The Gas Works Loan.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 7241, 23 August 1902, Page 2

The Gas Works Loan.

[to the editor.] Sir, —I note from tho letter ol tho exMayor, published in your last issue, that he objects to the proposed gas-works loan, and am very much surprised at his attitude. During tho whole of that gentleman's term of office he showed himself as perfectly infatuated with the borrowing principle, and proposed a sufficient number of loans to overwhelm tho richest of Masterton ratepayers. Tho ex-Mayor, however, deserves much credit for some of tho loans he proposed and c'arricd, and which are at the present time a boon to tho town. But, sir, there is one serious mistake that he made with one of his loans, a mistako which he is asking the present Council to repeat with the proposed Gas Loan. In his eagerness to get tho Drainage Loan carried, he cut the amount too fine, and consequently spoilt tho scheme. The drainage scheme is at present insufficient, and one of the most thickly populated portions of the town is jpt still unable to connect with the scheme, although compelled to pay the drailftge rate. To show t;hat Mr Pownall hirireSjf recognised, when it was too late, the insufficiency of the scheme, ho himself, a month before he left the Council, proposed a further drainage loan of £10,000 to complete it.

Now, this is perhaps a mistake that it was easy enough for anyone to make once, but why repeat the same mistake" with the Gas-works Loan ? Surely it is better to do the work properly once and for all, and not patch it up this year with a small and insufficient expenditure, and then havo to come again to tho ratepayers in two or three years' time for a further loan to complete it. Besides, it should be pointed out that part of the proposed loan is required for extending the mains, so as to increase and encourage the consumption of gas, and by this means not only will tho people be able to use- the gas in their homes, and so reap tbe full benefit of the Gas-works, but by obtaining a larger consumption of gas price charged to the consumers can be satisfactorily decreased. It has been clearly pointed out to the Council that although we cannot reduce tbe amount of labour employed at the Gas-works, yet that same amount of labour could produce twice the quantity of gas at present consumed, if there were a demand for it, and the Council are proposing with part of the proposed loan to extend the mains along the thickly-populated streets, and so encourage the consumption.of gas. Beading between the lines of Mr Pownall's letter, I am almost tempted to believe that that gentleman is naluat heart, opposed to tbe 10an.,, appws to me to be sitting.pr->;«-rail in the matter, and doesn't knbwwhich way to jump. ■"<¥; In conclusion, let"" me add that I ara glad that the Ratepayers' Association has taken this question up, and I shall be pleased to accompany any of its members, or a committee appointed by it, to the Gas Works and show them the real state of the works; and I trust thatf*" in the interest of tbe town they will take advantage of this offer before they oppose the loan.—l am, etc., Philip L. Holungs.