RATEPAYERS'ASSOCIATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13999, 4 September 1907, Page 3

RATEPAYERS'ASSOCIATION

THE RIGHTS OF TAXPAYERS.

Tho monthly mooting of; the executivo of tho Ratepayer!'and/Householders' Association waa held in thcMA, and P. Society's board room lust evening; present—Messrs .T. Milnes (chairman), M. Stevcnson;' s P; Ahum, , H. V. Fulton, A: Bain, T. .7. .M'Phorson, J. Connor, J; White, W. Asher, and J. H. Hinton.. Apologies wero roooivcd from Messrs A. Meg'gclt, H. E. Stephsns, P. Duncan,-G. Maekie, and W;' A. Newman. e . ■■•:■■ Mr 0. Johnson, of Waikato, wrote asking for a copy of tho rules and other particulars about the association.—Received; Bequest acceded to.

The Chairman pointed oiit that 'tho Cavershain gasworle question .had been practically settled. There, would now be no competition, and the- settlement, on the whole, was a fair'one. , • / : ■' . Mr Bain was pleased to note that tho chairmen had climbed down from his proviCU3 position. Tho association had seen fit to condemn almost everything the City Council had done. The City Council bad acted in. the-Morcste of the .ratepayers. Now theywero up<io r the neck in* municipal trading the ratepayers should assist tho council in carrying on their schemes to asnecessf id issue. There was now, an open field, and if competition did' come, the City Coiinoil would be to'blame. Ho moved-"That the .City Council-bo congratulated on having obtained tho Caversham gasworks." , '. ' ' , Mr Stovenson seconded the motion. ■'■ • Mr Connor TOshod to move an amendment. Ho was not going.to clap tho City Council on tho back, : By. this, action thej taking away tho right of the later payers to say whether' the gasworks should bo purchased by the city or ;'not., pnvilcgo should not bo taken anuy. Ho ■was also opposed, to excessive expenditure. '■ ■.". ~: "■'.;..; Mt Fulton: There is no' excessive expiiidituro about this.. . , ' ' . F

Mr Connor: You ai'rf compelled to give the boroughs gas <at the eamo prico as supplied to tho city. Members: And-quite.right, too. '. ' -' Mr Connor: But people in the adjacent suburbs aro to have .tho gas,, but no responsibility. If it was .iijtended to amalgamate otty and suburbs, this is not the way :fo do it. Such a policy will make , it to tho interests of the "boroughs to'stay as they are.

Mr Aburn did not think the association should stultify itself by passing a. motion diametrically opposed to one pawed at its last meeting. It ecemed that the assooia; 'tion wanted to congratulate tho counoil on doing a thing the association hud asked it not to do. ' '.',. ' ' Mr Fulton supported Mr Bain'e motion.' Mr M'Pherson was unable to support it It was not consistent., He was sorry the puTohaso had been made.- If the two " gas concerns" had been carried out it would havo been a etepping-stone" to competition, ffbioh was badly, wanted. The financiers at Home had sacrificed money rather (Kan bo pestered by the..' City. Council. The bill guaranteed tho maximum price of gaa to be -53 10d. Supposing this 'had to bo Bupplied at a loss, the 'ratepayers would T)e burdened with tho balance. Everything would- bo hotter', by-and bye. Tho eamo old.ory. If things went'on like this the citizens would: be' still -further' handi'-' capped. Caversham rates were up to. 8d now. Ho moved that this association disapproves of the action '.of' tho City Council in taking away the power out of tho hahds of tho ratepayers. ■ .'. ... Mr Whito also objected to Mr' Bain's resolution. The city had gone to unnecessary cxpenso in regard to new. works. Ho had never been in favour of. a Greater Dunedin. ' There was Caversliam, • for' instance, getting its streets and drainage woe. _ Until thoy could' convince him that tho city had got a, bargain in the Cavereham works ho would not congratulate flio eouneilpn acquiring them. ■-.'•.. : M-γ Asher 'felt unablo to vote for this motion. They had hadjno right to bring , pressure on the council, which was well worthy of their congratulations on having made such a purchase. In spite of bad management gas', had •.Iβ a. paying concernfqr the City Council. "All the same, municipal trading paralysed private enterprise. . The easiest way, to deal'with this discussion was to postpone, it ■•'indefinitely, andhe wished to move to that effect. ''•

Mr Aburn. believed the purchase would come .to a good deal more than £14)090 before it was concluded. "' Mr Bain said the City Council in this matter had acted in tho intercsW; of fair play. His resolution to congratulate that body on its purchasb would in jo way stultify the Ratepayers'- Association. Tffliy should members bo always railing at the councillors? ■

Voices: Because they: never do anything right.. ; .• , '■ v . ..' ..■

The Chairman explained that a, change in tho situation hid caused' him'to alter'his views as cxpresee<l at. the last' meeting. In regard to the cost of gns in the suburbs, ho pointed out that the further out they were tlio more pipes were required. That meant more- leakage,' and the- expenditure bo caused , should be borne by the suburbs ■bwififiting , . '.'■.••

The motion was lost,' ' MrAsher then moved—"Thattheassocia-tioii-forward a resolution to the oity members protesting , against the rights of the ratepayers being taken away from them in regard to voting for -loans under (he , act." ' He wont on to eay that the city's indebtedness had ten increased by tho Waipori 'scheme. Ratepayers should bo empowered to deoido 'whether the council should, run. tho city into debt or not. . Mr M'Phorson seconaed.

. Mr Stevenson liolicved tho City Council was saving, tho city money, only to. be found fault with. ■ ,TheTe was too much " Wekering "at tho council. It was sometimes a. gcod thing to bo-ablo to borrow money without consultinor the ratopayora. The motion was carried by 5 votes to I. In regard to'the Drainage.'Board's new by-laws, tho Chairman thought a commitioo should bo aj>pointet\ ■to consider a matter of eueh vital importance to the oity. Messrs Milncs, MosrgdV Duncan, Bain, and Mr Hugh MitchoU (scoretary, ex oflicio) were appointed. ■■'.-.