THE Thames Advertiser. THURSADY, JULY 29, 1880.

Thames Advertiser, Volume XIII, Issue 3666, 29 July 1880, Page 2

THE Thames Advertiser. THURSADY, JULY 29, 1880.

The Borough authorities sometimes set an example of how not to do it. We had another illustration of this at the last meeting of that body, when a proposal to go on with asphalt work in I suitable weather, without any cost to the Borough for wages until the same is repaid by ratepayers requiring the work done, was rejected by the votes of representatives of other wards than the one in which it was proposed to commence the work. No reason < was assigned, excepting that of the. kind learned through graduating at a discussion class, in which members take up a side for, mere argument's sake; and 1 the interests of ratepayers, and tho-wel-fare of the Borough; are sacrified at the caprice of members, who have no more respect for the real, interests of the Borough than to adopt such a course. But our intention to-day is not so much to refer to this matter, which will doubtless be brought, under the notice of the Council in another form. We desire to call the attention of the South; Ward—the victims in the above case __to the.want of attention-to their interests in the matter of the 9-inch mains. A meeting of Ere Insurance representatives has just been held, at which, if the mains were down, a large saving in the rates of premiums demanded would have been effected. Nor is this the only consideration. A respected and enterprising tradesman caused the material.necessary for the laying down of large water mains to be imported, at a cost of about £1600, and ever since then they have lain so much dead stock on his hands;; The money thus expended has, of course, been taken out of his business, and may have injured him in various ways through the locking-up of so much' capital. ' It is true that interest is paid on the amount by the Water Supply Committee, but that is unsatisfactory both to the importer and to the ratepayers. The fact is the local bodies havo placed far too- much faith. in interest, and too little in principal, or we should not now have to lament the poverty of institutions which are paying away large sums in interest. We have an example.in the course pursued by the-Library Committee at the Thames, who,-to confer upon the district the boon of a free institute, borrowed upon Building Society principles a sum sufficient to liquidate liabilities incurred by the Mechanics' InstiI tute Committee, and of course tax the Borough ratepayers' to pay interest amounting to about 17 per cent, for a luxury which ought never to have been indulged in upon such exorbitant terms. This is a specimen of the way things are mismanaged occasionally by those in whom the ratepayers : place their confidence. It may bo urged that : these bodies cannot carry out extenI aive undertakings without borrowing, and to this we reply _ that borrowing is commendable if rightly understood and, engaged in. ' We stated some : time . ago that the difficulty tho Borough will have to provide against will be the possibility of loss arising from the management of the supply, handicapped as it will be by a heavy debt. A sum of about JM-,500 will be required to provide for the taking over of the supply, and tho annual expenditure necessary to meet such a liability, together witli that already incurred, will more than monopolise the revenue derivable therefrom. The first cost arrived at is as follows:—Payment to Mr McOaul for 9-iuch mains, £1,600; laying same, £600; to relaying 4-inch pipes removed from Pollen streo\ £600; to payment of liability to Morrill (for which debentures are held), £2,000; total

£1,800. In order to extinguish this liability in ten years an annual sum of £480' would be necessary to be set aside for the purpose ; interest payablo would also amount to tho same sum for the first year or two. Estimating Turncock's salary and assistance. at £275, and allowing £100 for expenses of management and incidental expenditure, we have a large total for expenditure without any provision for extension, or breakages, <fcc. It is true the rating power is already heavy enough without any increase, as tho ratepayers are just finding out from the notices served, and unless some assistance in the shape of a Government loan on easier terms is forthcoming, we shall be a much overtaxed community, because it will be necessary to levy a rate upon Shortland residents for. the laying.down of the mains. As, it is the Borough residents under the new arrangement are called upon to pay for water for their neighbours outside the Borough, except in those instances where the water is taken on to the premises, when tho authorities have the power to assess an annual rate of payment. The Waiotahi, Waio-Karaka, parts of Block 27, Para, wai, and Tararu residents escape the rates,' and the sum payable by others is proportionately increased. If the "Water Bill introduced several sessions ago, and so strongly opposed by Mr Rowe, our member, had been allowed to become law, a much fairer rate could have been levied, and cause for com. plaining would have been removed ere this. As it is, we think .the best course would be to obtain such powers, and so remedy the injustice of compelling a few shopkeepers and others within tho Borough to pay for the entire consumption of the district. One thing is absolutely necessary, that the Supply liaving been taken over, its management must be made a special study in order to economise the same. But there must be no shrinking from the task of getting the new mains laid, in view of the importance of the work at the present time, if the interest of the town is to bo studied, and it will be for the Council to say how this shall be done. If necessary, the public along Pollen street will havoto be appealed jo in order that funds may be provided for the immediate completion of the work:. It is not just that a citizen should be kept so long out of his money, and a district deprived of the advantages of fire mains, so long as i a little attention to the matter may disolose a remedy.