CITY LOAN PROPOSALS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18332, 23 February 1923, Page 8

CITY LOAN PROPOSALS.

TOTAL NEARLY £300,000. STREETS, TRAMWAYS AND ZOO (CONCRETING MAIN ■ ROUTES. TWO SUBURBAN LIBRARIES. Loan proposals for important municipal works and improvements were submitted for the consideration of the Auckland City Council last evening, together with explanatory memoranda from the. Mayor, Mr. J H. Gunson, and the, chairmen oJ the various committees concerned The schedule of projected Tories includes extensive street paving in concrete, permanent work in secondary streets, tramway duplications and extension, '•»**£ ther development of the Zoological Park It is proposed to submit the different proposals to the ratepayers on the date of the municipal elections, April 26, as the policy of the outgoing administration, which will seek re-election. The loan proposals are briefly :— . Street Improvements .. &ss£** " Tramway Extensions .. £™>WU Zoological Park .. - £20,000 Total &®>- m In addition, a proposal for a suburban library extension loan was approved. Tfcu will bring the total amount to nearly £300,000. t,-i. ♦»,* Work. The programme upon which , the> www Committee had been working for the last two years was nearing completion, stated the Mayor. The concrete paving works would be Wished about June and unless 'there wat «o be a cessation of the work, ££? would have to be taken to secure new authority. It was recommended for the committee's consideration that a streets improvement loan be placed before the ratepayers at an early date for £190,000, as follows :—(a) For. paving m concrete 'special street* subject to heavy traffic and main route traffic. £llb,uw» lb) for permanent formation in macadam, tar topped, of the chief secondary streets, £75.000. . lUa With regard to the concrete paying the following list of streets was submitted for the committee's consideration :—Albert Street, from Quay Street to Wellesley Street; Chancerv Street, Customs Street West (remainder), Fanshawe Street to Hnlsey Street, Fort Street Lane, Great North Road from Newton West School to Deviation Road, Halsey Street _ from Fanshawe to Patteson Street, High Street Hobson Street (lower), .Hobson Street (Fanshawe to Victoria Street), Market Place, Mount Eden Road, Mills lane, Patteson Street, Sturdee Street, The Strand (portion only), Remuera Road to Tram Terminus. It was recommended that in respect oi the second clause the allocation should be as follows:— City area, £15 000; Archhill, £2000; Eden Terrace, £2000; Parnell, £6000; Grey Lynn, £10.000; Remuera, £18,000; Epsom, £12,000; Point Chevalier, £10,000. ~ ■_ The city engineer had advised, reported Mr. Gunson, that the paving of Beaumont Street and Jervois Road was not immediately essential, and also that Victoria Street West, Wyndham Street, and Federal Street, might be done from a small balance, estimated at about £7,000, ■which might be left over from the 1919 loan. "' ZOOLOGICAL' PAKK. RAPIDITY OF DEVELOPMENT. HOUSING GIFT ANIMALS. ' 'ADDITIONAL LOAN OF £20,000. The necessity for an additional loan of £20,000 for further development of Auckland's Zoological Park was the subject of a special report and recommendation to the City Council. It is a question of either " standing still " with the enterprise, or seeking authority to raise a loan for the adequate development of the popular park which, in its pronounced initial success, gives every promise of paying its cost of maintenance, and providing interest and sinking fund as well on the loans. The chairman of the Parks Committee, Mr J. A. Warnock, in the report, stated that up to the date of opening the Zoological Park, December 16 last, the sum of £12,270 had been spent on preparation of the grounds, while since that date and until the end of the municipal financial year, March 31, a further expenditure of £1500 on different improvements, and necessities would be incurred, bringing the capital expenditure up to £13,720. That sum had been provided for by the loan of £10,000, raised at par, and the sijm'of £3720 from the general account. . ; Need ,of Extension. . • The committee reported that "it is impossible to incur further expenditure upon the zoo without a fresh authority, for it is impracticable to draw further ' sums from general account for capital expenditure upon the undertaking. v; Further "gifts" are shortly due, among which are:An elephant, presented by Mr. Jno. Court; two tigers, E resented by Mr. Geo. Court; 2'spring* oks, presented by Mr. S. 'I' Crookes; animals, from Hutchinson Bros., Ltd; three buffaloes, from v the . National Parks, Canada; while pola,r bears are ■ under consideration. ."■'"."'[".'■■ It was also pointed out that there was no adequate accommodation for refreshments, the present arrangement being only temporary. • _, - '' , More Than Self-Supporting. ' In the event of the recommendation being -adopted, the committee proposes to submit for approval of the council detailed information as to necessary development work;among which would be: Tigers' arena and dens; elephant house; polar bears' circle; • accommodation for sundry exhibits; buffalo and deer paddocks ; tea kiosk; and additional accommodation for monkeys. In conclusion, the committee added: ** The ratepayers may bo assured thai the 'undertaking has been 'established without cost to them, being even up tc the present more than fully self-support ing, with the prospect, in view of th( wide interest therein, and of the promise of a zoo second to none south of th< T.'ne, of continuing to show, that satis factory result, and at the same tim< being one of Auckland's attractions ii this class of Interest."