RATEPAYERS' MEETING

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXXI, Issue 4951, 4 February 1937, Page 5

RATEPAYERS' MEETING

OPPOSITION TO LOAN PROPOSALS. RULING OF CHAIRMAN. SECOND MEETING CALLED. THE RIGHT TO REPLY. An unusual position arose at the meeting on Tuesday evening which considered objections to the Borough loan proposals. After several speakers had given the reasons why they oppose! the proposals, Cr. E. M. Mackersey asked if he might reply to the objections raised. Holding that only questions had been invited, the chairman, Mr. T. M. O'Connell, ruled that Cr. Mackersey could ask questions only—the meeting was one of ratepayers to oppose the loan, and Cr. Mackersey had had his opportunity to justify tne 10.. n proposals at the meeting called by the Borough Council. Eventually after a very heated discussion, Crs. Low and Mackersey waited until the meeting presided over by Mr. T. M. O'Connell was adjourned. Then on Cr. Lows motion the Mayor, Mr. T. Carroll, was elected to preside over another meeting—those present had been asked to remain. At this meeting Cr. Mackersey strongly criticised the attitude of those opposing the loans and attacked the criticism that had been advanced against it. Opposition to Loans. Mr. T. M. O'Connell, in opening the first meeting of the evening, staUd that he had accepted the invitation from a group of business people to preside at this meeting of ratepayers. Personally, he regretted very much that the Borough Council did not take the ratepayers into their confidence and call a meeting of ratepayers before approaching the Government Loans Board—in which case a satisfactory compromise could no doubt have been arranged. He then called upon Mr. H. T. Morton to address the meeting. Mr. Morton said that the important question under consideration that evening might provoke some friendlycriticism, perhaps even a bit of harsh criticism, but it was not a matter for hard words. He knew that the Borough Council had done their best in difficult times and in difficult circumstances. In return he was going to ask the promoters of this meeting to give their opponents the credit of doing what they had for the benefit of the town in which they lived—he looked upon it as one of the most beautiful and perfectly situated towns in the North Island. "I think you will agree with me that in one way and another I have done my best for the town in which I have lived since the war," continued Mr. Morton. "In coming forward now I consider I am doing it for the good of the town and not otherwise. When I was a member of the Council a number of these self-same questions used to arise every few months." He then detailed how the town bridges, after having been practically condemned, had outlived the notices saying that they were dangerous. The water supply, he was of the opinion, was in the same condition —and it was going to take the opinion of the best experts of the Dominion before he would support such a huge mortgage as that proposed being placed on the town for waterworks improvements. Rora Street Rates. Mr. Morton then compared the indebtedness of the Otorohanga County —with a population of 6000—with that of the Te Kuiti 80r0ugh—£54,220 for the County as against £66,000 for the Borough, despite that the former had 300 miles of metalled roads. The rates in Rona Street were the heaviest of any township of the North Island—it was a one-sided street, and values placed on sections were utterly unreasonable. Shops in the main street with a 22-foot frontage were paying £4 and £5 a week in rentals. It was too much. Shops could be obtained for that price in the main street of Hamilton, .and for much less in other towns of the same size as Te Kuiti.

"Now it is proposed to mortgage the town further, when the present indebtedness is over £66,000 —and the proposal is to bump up the debt by £28,000 or over £30,000," he said. "You are going to vote on a £28,000 loan, but I have never yet heard of a loan to which the further 10 per cent, permitted by the law has not been added." Even then the loan would not be such a serious matter as it is were it not for the difficulties which the town has been called upon to face—he referred particularly to the question of native ownership and the reversion of sections to the Crown — 138 sections had reverted. On these 138 sections practically no rates were paid at all. A few special rates were paid, but the annual loss which resulted to the Borough through their being Crown lands amounted to the huge total of £6OO, which was loaded on to the surviving ratepayers. Expert Advice Wanted. "The principal reason why I am asking you to vote against the water supply loan is that we know nothing about it," continued . the speaker. "Before we decide to mortgage the future of Te Kuiti 50 per cent, more than it is now, we should have the finest expert opinion in the country. I do not pretend to know anything about water supply—when dealing with such matters I am absolutely guided by experts. I am not sayingone word against the Borough staff, and I have the greatest respect for Mr. Drake's capabilities—but he is surely not a water expert. He has not, I think, an engineer's certificate. Nor can we- guided by the engineers of the Public Works Department. They put down Arapuni, and then we received word the scheme might collapse at any minute. It was only when the best European -advice available was called in that the scheme wias saved." Continuing his address, Mr. Morton said that this Borough already had expert opinion on the Borough water supply—and it was a great pity that at the meeting called by

