MATAURA

Southland Times, Issue 23548, 30 June 1938, Page 8

MATAURA

BOROUGH COUNCIL ESTIMATES FOR COMING YEAR A special meeting ’ of the Mataura Borough Council was held on Monday night to consider the estimates for the coming year. The Mayor (Mr C. D. McConnell) presided and there were also present Crs J. P. McErlean, D. A. Bell, R. Hutton, L. McKelvie, J. McAllister, J. Swale and J. Ingram. Cr McErlean (chairman of Finance) moved the adoption of the estimated as submitted. This was seconded by Cr Bell who explained that the increase of 3d in the rates was to cover the expenses of the extra surfacemen. In discussing the advisability of retaining the services of the traffic inspector, Cr McErlean said that the services of the traffic inspector could be dispensed with, but the borough would then lose the returns from motor-drivers’ licenses which amounted to £75 a year. It was decided to hold the matter over pending a reply to a letter from the town clerk to the Transport Department., In reply to a question whether the council had any new works in view, the town clerk said £lOO had been set aside for tarsealing and materials. Cr Ingram said that he had been advised that the sum of £lO2 set aside for fire prevention was insufficient to cover expenses. He contended also that the £lOO set aside for contingencies was far from sufficient. He had inspected Albion street where there were 16 chains for extension of water and drainage. There was no provision in the estimates for this. Burns street was not a credit to the past council and would not be a credit to the present council unless something was done. The rates were too low to enable the work to be done. There were about two miles of curbing and channelling- to be done in Bums,' Scott, Oakland and Albion streets. Cr Ingram also pointed out that the difference between the price of certain property the borough considered disposing of and a property which the borough was purchasing had not been provided for. Further there was no provision made for a rest room. He understood that the Rest Room Com-, mittee had about £5OO. He had seen a plan, of the proposed building and it appeared quite suitable and if the council would give £75 the Rest Room Committee would be able to put up a creditable building. No provision had been made for the exhibition in 1940. The council’s share at the Dunedin .Exhibition had been from £75 to £BO. The exhibition in Wellington would cost the borough about the same. Cr Ingram maintained that it would be poor work on the council’s part if the Southland Court failed to measure up with other courts. The rate for the year 1937-38 was 3/1. Increasing the rates by only 3d would merely wipe off the £221 by which the council was in arrears. Unless the council started right, it could not finish right. If the Yates were raised a further 2d they would then be 3/6 which would still be 2/3 lower than they were in 1929-30. He appealed to councillors to reconsider the position and would move as an amendment that the rates be raised a further 2d to provide for contributions towards a rest room and the exhibition. Cr Swale .said that no provision had been made in the estimates for sewerage for the Rouses the Government intended building. As far as the rest room was concerned he considered the women were entitled to a convenience of some sort. He would second the amendment. The Mayor said he did not think the Finance Committee was conservative.

Cr Ingram: They have considered the estimates. Individually they might be agreeable to make alterations, but collectively they are not. Cr McErlean said there was no chance of doing the streets without a loan. If the council decided to raise a loan they would receive his support. Speaking about the rest room, Cr McErlean said thqt if the ratepayers had come forward and demanded a convenience he would have backed them up, and would still do so, but it seemed to him that a rest room was wanted by a few who would monopolize it. Cr Bell said the Finance Committee’ had acted solely on the'advice received from the .various committees. He agreed that the streets under discussion were not a credit to the council. The houses in Burns and Scott streets were a credit to the town and he would say that apart from industrial areas, no other two streets in the town contributed as much in rates. If justice was to be done to the ratepayers, improvements in those streets were necessary. He suggested that the Roads and Works Committee forgo £lOO out of the £370 provided raise a loan of £lOOO and use the £lOO for interest and sinking fund. Until the chairman of the Works Committee had formulated a plan to spend the money, the Finance Committee could not provide for further expense. Cr McAllister agreed that curbing and~ channelling should come out of loan money.

Cr McKelvie agreed that rates would have to go up, but he did not like to see them being raised for small things. If big things were done it would be a

different matter. Several streets required urgent attention but the council was unable to get the approval of the Unemployment Board to carry out the work. The council would have to formulate a plan before it could take advantage of the Government’s offer of full-time employment. He was of the opinion that the council should go for a big loan to do necessitous works. Cr Hutton in speaking of the streets under discussion maintained that a considerable sum had been spent in lighting as well as other work done to footpaths and so on, and the ratepayers were grateful for what had been done. There were several old streets which needed attention. He did not think they should rush to new streets and leave the work in the old streets undone. If the council decided to go for a loan it would have his support. He could’not support the amendment. Cr Ingram in reply said he was satisfied that on this vote, the majority of the councillors would be wrong. “I am merely asking for a penny for the exhibition and a penny for the rest room,” he said. “The exhibition is important. The Southland County Council is giving £1000.”

Cr Bell: We would be quite agreeable to give our quota in 1940. In referring to the rest room, Cr Ingram reminded councillors that £75 had been spent on a men’s convenience yet the council was now refusing the Rest Room Committee a similar sum.

“You are going for a loan for water very soon,” said Cr Ingram, “and before you know where you are you will have the rates up to 5/9 again. The Government will make you extend the drainage and water in Albion street.” The Mayor said he was not going to accept a motion from any committee which came along with work and no money to spend on it. If a committee wanted more money it would have to come to the council for it. It would not get away with it as a committee. “It is possible for you and your committee, Cr Ingram, to get an internal loan and repay it out of your £370,” he added. The amendment was lost.

A letter was received from Mrs Sinclair agreeing to sell her property for £5OO and asking for payment in full within six months. The town clerk was instructed to write to Mrs Sinclair offering the sum of £lOO, and the balance in six months, the council to have the right to work on the property in the meantime.