STRATFORD MOUNTAIN HOUSE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 305, 23 December 1914, Page 3

STRATFORD MOUNTAIN HOUSE.

[To The Editor Stratford Post. . ‘ Sir,_l read a letter in your last night’s issue of the “Stratford Post above the signature of “H. Williams, manager Stratford Mountain House’’ criticising my action on the Borough Council when discussing the question of improvement of the road to the Mountain House. Mr Williams says ho read the account of the discussion in. the Borough Council re the above. Personally I have not read the repor'. of that meeting, §o that whether th? paper report or Mr Williams is in erroi I know not, hut I think if the latte) was in possession of the whole facts in connection with the discussion, instead of scraps of it, which may mean anything, he probably would have .written differently or not at all. Mr Williams commences by answering questions, which he says were put to the Council by me'. The first question-' ( who benefits by it?) meaning who benefits by the tourist that visits the Mountain House and the answer ..be, gives to that question is not the hotelkeeper! Now I did ask that question, and.the,enswer I got from a Councillor was “Why, the publican.” Difference o! opinion you see.^ T|ie second question purported to be asked by me was: “Do any tourists go up there?” Now I am not aware oi asking any , such foolish question, be cause I am well aware that some tour ists do go. up. there, and if I did it was by way of a joke, the same as Mr King when, he said that the people who visit the Mountain House swear they wil’ never go back again. But all this is beside the real question. The question is : The Government has v.oted £250 for the improvement of the road, and this is a County road. The County require another, £250 to complete the work and , they offered to fuid one third ol the £250 if the Borough would find one third and the people would give the other third. Now; my contention was that it wps intended that , the Borough, not only had to give one third, but also had to collect the . other third from the people. What does “the people” mean? Why the ratepayers of this town which would mean two-thirds of the , £250 would practically he paid by the ratepayers of this Borough. Therefore, I contend that it ,would have been Do more than a, bar thing for the County, to have paid one half ol the amount. The Borough' Council lias no 'power to spend money outside the Borough, other, than out of nnauthori sed expenditure which, is limited to £SO per annum. Now nne-vli'rd of. ; £*ioo would he £B3 6s 8d which would leave jbhe. Borough the magnificent sum of £l6 13s 4d as a balance of unauthorised expenditure for two years, and taking into consideration the demands there have been made on the people since, the war togther with the losses the Bogough has sustained on account of the recent fire and the loss of rents Until such time as the new building is up, I do not think it is an opportune time to ask them, to pay sucjii.a largo amount',

We, till, realise, that to have such a magnificent Mountain and pleasure resort is a fine asset, hjjt, ap asset to County as well-.as town,., The pleasure derived from the, visits to the Mountain by the people of Town and County make it an asset’ and worthy of support, hut this is not the time to laupch out on great, improvements. Now, Mr Williams agrees with me that I) am not wrong in saying it is not a financial asset, He says it is not so even to hotel-keepers. The outride visitors come direct from the station, returning to the station the next; day. Tam sonv that Mr Williams should think t am trying to belittle the House in the public mind, foj; in years gone by, I have represented j this Borough on the Eginont Baric, Board and put a good deal of work into it. lam still, interested in it, and would like to see many improvements made. At tli.e same .time I am representing the ratepayers of this town, and T do not think it would he in the best interests of the Borough to donate this mpnpy at the present time, and T certainly would op. pose any sum being donated unless the County found at least half of the money, Trusting, sip, T have not trespassed too mnph on. your valuable space.—-I am, etc., . J. MASTERS. 23,-12-14.