AN OLD GRIEVANCE.

Northern Advocate, 21 October 1919, Page 2

AN OLD GRIEVANCE.

LEVELS AND WATER-TABLES,

WANTED FOR ROBERT AND JAMES STREETS. It will b e recalled that at the last meeting of the Whangarei Borough Council Mr H. R. Cooke and ,others asked for the construction of watertables and the fixing of levels in James and Robert streets. Mr Cooke wrote as follows: "I have conveyed to the other ratepayers, who signed the requisition asking your council to at once proceed with the forming of the watertables in Robert and James streets, the reply received from your council. The parties signing the requisition are very dissatisfied with the reply, in that it does not answer the request but evades giving a definite reply as to when the work will be undertaken and the permanent levels fixed. They have asked me therefore to again bring the matter before your council, and ask for your reconsideration and that the work asked for shall be undertaken without further delay. They are strongly of opinion that your council should at once accede to their request for tne following reasons: (1) That if only half the rates that are collected yearly from these areas were used, it would provide capital and interest to pay the full cost of capital and sinking fund necessary for the work. (2) That for many years these roads in wet seasons have been a continual source of annoyance and expense through flooding. (3) That if th»s council takes the amount of rates that have been collected from thD adjoining areas for many years past they will find that the ratepayers are justly entitled to immediate redress and prompt consideration. (4) That the failure of your council to do the work and fix the levels has prevented building, with its consequent increase of rates, and is having the effect of driving the business portion of the town away from the centre and the wharf. (5) That the persons signing the requisition are amongst the largest ratepayers to your council and are entitled to fair treatment. Fo r the abov e reasons your petitioners consider that they are justly entitled to ask that their request be considered and granted and .that this work be placed upon the urgent list. Thanking you in anticipation of your prompt and favourable consideration and reply."

A WELLINGTON COMPLAINT. From the Empire City Mr J. Peacock wrote: —

"In April last I and others signed a requisition that the water-tables in Robert and James Streets be constructed so as to carry off stormwater. Up to August no notice was taken of this request, and no reply even wa s forthcoming. On the 22nd of that month a reply was made that "the council did not propose to effect any alterations at the present time, as it is possible that the levels of these street s will be altered at some future time," and again on the 25th of August a further reply was made that "the construction of the water, tables in Robert and James Streets cannot be proceeded with, as the council has no funds available for carrying out the work." I have just received a demand for the sum of £62 0s 8d for rates on my property in John Robert and Rathbone Street, upon a valuation of £1746. The rates are being increased year by year until they have attained to an amount out of all proportion to the value of the land, and without the ratepayers receiving an adequate return f6r the money raised > and when application is made by the ratepayers f° r tne carrying out of an urgent and necessary work, they are first of all tolcl tnat ' tne council wW not comply with the request because the levels may :havp N to be altered, and then that the council has no money. If the reason of-the delay and non-compliance with our request i s that the levels will have to be altered, then that is not a good excuse, for the sooner that work is undertaken the better. If on the other hand the reason is because the council has no money, then the rates must have been spent on other and less important work. A comparison of the rates levied in Wellington and Whangarei lead one. to the conclusion that if no money is forthcoming for such an important work in the centre of the business portion of the town, then the people's- money is being frittered away, and it is high time that they took a greater interest in the manner of its spending and in the capabilities of the persons they elect to spend it to the greatest advantage and benefit of all the ratepayers. Wellington is rated on the system of rating on unimproved value. The to-, tal annual iates upon a property in Wellington the unimproved value of which is £1655 < are £28. The rates upon a property in Whangarei, the unimproved value of which is £1746, are £62. Further comment seems unnecessary. I wish to enter an emphatic protest against further delay in the execution of the urgently required work in question." AN EMPHATIC PROTEST. A Whangarei ratepayer, Mr A. E. Clarke, wrote: "As one of the ratepayers, who signed the requisition asking your council to immediately take steps to mak e the water tables in James and Robert streets, I have to record my emphatic protest against the unsatisfactory reply that you r council has given to such a representative requisition, and hereby ask your council to reconsider the matter, so that it can be dealt with without delay."

THE COUNCIL'S ATTITUDE. During he discussion upon the issue Cr. Tibbits moved that the letters be not received. They were out of order, but hi 3 motion was not seconded. C. Jackson moved that the work be done within three years' time. He thought that the owners should be called upon to make the street first. The motion was seconded by Cr. Cutforth, and carried. The matter was before the Works Committee yesterday, but no report of the deliberations will be available until the next meeting of the eoun- . cil. •