The Otautau Standard AND WALLACE COUNTY CHRONICLE. Wednesday, August 9th, 1905.

Otautau Standard and Wallace County Chronicle, Volume I, Issue 15, 9 August 1905, Page 2

The Otautau Standard AND WALLACE COUNTY CHRONICLE. Wednesday, August 9th, 1905.

CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY. From the comments whicb bave appeared m our columns during the pas-t fiw weeks with reference to varioi 8 matters affecting the ratepayers, nam; - ly, the proposed loan for street im provements, the urgency for the erlargement of the Town Hall, rating on unimproved values, and fire pr - cautions, we are led to consider the responsibility that rests upon locul bodies towards conserving and protecting the interest and properties of the ratepayers, from whom the income is derived for carrying on the affairs of the town. A misconception very often arises about the soundness of the judgment of the man or the community that goes m for borrowing money. We do not advocate injudicious borrowing, but what we do maintain is, that the civic authority that can install a permanent revenue-pro-ducing asset from some source that will confer a distinct benefit on the residents of the community they represent without increasing the burden of taxation, or that will repay manifold to the ratepayers any little extra amount they were asked to provide, creates solid and sound finance, even if they have to borrow ev^ry penny of capital to carry out the work. There are two matters of deep interest to the ratepayers of this town at the present time that are well worth consideration, outside of the street improvements whioh they have decided upon. One is to utilise the valunble frontage they have to the Main street m their Town Hall and Athenaeum siteß, by improving and extending the front of the hall so that portions of it conld be let to permanent tenants, tbus insuring a regular and continuous income irrespective of that derived from the hall itself.j Three or four hundred pounds spent m this direction would ensure a 20% dividend. The second matter is, no place m Southland is bo well Bituated for a cheap, effective, and profitable system of electrio lighting and fire prevention. Leaving out entirely the question of harnessing feither of the two rivers flowing past us, there is a supply available from Butler's Creek, whioh, if dammed up about Maopherson's old sawmill, would provide power enough at a minimum cost, to light the town, both business premises and private houses, while, at the same time, providing a force of water for fire prevention, which would cope with any conflagration that might break out. It is not very wide of tho mark to predict that the enlargement of the hall and this work could both be carried out for a sum not exceeding £1200, at an annual cost, providing for payment of interest and redemption of the loan, of £50, and which would produce a clear revenue for all time to the Board, over and above working expenses, of £250 to £800 per annum, to say nothing of the greatly lessened cost of fire insurance which would result. With such a prospect would it not be sound financial policy to borrow

money and carry out a work that would confer these undoubted advantages upon the ratepayer.-?