THE LOAN PROPOSALS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13171, 8 May 1906, Page 3

THE LOAN PROPOSALS.

Sir,—May I have just a word or two lit ' reply to my critics? In th* first place I would like to express the pleasure I feel ■at .the manner this discussion has been carried on; there has been an absence of personalities and of that bitterness which ha« V'' at times rondo it very unpleasant for those who, from a sense of duty, have gone *- against the popular desire, and for this £ think wo are largely indebted to the: good sense and fair play displayed by His Worship lIk? .Mayor throughout this discussion. I would like to say also that I do not quest the right of the city to make a profit on its watev supply. I think that it lias every right to do so; in fact, so strongly do I feel on this point that whereas my water rate is now 16s a year I would not object to have it made £1, provided that the profit therefrom were devoted to reproductive works, and not in paying interest on loans. Whether this is a sane policy or not remains to bo seen. Apparently the city fathers as at present constituted do not think it is. .

Now, with regard to the Town Hall. To a Town Hall poise I have no objection. To the proposed site I have no objection; indeed, if necessary, 1 would advocate the proposed site as being in many respects admirable. It is when I look around the city and see so many other things that we need so much more urgently than we need a Town Hall that my spirit rises in* opposition to this proposal. At the same time, now that there has been a free and open discussion of the matter, whichever way the* voting goes on Wednesday 1 shall be "satistied. At. the same time I shall continue to think that to say that this loan can be raised without increasing the rates i* not a true statement of the cn.se, for we are told in the next sentence that if we have to borrow for drainage or to put the roads in a satisfactory condition . that. these thing's cannot bo done without an increase of the rates bein-g made.' No a word' in respect to the Cemetery Bridge.' At present'this is merely a. proposal to connect with city west Grafton Road and the hospital. Beyond the hospital there are no roads made to justify, an expenditure such as is proposed. (Of course the Domain is reached by the same rOad as opens up the hospital.) I do not know what it would take to put the road ,to .Newmarket, via Cemetery Bridge, in good order. At present it is not possible to use it for heavy traffic. So at the present time we .have only to consider,,whether. Mo are in" a 'position to vote this sum for the benefit, which is to accrue. . A point that has not been made clear in this discussion is in reference to the tramways. Are the cars to rim over the traffic bridge, should it. be built? If they are to have the 'privilege of doing so they certainly, should pay for it. And I certainly think that no bridge should .be put over unless it was intended to take-the trams over, in order to make the Domain available to the great- bulk of the people, • I would like to say further that I have ho sympathy with the proposal to specially tax tho residents in the Grafton district, who, it is contended, aro going to derive so much benefit from tho building of the bridge. They have, no more right to bo specially taxed than had those who benefited by. tho asphalting of Queen-street, or by tho drainage of Ponsonby. At, tho first glance the proposal has a semblance of justice to support it, but it does not boar looking into. ( I hope that on Wednesday voters will carefully consider the position from all sides, and then oast, their votes for those things which will bo not only for the immediate benefit. of, the. city ,but; for • those things Which-will in the long-run bo tho safest and'best for them and for their. children- , H. N.BagnaW,

