TAIHAPE NOTES.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLV, Issue 11754, 11 February 1919, Page 5

TAIHAPE NOTES.

From Our Own Correspondent. A school girl named Violet Humphreys sustained a very severe cut in the lee, necessitating several stitches, by falling ever a bank on to a piece of broken glass near the Convent School on Friday. First aid was rendered by Mrs Menzies, who oared for the injured girl until the arrival of the doctor. A meeting of ratepayers on Friday discussed the borough improvement proposals outlined by the Engineer. The scheme provides for asphalting the main street and other streets, garden plots in the centre of Main St-eet, and improved water supply, drainage, and electric light systems. Mt Oldham said he was in favour of progress, bnt deprecated spending money on luxuries such as lawns and garden plots. He instanced the need for improved drainage, water supply, and the extension of the electric lighting system to the western portion of tne boiongh. It was ridiculous to suggest planting trees in the streets when portions of the borough were little better than cesspools. Other speakers did not favour beautifying the streets until more urgent and necessary improvements had been carried out. The Mavor indicated that the ratepayers would have a chance of voting on the proposals at the earliest opportunity.

The sum of £lO was realised for the epidemic relief fund at a social and dance held at Mataroa on Friday. The function was organised by Mr J. N. Sinclair. The meeting of ratepayers called for Friday evening was only sparsely attended, and dirt not serve the purpose for which it was called, as any expression of opinion could not be taken as the opinion of tho majority of the ratepayers in the borough. The proposed improvements scheme will involve an expenditure of £17,000 if the loan is sanctioned. There is no doubt whatever that the improvements are necessary, as most people will agree with the Mayor’s statement that the streets of Taihape are in a more deplorable state than those of any other borough with which he is acquainted With regard to the water supply and hydro-elec-tric scheme, a blander was made at the stait When these and other improvements were initiated, a loan of about £30,000 was raised, and it is now necessary to ask for a farther loan to improve the water supply and electric scheme. Even if these works p,rs improved to t«e extent Phggested, tbe position will not ba. met as it should be, and it may be necessary to raise a farther loan for a gravitation water supply, which

should have been provided for in the first place. When local bcdies raise loans for allegedly permanent and reproductive vporks they should not overlook the fact that clrouhi~ stances may arise involving extensile additions to the plant, etc. Mr A. Nathan, who was Mayor Of Taibape when- the hydro electric scheme was initiated, stited at the time that these works would make Taihape a rale free borongh within thirty-five years. The plant installed was sufficient to meet the needs of the borough for a few years, and their earning capacity has not decreased in any way. The Statement made by Mr Nathan may be borne out in every particular, but if so it is scarcely a fair thing to saddle the ratepayers of to-day with the responsibility of liquidating J for improvements which wJl* be ofSQtfA i)ene£* . to the ratepayers a can turf fiance T-h? sinking funds should Ve sufficient ib liquid ate thedoans within 1 a Certain period*: but those iu charge of Thorough 1 matters should see to it that the water supply and electric schemes should also earn sufficient to provide for renewals and additions to plant. To borrow money for additions and renewals of plant is bad pclicy, and all revenue-producing schemes should be made to produce sufficient revenue to meet the. cosc of such renewals and extensions, in addition to producing sufficient to provide a sound sinking fund for tbe liquidation of the initial cost. Loans are usually raised for improvements to meet present needs only, whereas better results could be obtained by providing for future needs as well. If the extensions result always in a proportionate increase in the revenue, such extensions could then he made out of loan money, instead of ont of revenue; bat when renewals and extensions involve the scrapping of plant and doing away almost completely with an obsolete system the amount of the original loan may be considered a dead loss. Had Taibape gone in for a gravitation water supply in the first place tbe scheme would have met all the demands of the future, and would have been less costly in the long run. However, the fact remnns that improvements are essential, and it is to be hoped that tbe ratepayers will sanction every proposal placed before them. Police-Sergeant Matthews, who has been absent on leave for some time, bas resumed duly. At a meeting of the Taibape Volunteer Fire Brigade, it was resolved that a three years’ service certificate be procured lor the late Firemen Foote, who was killed in action in France, it is the Brigade’s intention to present the certificate to the relatives of the deceased soldier.*