REDUCTION IN CITY DEBT; CIVIC MATTERS REVIEWED BY CR. JACK

Wanganui Chronicle, 4 November 1950, Page 6

REDUCTION IN CITY DEBT; CIVIC MATTERS REVIEWED BY CR. JACK

Addressing electors at the Opera House, the Deputy-Mayor of Wanganui (Cr. R. E. Jack) mentioned that during the term ol the existing council the city s indebtedness had been reduced by £BO,OOO. “It is perhaps fitting that I should address my remarks largely to events of the past three years,” he said. “I suppose you’ve heard the Irishman’s excellent definition of a net—a lot of holes tied together with string,” said Mr Jack. “Some of you are perhaps thinking that a street i should be defined as a lot of potholes'; tied together with dust. But, with-; out question, the worst feature of our | streets has been the tram tracks, and ; I'm glad to be able to tell you that a contract has been signed for the re>moval of the tracks this very day. i I am confident that their removal will head to the greatest improvement in our streets that has been seen for i many years. STREET SEALING I During the past three years over ' nine miles of new street sealing has been done, so that tnere are now 6'J miles of sealed streets in the city. We did consider raising a large loan to complete the sealing of the rest of the streets (another 38 miles); but over the years the interest burden would have added greatly to the cost, and hence to new rates, and the large loan idea was not proceeded with. The policy followed, of financing new sealing work out of income, has admittedly reduced the money available for parks and reserves and for general tidying up of streets. But, in times of inflation, when money buys so little, I think it would have been unwise to embark on any wild policy of piling up debt. “That brings me to the point, which I am happy to mention, that the city's indebtedness, which now stands at roughly half a million pounds, has been reduced by over £BO,OOO during the past three years. “One of the major endeavours ot the Citizens’ candidates has been to minimise increases in rates. The unabated increases in wage, salary and material' costs has forced us to increase even the council’s portion of the rate levy; but I have not the slightest doubt that, but for the Citizens’ majority on the council, slight though that majority has been, the increase in rates would have been considerably greater than it has been. ABOUT GAS "Now, if you’ll promise you’ve got no rotten eggs. I’ll say a word about gas. My gas bill in September was £4 2s lid, and it hurts. But it may surprise, if it does not console you. tc learn that our price of gas is still lower than the prices ruling at Napier. Hastings, Gisborne and New Plymouth. The high price is, of course, a direct reflection of high general costs and cost of coal in particular. On the other side of the picture, there has been a definite improvement in the efficiency of the gas undertaking as a productive unit. The works can now cope comfortably with the record demand for gas; losses from leaks in the reticulation of the city (always a major concern to a gas undertaking) have been considerably reduced; and pressures in the suburbs are now more astisfactory than they have been for many years past. DRAINAGE AND SEWERAGE “I should perhaps also mention that the major overhaul of our drainage and sewerage system, authorised by the ratepayers at a cost of £61,000, is nearly half completed, and also that a contract has been entered into for the supply of some miles of 16-inch water pipes to increase the capacity of the water supply between Kai Iwi springs and the reservoir on St. John’s Hill. When this new piping is installed any major breakdown in the water supply will be rendered extremely slight; and water stringencies in dry weather, which are much less troublesome in Wanganui than in most towns, will be further reduced. TRANSPORT “But quite the biggest event in the city in the past three years has been the inauguration of the now transport service, which is one of Mr Seivewright's many achievements. Once the turbulent decision had been reached to seek a privately operated transport service, the council’s part in the task became, of course, slight. Our job was to keep the old system going until the buses arrived. Towards the end the trams were tied together with bootlaces and string, and were being constantly shoehorned back on to the rails, from which they showed a dogged determination to roam. But. thanks to the good work of the manager. Mr Row, and the superintendent, Mr Holmes, and their staff, we came through without a major breakdown. The question of re-employment, of the tramway staff, many of whose jobs have ended with the tramway service, has been a source of much concern to the council; but the Greyhound Company kept its promise to take over as many as possible of the tramway staff, and I am glad to say that the job question has very largely solved itself. We are now in the throes of realising on the tramway equipment.”