THE LOAN PROPOSALS

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 1, Issue 29, 18 September 1912, Page 2

THE LOAN PROPOSALS

There were about 100 ratepayers and residents present at the meeting heM iu the Masonic Hall on Monday evening to consider the loan proposals for the borough of Pulcekohe. The Mayor (Mr Dunn) presided and all the Councillors except Cr. Lawrie, who was ipdisposcd, were on the platform. The Mayom's Address.

The Mayor said the people had again hern called together in pursuance of a promise made at the previous meeting of ratepayers, lie explained the alterations that had been made in the proposals, full particulars of which latter had been advertised. In dealing with the sum of £IOOO for repayment of overdraft Mr Dunn pointed out that it would mean if the loan were not carried that practically all the current rates would l>o spent (to repay this overdraft) before they wore collected. They would notice that in the loan £-500 was included for the payment of th* first year's interest so that in carrying the loan the rates would not be increased for eighteen months at least. If-fhe loans were canied the total rate to bo paid by that part of the borough outside the Town Board district but not including interest on the Road Board loans would be I.i of a penny in the £ on the capital value. Touching the water loan the Mayor explain* 1 that it was necessary to add £750 for the purchase of motors, which users could have at a rental or 'by purchase at the actual i ms' price to the Council. Then there was £ooo to exteud the water

service practically ever the whole of tho old Town Lo.itJ aroa. A: present

ail the area was paying for tho service 1 ;.'- this £-VJ'l would enable it to be put where it does not already go. In connection with the water supply they Lad aiet with drwhaeks—serious drawbacks -hut there was no occasion ior anything like a panic or for the assumption that all the mouoy was fr,one ; in fact they ha 1 strong reason to think that it would bo all light 1 Mr Dunn hen- explained the tests recently made, particulars of which will be found in another column ; In the road loan proposals the Count il wanted the advice of the ratepayers as to tho reduction of the following amounts :—- East street £lO2, Mnuukau road ,£i -Id, Setldon street £l«7, ,totul £.52">. He had worked out what tho total rate payable would be if the loaus were carried, and [excluding interest on meters and the drainage loan, which would be paid by the users) it would come to within a fraction of 21-i of a penny in the £. As to the drainage they had procured estimates showing that £7odO would he required, with £3OOO for the convenience of the people to install the services, pay preliminary costs, etc. An estimate by the road foreman (Mr Clews) was that the sewerage would cost £ls per house connection and iu order that property owners would not be called upon to pay those sums immediately the £.3000 was added. He was authorised hy the Council to give the ratepayers two distinct pledges. Those were: 1 . If, when they called for tenders the amount was appreciably lugger than the estimate they would not proceed with the work without again referring to the ratepayers ; and as the drainage system hinged on the water supply the installation of the system would not be proceeded with until the water supply had beeu tested beyond doubt and it was shown that the water eouhl he supplied at a i*reasonable cost. He held that there j was no comparison between the draiu--1 age and the pan systems; for himself he would rather pay three times the cost for drainage as against the pan. If 300 houses wore connected the annual difference in the cost of the two systems would be very little, if 'any. The total rates he estimated at o 1-0 of a penny. They must not consider the drainage or meters as subjects for increasing the rates at all because the interest on-the drainage would he paid hy the users, and the users of the meters would also pay H> Worship dnciared 'hat some system of sanitation would soon bo forced

I ujK.ii ttie people whether they liked it | Tii' Mayor road a loitoi from Mr B. I i Andrew asking whether it would not j bo possible tn stole tin.' reservoir with water whidi could he used against I tiro.- Tii' 1 Mavi.r explained that it i wa- tgrecd that the contra* t.ir shordd | keep the jiiau! nuiuing for » month | and until the trial was made the Couu- : ti! '■. uM not take tin 1 nsk of working | thi- ~.,:;■;!::.T-rv llowover, . a Teat i ; w.vU s.)--u i- ;;rr.uiged T<iWV BOAKD AH'OUNTtf j ; A stut-tiiuat "i the mtoif-its was ■ H'.td by tin; iate Town Clerk, togethei j wi» i , ; punt repi ii and a suppleineii- I i taiy report of the Mayor which we We will publish next issue. THE DKAINAGE SCHEME I At Mr Dunn's rtnUf-t Mr lvniitly'; i j report [the '■s-sciitial details of which j have already appeared in the Tiv.ios' j ' on (he proposed drainage scheme was ! read Mi lioutiy, who was present, j said the pan system was n'.iitu otit-of-duto. ''l' course there would he hull little initial euM with :i pau system. : lie was prepared t.> auswr any '|iies- J lion-. • ' Mr McGoiigh : What are yon g.unir i to hitter on - i Mr Koutly: You will haw to pre- ' pari. 1 a Ix.'il <>t souio porous siilistanei . The Mayor :.aid the si heme as de- . vised (embracing the east side of the ] line wa ■ estimated In cost L7OOO and ' £:j()00 extra was to be uiised for eon- ■ iicetioiis, etc. He ligured it out that a , 1 house nt lour inhabitants would pay •is per year for Hushing, at the Coun-

