CORRESPONDENCE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIII, Issue 27, 29 May 1912, Page 4

CORRESPONDENCE.

(To the Editor "Stratford Post.") Sirj— I have read the correspondence between uie "Acmes' with interest, and must confess tjiac "Aenio No. 2" seems to Jiave alt tne better of tne argument. I notice now you have anocner correspondent, ujio favours tiie backward tenuency of lire Council as exemplmed m cue reduction m tiie water rate. "Anci Jlumoug' 'says m one sentence iliac tne Mayor mquita correct in collecting only sufficient from one water rate to pay interest on the 414000 loan, and in ins next sentence upholds the course of striking a special rate tor the £801)11 loan—a nice nttle lesson in logic, surely! it it, is right to collect sufficient to pay interest on one loan, surely it is quite right to pay interest on botli the loans out ot water revenue. And tins is just tne point J wish to make. Instead of reuueing the water rate, tne opposite course snould have been pursued, and sufficient revenue should be collected from the sale of water to pay interest on the capital invested, and ordinary maintenance. This, 1 presume, is what a business man would advocate. If a loan were about to bt raised in this Borough for tramways, would not the ratepayers want to know if the venture would be a paying proposition before they would consent to for 1 Would they consent to be rated for the loan? Certainly not, and this argument appears also to the water question. Now, we come to the Mayor's casting vote. 1 was pleased to note that '•Anti-Humbug" agrees that it should, under the circumstances, have been given in favour of the old order of things. The motion to i. duce the rate was carried at a meeting of the Council at which Cr. King was absent through illness. The moment his rociss.on motion was taken the whole question was re-opened; and I submit, Sir, that without a majority it was the Mayor's duty to give , casting vote for the old order of things, and this lie failed to do. As a supporter of Mr. Kirk wood's, I am sorry that he evidently lost his usual good judgment on the occasion referred to.—l am, etc., COMMON SENSE. Stratford, May 29, 1912. THAT WATER HATE. (To the Editor, "Stratford Post.") Sir—"Nemo" evidently does not understand what he is writing about, or else he deliberately tries to evade an answer to my questions. The figures quoted by me are from the 1912 bal-ance-sheet. With your kind permission i will endeavour once more to put the figures before him. I will do so in as simple a manner as possible, so .that, there can be no doubt as to liis 'anility to understand them. According to the 1912 balance-sheet the water account is in credit £982. In 1906 there was transferred to the general account £4OO, making a total of £[1382. Since 1903 the ratepayers of this town have paid in interest on original £BOOO loan a sum of £2687. This amount has been provided, not out of "water accountn" but by a special rate struck over the whole Borough. Thus the ■amount earned by the "water accounts," but by a special rate struck is proper liabilities by £1305. Will "Nemo" still attempt to justify a reduction in the water rate? I have refrained from the use of shillings and ponce, fearing the result might be too much for "Nemo's" reasoning capacity. "Nemo's" quotation of the figures referring to the "water loan account" of £IOOO is amusing. I certainly agree with "Nemo" there is no deficit here. The Council borrowed this £IOOO foi\ extension purposes, and "Nemo's" figures simplv show how the £-1000 was spent. If "Nemo" would only seek the advice of an accountant before quoting figures ■it would save all this explanation, and the question could be argued from a proper standpoint. "Nemo's" reference to tags has nothing to do with the question, I presume the tags could be satisfactorily explained if"" reference were made to the right quarter. I feel 1 ewe an apology to you, Mr. Editor, for again referring' to this question, but a wish to lighten the darkness of "Nemo's" mind is my justification.—l am, etc..

NEMO No. 2 Stratford, May 29th, 1912.