The Daily News WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1928. BOROUGH WORKS.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 February 1928, Page 6

The Daily News WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1928. BOROUGH WORKS.

1 New Plymouth possesses some excellent streets and footpaths, but there are others which are anything but a credit to the borough. By reason of its undulating na- - ture the town is a difficult and

' costly one to road and maintain, ’ and the policy of the past has 1 been to concentrate upon the up- ’ keep of the more important streets and footpaths, and spend only what money could be spared ' on the others. A street improvements loan was raised some years ■ ago, but it did not go far. As chairman of the works committee, Councillor McPhillips has recenti ly been looking into the position, and advises the’council to raise a further loan of £93,500 for street . and footpath improvements. He . condemns the present policy of - frittering away money on the un- > tarred footpaths and streets, which cannot be put in satisfactory order out of rates, and shows that it is infinitely preferable to make a job of it out of loan, strik- ’ ing a small rate to meet the interest charges. At Monday’s meeting of the council he made out a strong and convincing case for his proposal, but the council felt that it would be advisable to dispose of the sewerage extensions proposal before proceeding with the other. It is of the utmost importance that the town should have an effective system of sewerage without delay. Health comes before everything else, and New Plymouth has been fortunate inasmuch that before now a serious epidemic has not broken out as a result of its inadequate sanitation. The need for a thorough system of sewerage is generally recognised, and ratepayers will have no alternative to supporting an effective and thoroughly recommended scheme. It will, of course, entail an increase in rates. That cannot be helped. It is the price the community has to pay by way of health insurance, and may be infinitely less than paying for an epidemic. In submitting the electric light extensions proposals to ratepayers some time ago, the then council felt that the sale of the extra current would not only meet the interest charges on the loan itself but also provide a profit sufficient to pay the interest on the drainage loan, as well as supplying the town with the water required for the drainage scheme and high pressure on the higher levels. But this scheme, though adopted by the ratepayers, was knocked on the head—we hope only temporarily—by the Local Bodies’ Loans Board, and any assistance from that quarter is now out of the question, especially as the electric lighting department is paying fairly stiffly for the extra supplies of current it is now receiving, and will find it difficult in consequence to maintain its last year’s standard of profits. It is unfortunate that the two schemes for sewerage and street improvements should come on at once. It may be, as apprehended by some of the councillors, that their very size may somewhat frighten ratepayers, and that the council -were therefore justified in deciding to postpone the street inprovement proposal. One thing, however, is certain: the longer the streets and footpaths are neglected the costlier will be the work of putting them in permanent order. Councillor McPhillips says the cost today would be £93,500, but every year’s delay will see the cost increased. And he speaks from ; practical knowledge and experience. Some of the Works are of an urgent nature, and cannot be put off on the score of expense. If not done out of loan they must be out of rates. This course, indeed, is advocated by some mem- 1 bers of the council on the ground that if times became bad they i could suspend the work and the extra rate. But it is quite likely 1 that in the long run ratepayers would be better off if they had in the first place raised a loan and ’ carried out the whole programme, ■ particularly if the works were i submitted to tender. There is no doubt that there is considerable 1 room for improvement in the sys- ' tern of street and footpath upkeep i in New Plymouth. When, how- ‘ ever, proposals were brought be- ’ fore the council a few months ago J for putting things on a more effi- | cient basis they were promptly thrown out, as they entailed dis- j missing a number of men in the e winter months and concentrating 1 the year’s work in the summer. ! It is a fine sentiment, but does not ; make for either economy or effi- t eiency, which members of the i council desire and the ratepayers 1 expect. Councillor McPhillips’ f proposals should be considered on t their merits. Too much emphasis ; was placed by some of the eoun- c cillors on the cost to ratepayers, c and far too little on the real need t and value of the works. It is g not agreeable to contemplate an v increase in rates, even in a bor- £ ough like New Plymouth which & is comparatively lightly rated, but there is no gainsaying the fact j. that for the past decade the town j

in the matter of its streets and footpaths has been marking time and staving off the evil day. Consequently the aggregate cost of urgent works is now fairly substantial and will become even more so the further they are delayed.