RATEPAYERS’ ASSOCIATION

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXII, Issue 4637, 16 April 1902, Page 7

RATEPAYERS’ ASSOCIATION

A meeting of the Wellington Ratepayers* Association was held last night. Mr E. Arnold was voted to the chair. Ten members were present. . Mr It. H. Davenport distributed a leaflet which he had had printed, giving some official figures in regard to the finances of the city. The liabilities were put down at£751,777, and the assets at .£385,983. The debt for loans was -£768,721, against which there were sinking funds, which amounted to ±66,£29. The annual payment for interest was .£38,886. There were proposals, some of which had been carried, to borrow further sun.s totalling .£789.000, the interest payable, on which would be about .£30,0(10 per .annum, making a grand total for interest .of .£68,886. If the present proposals were carried, the grand total of the loan indebtedness of the city would be .£1,557,724. The leaflet included a statement of the office salaries of the City Council’s engineering staff. This contained the following particulars: —City Engineer, £8P0; assistant engineer, .£450; overseer, £270; sanitary inspector, £225, assistant sanitary inspector. £150; buildings inspector, £200; draughtsman, £200; water overseer, £200; assistant inspector (of buildings, £200; third assistant engineer. £350; drainage inspector, £150; assistant ■drainage inspector, £125; water, inspector, £150; office clerk, £100; two cadets, £100; three assistant water inspectors., £100; electrical engineer. £1500; electric expert, £SO: total, £5200. It was pointed out that the electrical engineer's salary was £1250, not £ISOO. Seme members said the statement was not complete, in that it did not include the salary of the assistant electrical engineer (£4SU), and the salaries of two oewly-appointed water inspectors. An inquiry was made whether the schedule •mould not include the salaries of the gaideners. . Extremely candid criticisms were made during a conversational discussion of the schedule. , Their unsparing nature was tempered by a haziness as to the exact duties of certain officers. On one point all the speakers were agreed, and that was that the salary bill was too heavy. The chairman said that at present the carrying out of the new tramway scheme involved extra work. It appeared to him that the general body of ratepayers were satisfied, or they would roll up in stronger force at the association's meetings. On the motion of Mrs Tasker, seconded by Mr Davenport, it was resolved, "That at the meeting on Friday, tfie question be asked. Who has the Council in view to engineer the new water scheme, supposing the loan proposals are carried?" The chairman said fie thought the meeting convened by the Mayor for Friday was likely to be os tame as others before it had been. He judged by the lack of interest shown in tne matter by ratepayer generally. I hose present formed themselves into a committee, to meet on Thursday night, to arrange for a course of action at Friday night’s meeting.

Mr AV. A. AVorth mentioned that the Bov R Coffey had received three months’ notice that the water supply for worKing the engine attached to the organ in St. Church would be cut off. The church had gone to an expenditure of XIOO in installing a water engine, including £1 for a meter. Mr Davenport said he believed that the swimming bath in the Wellington College grounds was filled twice a week with Corporation water. If water was to be cut off, he thought it should be the water for the bath rather than that for the church’s engine. Mr T. Orr remarked that tho ecclesiastical idea of special privileges was very tenacious of life, but he thought it should be disregarded in this new conntry .• -

The president (Mr A. L. ACilson) was unavoidably absent from the meeting.

Suggestions that the consideration ol certain matters should be deferred until he was present, led the chairman to ask, “Is evesytking to fall through because Kp Wilson is not here?” This question was answered by indignant cries of No. no,’’ and business was done as reported above.