Sir,—A-,correspondent! in Saturday'*; istsu© sets out to correct those who, he gays, have opposed the : Oity Council's loan proposals. He starts by representing the; animal interest and sinking fund on a 21 years" loan of £145,000,. at 4£ percent, interest, as £7250. Well, as the interest alone on-this iiu.ro 'at 4£ per oeil<;.'-amounts to £6525,' he lfe left the handsome sum of. £72& : for • a sinking fund to wipe out £145,000 in 21 year*.'-'lf your correspondent has to resort to this kind of thing "to make out a oase it- is- hardly worth while to take him seriously. Equally erroneous- 'is his idea that Karaogahapo Road was -advocated .by mo for tit& Town Hall site; and, as to. the largo number of people, that have to visit the municipal offices daily, and thereby would have to enrich the Tramway Company if they,had to go into Symonds-street to 'them, most of thoso Svhoso business lies .not about Grey-street corner, would use tlie tram and the penny faro up Queenstreet would land them at the door juices •time than they would take to walk to Groystreot. Ho further says that the Town Hall will be self-supporting. Even the Mayor is not so optimistic. The most generous opinion hitherto has been that it might bo half self-supporting. Th© Mayor, from his vantage of intimate knowledge, has ventured the opinion that " few people really understood the Council's finances." If this is so, should not an enlightening discussion bo encouraged; on-the subject through' the press, so that they, may become more "understanded of the people. In his review last Wedh© put the Proposed loan's at £120,000, items for presumably self-sup-Porting ; works being, deleted,: and I- to be treated after tho fashion of . the water ac* count.. Should we not have it made as plain as possible to us, 'so that ; wo- maty''know.' where wc are, aud- gulp down" the frightful total ii we like it.. "Thus:— .....;.'■-,, ,,, ,.»; ( w Net standing,debt,. March -31 "; ... ; £501:387 Waitakerei wator, not yet floated'.;.' 150,000 Abattoirs v . ... - -.-»- -... ~ .... 26,000; Eleotrwlight ...■ ? .... .'. ;..? :..", . v gS'.OOO lown Hallr bridge,- park, destructor- 120,000 Anticipated streets loan ... ; ;...' 160,000 Total-.. ~.:■„./ ...' £952,387 And what'about cost of drainage besides? The original, comparatively small, destructor loan of £10,000 appears not to have aH been : floated at-par, and the present proposals may suffer- in like manner. I am not'opposed to Our having an efficient Town Hall if it can be- afforded, but only to (the wasting of public money by putting a 1 public hall in' Queen-street. A gehtl©nian fsrremark to m© the other day may 'bo worth. quoting: " Posterity will say what-fools wo were to put it there!". Queen-street, may be now, •central and convenient for.the' civic offices,; but the public, hall should bo on the- lugher ground where the jx»p!e can reach it without dropping into "Queen-street gully /antt; can get away ■ from it afterS a meetingbefore the small hours of the morning, which from present experiences of getting a car out from Queen-street is What we should "have to expect. ;;:V V ;^i ■•■ t':i Tnos. Dawbs..' '"'■

Sir,—Do. .those who are tenants' conaidct 'that while' they try to crush ratepayers -by * desiring those enormous loans, and a limited number of ratepayers, they are not going to escape higher rent themselves, and aro grievously mistaken? How many of them ■ who have been crying out before'respecting high rents could see how thej paid for big loans, the interest for which is still a burden oh the community? And the Trade* :' and Labour, party who try to push* the mat- •; ter know they had brought evil on.-' themselves before by raising the cost of living. • As to a huge ornamental , building *v not increasing the rates, we know ; that the . interest for that largo loan , out of the'municipal finances should go to "- supply interest for what may be absolutely - ' necessary... . ; The assurance "was i most emphatically given before" by one in position that rates 1 would not bo raised, and shortly ,? after they were raised, and wo greatly favoured the member who got tho restriction, removed. The state of San Francisco should * be considered, and in former times ,whei> *, sentence wen*- forth, " Woo to tho oppressin e- city,", that city was destroyed, as his- i't'",r tory proves. It has been quite oppressive ■ enough -here- hitherto, drainage, ana after-' ~ wards .plumbers' work, implying " large " • amounts, whether people had those, amounts'. to hand or not. A workman has said, " I '"' don't mind what loan they raise, -long •■•" as I can make a good haul and clear out. " And, of course, it's the haul they can make .' that all. those wbo are moving to put " heavy burdens on this city consider," ;It'*,,:, seems amazing considering what the "colony '-'. has suffered, during , tlw past year,■'•- tibe i "" ; greater part of the food' supply having been V destroyed, and so disastrous also with stock . in some places, and when the country suffers this city's trade will bo affected; Woe . to the oppressors. " ' ' •'- ' * •' . Ponsonby. ' -■ • IUTEI'AIBK./. '■