♦ BIG MEETING OF RATEPAYERS. SEWERAGE SCHEME APPROVED. PROJECTED GASWORKS DISCUSSED.

cil's charge of Is 3d per 1000 gallons. If the poople were forced to the pan system a dumping ground would have to be provided and where they were going to get it he did not know. Having got the; ground they would have to metal the road to it so that, with all due respect to Mr lioutly, the initial expenses would be very heavy. He would like to repeat that a sewerage service would not bo a tax on the ratepayers; it was service to be paid for by those who used it. Cr. Comrio asked what increase of population had he allowed for ? Mr Eoutly replied that the scheme provided accommodation for 250 houses on the west side of the line and with live inhabitants to a house, that meant a population of 1250. The eastern side provided for about half as many more, or something like 1800 or 2000 in all. Mr W. Ruulston asked the Mayor to state about the number of services that would or could bo connected now. The Mayor: There are now 155 dwellings in the area proposed. Mr Koulston : Supposing you get a favourable vote you could raise all the money and do the lot ?—Yes. The Mayor said it was necessary to put the whole proposal before the ratepayers, otherwise dilfeient sections might vote against the proposal it' submitted piecemeal. They must have authority to raise money for the whole scheme, or for none. If the money was not required for a few vears it need not be raised. Mr Patterson said that so far as he was personally concerned : t appeared that if this loan wore carried it would co-t him t's ;! .; Hd aunuallv

Tin 1 Mayor fho pan sysi-vm is going to cost as muj.ii and whether the people voted for die lc u or not they must have: same sorv'ee. Mr Russell . The pan systuin would cover the whole borough whereas the sewcrajro would only bo on i small

The Mayor: No, it would not. Ho added that an area would be defined for the paus. too. The pan system, he said, was the rottenest of rotten systems.

A discussion was projected about tho total rates payable, the Mayor saying that including the proposed loans the total rate would bo '•) 1-flths of a penny in the £. Mr Del! said he figured it out that last year a certain property paid ClO in rates, at the present moment ''collecting the rates that were not collected last year) this property was due to pay £2l, but if those loans were carried it would havo to pay £42. Adit to t'ni- the increased land tax (due to the increased land values) and the property would pay £SO as against say i!ll 10s last year. Another property paying £2l last year would pay £S'2 if the loans were carried, and with the increased land tux added his payment would be nearly £IOO.

Mr Roulston said he was sure he was going to pay a great deal more. The Mayor challenged the suggestion that as the result of tho formation of the borough the rates would be any higher than previously. The extra money they were .to pay now was for rates which had not been collected last year. The increase was neither due to increased valuations nor increased rates by the Borough Council, lie, himself, was prepared to pay the difference if there was shown to be any appreciable increase, beyond the .£IOO over the whole borough to which he had previously referred. Was that not fair ?

Mr Roulston : That's very fair. I'll accept that. Mr lieane, Town Clerk, said that the old valuation of tho Town Board district was £70,000 and the new valuation was £186,000, but whereas under the old valuation the rate was 2 I-lOd in the £, the rate under the now valuation was only I of a penny, and over the whole borough area there was barely a diifercuce of £IOO to be collected. Mr Perkins said he was strongly in favour of a sanitary system Kvun if it cost .£■"' a year tint was oiily 2s a weelc. and from a health point of view it was well worth it. He moved. That if favorable money terms can be arranged, and the cost proves to be about the amount submitted, the Council proceed.with the first of the drainage sections as early as possible.

Mr Mclntyre seconded. Upon being put th>' meeting was silent

The Mayor: Oh, look hero, gentlemen, nothing is inure disheartening tlnin to have y >'. sitting like dummies Don't ho ashamed >i your opinion.--. II you dou : t want the loan say so. but if you du want it lot us ho.ir y< ur vote. Mr Ilurltv urged that ivory rightt Linking man shin.'-d" support sanitation. The Mayor again pul the proposal and thore was a loudchoriia of "aye.-." silence when ' those iigainst " were invited '.,.> speak, and the Mayor declared the inotiou carried unanimously. Pkotosed Oaswokks.

There w.i* an interesting distus.-ion on Mi Uutclnr's proposal to • -tablish gasworks in the borough, hut wc are unable to handle t! s matter in this issue ( ioidsWo:! liv Hr.-i* ulvi-rtisi' I'l'in, lirewood for sale " I want vou to keep nivadvcrtisonu ni :-(..',r." w;i: ill,, instruction ■ I Mr VV Adams, of I'uui. this week "I liud it is doing my business a lot ot'jiond." That is tho kind of advertiser wo like the one who realises that the advertisement is paying him. Mr Adams is a breeder of pigs and for the convenience and protit of farmers ho has a particularly good boar at stud.