BOROUGH AFFAIRS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 168, 15 June 1940, Page 5

BOROUGH AFFAIRS

DRAFT ESTIMATES. The draft estimates which were considered and adopted at the Feilding Borough Council meeting on Thursday provide for a total of £28,503. Rates are expected to produce £18,140, which, on account of the special rate in connection with the £6OOO streets and footpaths loan, is £4BO more than last year. The rates cannot he struck, however, until the new valuation roll comes to hand. Local bodies making use of the Feilding Cemetery are to be asked to contribute' to the cost of maintaining it. It was felt that it was only fair that they should contribute. MAYOR’S REVIEW.

By way of supplementing the report of the treasurer on the estimates, the Mayor submitted the following review:—“The thanks of the council are due to the borough treasurer for hig careful and exhaustive analysis of the' figures. In spite of certain increases in expenditure there will be no increase in the rates, but the interest and sinking fund payable on the £6OOO streets and footpaths loan will have to be provided for and this will necessitate striking a special rate of 6-lGths of a penny in the £. AVhile 1 was in Wellington I was able to see the chief engineer of the Highways Board to support the application made by the council for assistance to purchase a chip crusher. Thq application has been granted. We are required to find the cost with interest at 5 per cent. The terms are 10 per cent, by way of deposit and the balance by eight half-yearly instalments with interest at the above rate. The cost of the machinery is approximately £730. No provision has been made in the estimates for this expenditure, but I accept the figures of the borough engineer and Cr. Dewe as to the saving which will bo effected in providing for the council’s normal requirements. This should set off the annual outlay required to purchase the crushing plant. It seems that this year’s requirements will be much the same as last year’s. Wc. are indebted to Cr Dewe for his thorough investigation of the matter and to Cr Desmond for suggesting a way out of the financial difficulty. Whether I could go'as far as Cr Dewe 1 am not prepared to say without considerable further investigation. The main thing the council would have to consider is whether _ it would be economical or even desirable to keep the men on the crusher plant to crush metal for sale after the council’s requirements have been obtained. There may be a financial gain, but the loss in other directions would probably more than equal it. I am not prepared to budget on a hypothetical profit. For the reasons stated there is no need for me to do so.

“There may be somo who think that wo are not moving fast enough. Let them examine the activities of the council during the past two years and I think they will find that, though perhaps not of a spectacular naturp, much has been done in the way of maintaining and improving borough amenities. True, there is still a great deal to do, but work is going on all the time. and it is not easy to make a show, even if one wanted to. with the commonplace. On looking back over the past two years I think I can do so with some satisfaction. I came to the council, like many others, inexperienced but full of zeal and enthusiasm, convinced that I could create a Utopia in a short space of time. Once there, however, I found it not quite so easy as it looked, and that instead of creating a new order I had to make the best of the old. I found it was not always possible to swim against the tide, but even difficult at times to do otherwise than go with it. I had certain things in mind when I became Mayor, the principal of which were the

tar-scaling of our principal roads and the construction of new lootpaths and extensive alterations to the waterworks 1 am now of the opinion that it would be a waste of ratepayers’ monev to construct a settling pond, but overhaul of the pipe-lines and improvements in the water mains are required. To properly' overhaul the reticulation system involves a cost of thousands. Then there is the question of the Town Hall or civic block, which I trust will be considered at the right time. I think it should he the policy’ of the council to proceed with the tarsealing and concreting, respectively, of the remainder of the most important streets and footpaths and to consider, when the present loan is expended, the raising of a further loan for that purpose. It will at the same time be necessary to consider for the purpose of doing "the work a serious overhaul of the borough plant and equipment, and a loan may be necessary for this. All else (except, of course, urgent and necessary, work) will have to be deferred until a suitable time occurs, and it will occur in about five years, when some £18,501 of our loans mature. Provided other things are equal, loans sufficient to carry out the major works I have mentioned could then be raised without inflicting any additional burden on the ratepayers. It is essential at this time that every citizen should co-op.eratc to the fullest with tliS council and assist it to some extent b.v helping themselves. 'Our position is likely to be affected by war conditions, and'as a borough we may be called upon to make corporate sacrifices by doii\g without amenities which under normal conditions could not have been denied. It may be difficult to plan ahead. We are fortunate that we can with some degree of certainty do so for twelve mouths, but it is necessary that we should keep before us the vision and the dream,” the Mayor concluded.

GENERAL BUSINESS. A grant of £2O, was made to the Blanket Society. The control of Tingey Avenue has now been vested in the council. Advice to that effect was received from the Public Works Department. •In connection with a request to the Social Security Department for subsidised labour for footpath work, advice was received that the application had been declined. The borough engineer (Mr T. K. Hay) reported that he was in’touch with the Main Highways Board regarding a subsidy for footpath work in West Street and Awahuri Road. • That application had been made to the Main Highways Board for a loan to purchase a crushing, plant and that the engineer had submitted a schedule showing the estimated cost as £730 was reported •bv the town clerk (Mr C. H. Tate), who also intimated that the Mayor had attended the office of the board in connection with the matter It was stated that the engineer had received a quotation for a certain type of crusher and a price for an elevator was expected. It was decided to submit the information to the Highways Board with a recommendation that it be included in the scheme. In regard to a 'suggestion that a water trough be placed in South Street for stock, the works committee reported that it was not feasible to provide

a largo enough trough to meet requirements. Cr McClure expressed disappointment that the estimate did not provide for a grant of £IOO to the Centennial Park Memorial Pavilion. He pointed out that there had been a resolution passed that tire finance committee be recommended to place that sum on the estimates. Cr McClure said that to get the Government subsidy the work of building the pavilion would have to be under way by March 31, 1941, and he hoped that before then the council would be able to make a grant. The Mayor said lie was sympathetic, but first things had to be put . first, and he. too, regretted that the estimates made no provision. The abattoir manager (Mr R. E. Hepworth) reported that during May 19 cows, 16 oxen, 96 heifers, 391 wethers, 27 lambs, 2008 pigs, 5 vealers, and 1 bobby calf were dealt with at the abattoirs, while in the extended district 468 sheep, 459 lambs, 86 pigs and 30 cattle were killed. Total foes amounted to £329 7s sd, an in; eroasc of £65 13s 2d over May, 1939.

Mr R. W. 11. Wood (librarian) reported • that books changed during May totalled 2748: new books added 25; number of subscribers, 223. In his report the borough engineer stated that a start bad been made with the concrete footpath construction, and approximately 5 chains bad' been completed in Carthcw Street. At the crusher 718 cubic yards of metal had been put through. In preparation for sealing, work had been carried out in Queen and Warwick Streets and Ranfurly Avenue. Floods and freshes in the river' had caused difficulty in maintaining a clean supply of water in the reservoirs. Plants aiut bulbs had been planted out in Manchester Square and the rockery surrounding the Soldiers’ Memorial bad boon rc-formcd and planted again. Additional space for cars bad been provided at the cemetery.