WITHER RUN ENDOWMENT.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVIII, Issue 217, 15 September 1914, Page 4

WITHER RUN ENDOWMENT.

Whatever opposition, if any, is entertained against the loan proposal to be. submitted'to-morrow can only be attributed,'to a misunderstanding of the circumstances. It' is hardly possible to conceive that any citizen with a full knowledge of the position would vote to refuse the Borough Council the authorisation that it^ is seeking. The municipality is being offered tlie opportunity of acquiring a large block of land on t?ie Wither Hills Run for* a payment representing only one-third of the price per acre being paid, 'by the Government for the whole property. . That price, it is understood, is something under £6 per acre; so it is probable that, in the event of 1000 acres being reserved, the borough would not have to find more than £2000 for a block worth £6000 pn the, present valuation, and with a.substantial prospective value. The impression published in a letter; which appeared in our correspondence columns .on Saturday that the ratepayers are being asked to commit themselves to the borrqwling of £5000 and add.to their liabilities to this extent is an entirely wrong one. Only what is actually required io carry out a highly profitable transaction'from the ratepayers' point of i view would - tie raised; the limit of ' £5000 provides for a safe margin. J The present proposition should be judged on-,its own merits and not confounded with" the question .as to whether the general fate should or should not be what it is. Qur corrasj pondent should not cut off his own j nose to spite his face. The proposed 1 reservation, the Mayor and Council--1 lors assure us, would become the ab--1 solute possession' of the borough, , which would be unhampered as to. its utilisation or'disposition; and! it would 1 undoubtedly ''prove, a valuable source of revenue—sufficient at the outset to pay the interest and sinking fund on whatever proportion of the £5.000 authorisation the .Council, saw fit to . raise, and with the promise of yieldI ing in years to come returns so sub- ! stantial that ithey would! go a long way towards assisting the irate income of the.towisu'!:ft lg notan.addition to ; thei inde^tedaijKss of the borough that is contemplate*!; Iwhat Vis in view is a business proposition calculated greatly id augment ;the: financial resources of the 'municipality.^ That the lock-ing-up of an extensive area on the ■ Wither Run merely for an unproductive public paxk would not be justifiable at the present stage of the.towns development will be generally conceded; the capital of Maryborough must assume.ttiuph larger.proportions before, such aii equipment will be calledi for. Iri the meantime, the excellent asset now" within reach of the citizens of Blenheim could be .■made a profit-makirig possession of great service-to the community. The lack of .endowments has been a stock grievance of ; Blenheim for many years. It would' be a -matter for lasting regret <if, the present > highly advantageous chanoeof reniiedying this disability to .'a^' very considerable extent were not seizfd. Wie do not

suppose that the borough will ever again be made such a tempting offer. ■