annum, and even then the account should show a credit of at least £l5OO per annum. This prolit of £l5OO with the saving in high salaries should be placed to credit of a “betterment fund,” i.e., for subsidising townspeople to carry out small structural alterations, painting houses, etc., clearing and planting vacant sections and sides of roads, thus beautifying and adorning our town: We know the Government does this, but we should help. A Subsidy of 5s in the £1 from this fund would represent about £lO,OOO being spent annually as extra work for unemployed. At present the borough owes £308,000. The average rate of interest paid was 5 per cent (now to be reduced to 4J per cent.) and the average sinking fund 1 1-8 per cent. Why not raise £400,000 in £1 bonds bearing interest at 4 per cent., 2 per cent, to be paid out per annum and 2 per cent, to form a fund for distribution by ballot every month, the winning £1 bonds to receive each month one £250, one £l5O, one £lOO, and three £5O each.

In this the investor will always be receiving 2 per cent, interest on each bond till such time as he draws in the ballot—and all must draw in time.

The raising and drawing of this money would bring money and residents from all parts to our town. The saving to borough ratepayers in interest (at the 5 per cent, rate) alone would be £4OOO per annum, and a further saving could be made in sinking fund interest.

Why should we pay 1 1-8 per cent, sinking fund? Surely again posterity should pay their share; we have borne the brunt, in fact earlier settlers had to pay out of their own pockets for conveniences. I paid for bringing the sewer down my street and paid for forming, etc., the footpath past my house, and sinking my own well—all almost in the centre of the town.

Then we will hand on to posterity their just, share and liuv e a sinking fund of 1 per cent, (under my loan proposals this will be provided), a saving to ratepayers of £2llOO per annum in all interest and sinking fund, £6OOO or 25 per cent, reduction in consolidated

Consolidated rales include Hospital, River Board and Harbour Board. Why should we pay such large amounts for the little service we get? The Hawke’s Bay County Council should Im approached to join with Hie borough in clerical and engineering, stiH further reducing overhead costs of both bodies, and combined to have our own Hospital, our own Harbour Board, and our River Board, forming one unit for conducting

all these affairs. (Certain loans have been raised in the past by these bodies in which Hastings was pulled in. Wc will still pay an equitable share of interest and sinking fund. We can well afford to do this io be rid of the bickering and unsatisfactory services we are receiving.)

Unemployment: It must be our business to try and supplement the small allowances made to our unemployed by thc Government. This could be considerably helped by the “betterment fund,” enabling at least 240 workers receiving £1 a week extra. But we should further assist in placing these men on small areas of ’and near the town, not only bettering them but also our town.

We should Impress on the Government the great benefit to them, the district, the town and the unemployed, by afforcstating a large area of land near Hastings —laud admirably suited for afforestation and of little value for other purposes. We should investigate and promote municipal markets, selling direct from producer to consumer meat, butter (uo middle agents), fruit, and more especially bread. There surely are some industries we could promote by using the services of unemployed women and wives of workers. It is certain we can get men of vision, courage and energy to carry out a more enlightened policy for our town, in spite of what Mr Government Town Planner has to say.—Yours, etc., EGOTIST. Hastings, 5/3/33.