the Borough Council both sides were not placed before the ratepayers. The Borough Council had had a report prepared by a well-known engineering firm prepared on the water supply, and had paid 100 guineas for it. Through the courtesy of the Town Clerk, Mr. Strange, he had obtained a copy of this report, prepared by an engineer, who had undertaken many engineering jobs of magnitude throughout the country. And if his report was worth 100 guineas 12 years ago, surely it was worth consideration to-day. Quoting from the report, Mr. Morton said that the present system had many disadvantages—the catchment area was most unsuitable for the purpose of a water supply with the road on one side, the rail on the other, and drainage irom farm lands. In the upper reaches were raupo swamps filled with decaying vegetable matter. One extract read by Mr. Morton stated: "We have no hesitation in stating that the present supply is one of the worst in New Zealand and should be scrapped. If the rate* payers could have seen the conditions last summer they would not have tolerated it. . . . No chlorinating system could provide water as good as that which did not require chlorinating. . . . .In view of the expense of chlorination, we strongly urge the Borough to abandon the present supply. ... We have investigated other sources of gravity supply, but recommend a pumping nlant at the Viuduet gorge. "The Borough Council should never have permitted this report to lie in their strongroom for the last 10 years, advising them to scrap the present supply when they were talking of spending "large sums in retaining this supply," he said. "If the report was of value 12 years ago, it would be even more so to-day, be- . ause we have a cheaper electric supply. I am very much against the present water scheme while we have this report —and there have been two or three others from consulting engineers, and all except the man who installed the present supply reported in very much the same terms as this engineer. The Streets Loan Favoured. So far as the streets loan was concerned, he was with the Borough Council heart and soul —the road half way to his house would be sealed —but he made this proviso—that the work be carried out under expert supervision. The footpath between the school and the shopping area was a disgrace. If Borough Council money was to be spent in sealing, he was not going to vote for it being spent in that manner. "A LOVELY TOWN—MURDERED" NO FURTHER LOAN UNTIL REDRESS SECURED. "The Borough Council should have told the Borough ratepayers this — that if a fire had taken place in Rora Street, not one building could be re-erected economically. We have already had a living monument of this for. a number of years," said Mr V. W. Lorigan at the meeting of ratepayers on Tuesday evening in opposing the Borough loan proposals. The section he referred to was going begging, simply because the rates and the deferred payments were too great a burden for anyone to undertake. He considered that the Borough Council, as trustees of the ratepayers, should have taken up this matter. "I am very sorry to say this, as I was one of the pioneers—but it is a lovely little town, murdered!" he commented.

A Voice: Not in the last two years, surely? Mr. Lorigan: "I don't know about that." Mr. Lorigan wtnt on to criticise the manner, in which the present water scheme was installed. He was in favour of a water supply-—but of an efficient one, and there was only one source of supply. He and a few friends in the early days had had an independent report, but this proved futile, because the contract had already been let. The speaker mentioned a scheme to raise water to the top of the viaduct by means of a ram. On the day of the meeting he had rung up the Auckland City Council and ia well-known engineering firm in Auckland, and they both said that on Mr. Lorigan's figures this was feasible.

In Rora Street the rates were heavier than in Anzac Avenue in Auckland, next door to Queen Street. The deferred payments and the valuations of the sections were the downfall of Te Kuiti and the whole of the district. He had been ia pioneer in Te Kuiti and on one particular section he had been paying a rental of £2O a year—s per cent, on £4OO. The Government came along and wanted him to pay 5 per cent, on £3668 for the section. Time after time deputations had gone to Wellington. The Lands Committee had sympathised with them, but as a matter of policy had said they could do nothing. "Until our house is put in order, and we can get ia reduction in the rates we are paying for the natives and for the Government, and some redress in the valuations and payments, then we should not borrow another penny," contended Mr. Lorigan. "They are treading on our tail too hard, and are killing the goose that lays the golden egg." Mr. Edgar asked how far would a ram pump water. Mr. Lorigan: About 350 feet. Mr. Edgar: You are sure of that? —Yes. Mr. Edgar: Then I'm not. (Laughter). Mr. Elliott said that it had not been difficult for the Railway Department to raise water by rams from the Mangaokewa. ADDRESS BY MR. O'CONNELL. COUNCIL CRITICISED. Mr. T. M. O'Connell on Tuesday evening congratulated Cr. Mackersey on having, at the previous meeting to consider the loan proposals, put up a good defence to a very weak case. He was sorry he could not congratulate Cr. Low on the same thing, because he failed to tell why the secondary streets had been permitted to get into such a shocking situation.

Mr. O'Connell was of the opinion that the loan proposals formulated by the Borough were the most illconceived ever placed before the ratepayers of Te Kuiti. Both matters lay in the province of the Works Committee. But no, a special committee was appointed to consider them, and the Works Committee was left in the lurch. He strongly objected to that, and looked to the ratepayers also to express their objection.

There was the £SOOO streets loan. To anyone conversant with Te Kuiti's rating disabilities, and its lack of endowments, this was nothing more or less than municipal extravagance. It was only a year ago since the Highway was sealed, and it was carrying 20 times as much traffic as the roads now suggested. The Council should have a good road to the hospital, but that could be done out of revenue. Starting the year with a surplus of £6OO the Council now had nothing. Certainly there was a lorry, but that was not an asset, but a liability. It cost, with two men on it, £6OO a year to operate. There was not work for a lorry in Te Kuiti three days a week with only one man, in addition to the horse and cart.

This was the truly Gilbertian situation in Te Kuiti—two men riding about in a lorry, one in a horse and cart, and one man, in addition to the turncock and poundkeeper, to do the work of the Borough. He did not wish to be hard, said Mr. O'Connell, but there it was. At the beginning of last winter there was not a yard of shingle available for the roads. Now for the water loan. In patching up the present system the diameter of the main would be reduced from Bin. to 7§in. No provision was being made for the future requirements of the Borough—the railway consumption alone had gone up 40 per cent, since the K engines went into commission. The Viaduct scheme looked the best scheme to a layman—a 12in. main could be installed with only about two miles of it to maintain. Ratepayers had not been treated fairly in being asked to vote on the proposals without expert advice. One complaint was that the water was dirty. He said this was in part caused by the scour-valves not being used to flush out the system. Mr. O'Connell said he had lived in Te Kuiti for 24 years and half of that time had served on the Borough Council. With this experience he thought that his opinion was as good as that of any Borough Councillor, and he exhorted ratepayers to vote against both proposals. Mr. Higgins asked if the two men were not riding on the lorry during the time Mr. O'Connell was a member of the Council.

Mr. O'Connell said that there were not two men riding on the lorry at the time—and it was put in the shed for three months. A Voice: Because it wouldn't go.