ARAMOHO GRIEVANCES.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXVI, Issue 13278, 18 January 1911, Page 7

ARAMOHO GRIEVANCES.

A STATEMENT BY THE MAYOR. Tho Consequences of Secession.' Last evening', at the Wanganui Borough Council tabled a, letter,. whs■ read from 'Mr E. E. Fletcher, chairman of the recent meeting of Aramoho ratepayers, who forwarded the following resolutions passed at the same:— , , / , (l)That. this meeting requests the Wanganui Borough Council to use no portion of the current year’s rate of Is lOd for payment of interest and sinking fund on loans; and that a copy of this resolution be sent to the ; Auditor-General.

: (2) That Aramoho secede from the Borough. (3What the Wanganui Borough .Council be asked not to charge against Aramoho any part of interest on overdraft for the coming year, and that,a deputation consisting of the chairman, Mr Davis, and the mover be a committee to : wait upon Borough Council and take such other steps as they deem necessary to safeguard Aramoho against liability for the 2:29,000 and other advertised loans. Mr Fletcher was prevented from waiting on the Council, but Messrs R.:Ti Davis and F. _R. Field attended in . support of the resolutions. Mr DAYIS spoke briefly, saying that he had no doubt that severance from the would take place. : Mr FIELD also spoke, expressing a simi lar opinion. He said there never; had been a majority in favour of amalgamation.. ii. petition in favour of secession already contained over 200 signatures, [anti it would be difficult to find anyone; who; did not wish for separation. Mr .Field also traversed the financial aspect of the question. COUNTER RESOLUTIONS. The MAYOR then moved the following resolutions:— (1) That this Council sees no reason to depart from its settled policy of paying the interest and sinking fund of the waterworks and .£16,000 loans out of the general rate. (2) That the deputation be informed that under the terms on which Araraonp entered the borough that suburb is not charged with interest on any portion cf the overdraft as existing at the time of union. , (3) That inasmuch as the £29,000 loan and the other proposed loans are raised for the benefit of the borough as a whole, this Council cannot agree that Aramoho should not be included, THE MAYOR’S REPLY The MAYOR said that the statement that only half tire Aramoho people had been put on the roll was not correct. All on the valuation roll,' and all who had applied to be put on, had hadtheii names put tuerc. Ills Worship then made the following statement:—With regard to the first motion, I do not think the deputation clearly understands the position of affairs. It has been our custom for years past to raise on general rate,-and-out of that-to pay interest and sinking fund on the waterworks; and £16,000 loan. If wo, did not do so' we would, instead of striking a Is lOd rate,, have’ to strike a (say) 7d ,-rate for the waterworks loan, a 2d fate for the £16,000 loan, and a general rate of Is lOd. The result would be as broad as it is long. No injustice whatever is done to Aramoho by this proceeding. ’lt was, clearly , explained before Aramoho joined the borough that the same general, rate would be raised over the whole borough, Aramoho included. Out, of that interest and-sinking fund would first benaid'’ on the waterworks loan,, Aramoho bearing its fair share. The remainder of the general rate raised in Aramoho should be spent in Aramoho, and this is oeihg done. Interest and sinking fund on.the £I6,(XjU loan is paid ont.-of.the. -general fund, but no part of it is paid out of the rates raised in-Aramoho. This year, however, I would point out that Aramoho lias not had. the benefit of the water supply, and accordingly I do not 'think that the suburb should this year be charged with anything in, respect of this item. I therefore suggest the following EXENDITURE IN ARAMOHO. We have now extended the water mains tq the railway. bridge the idea being •to psy for this'out cLArampho’s share of the £29,000 loan, the cost [being: some ;£6o(j.. If;, instead r bf .charging- this to the loan, we do -the work ' out- of the general 1 account,' we. will have spent in" Aramoho all the rates raised there thjs year, and leave their: share of the £29,000 loan untouched. The rates failed in Aramoho are approximately £930, and the expenditure for the year will have been as follows, in round numbers;— : ‘

‘ ■; £ a. d. Street metalling, etc. 250 0 C Street- lamps 40 0 f Street names, clearing River Bank, etc. ....... 20 0 0 Paid bn, adjustment with the C0unty;.....:.................;...;. 10 Of Proportion of salaries ... 35 Of: Proportion of cost of -watermains (less Government sub-■ sidy of USISO) 600 0 ( Total 955 0 t ■ ■ .. FINANCE. With regard to the second and third motions i - don't; think I need say much. We do not propose to charge Aramoho with interest on the-overdraft as existing when the suburb joined the borough. The suburb, ■ however, is to have a fair proportion ■ of. the loan spent there, and it is only right that they should be liable:, for their -fair’ share, of the loan. The proposed tramways loan will benefit Aramoho,, as we anticipate a handsome profit-from the sale of power, which will be l shared by every part of the borough, and we 'will also be able to give Aramoho a more frequent service. The hew: bridge loan will, not directly benefit Aramoho, but we do. not anticipate that the loan will' be a charge on the rates, as the pro fit; from the tram extensions to Wanganui East -will, we trust, pay interest and sinking.fund'on the loan for the bridge. LIABILITY FOR EXISTING LOANS.; It is being freely asserted that when the present borough loans, are consolidated, as some of them will be in three years, Arambhp will beepme liable for them. I d< not believe that this is so, but I have re-; QUesred the -boroughsolicitor 4 to procure the opinion 1 oh this point’: of Mr T, F Mintin', admittedly the highest autlirity in New Zealand on the niattter. As Scbr as: the ■ opinion conies ■ to hand it ‘ will bV; published, But even if Aramoho does be; come liable it will still be quite posriblc;' to; arrange that no part, of the interest oi l tne consolidated loan . is paid out of rates raised in Afamoho, except; for: the Okehu water, and that, - as at .'present, all;.the remainder of the rates raised in Aramoho' should be- spent there. SEPARATION AND WHAT WILL HAPPEN. Something has been said about a petition to have Aramoho ’ separated froin-the-borough. It will be . time enough to dealwith that when it is presented. In the meantime Aramoho is; a part of: the boron gh, and - it is, for us tb do our -.-duty; to, that ;and every other , part of thr bcrouch alike. But 1 respectfully warr' Aramoho residents to be careful befor signing such a petition. The 1 moment A ra moho goes but of the borough all thosusing the Okehu water (and we hone ft; * commence " eouhecting; it, to houses then;

directly) will, instead-of getting it free, ■have to;pay at .least £3 for a‘ meter,, and then’ pay lor every gallon they, use. In addition” the price of gas will be at once raised to at least 7s, as at Wanganui East. This will mean a heavy burden bn residents there. Moreover, if Aramoho secedes and forms-a separate borough, it 'will he at least three years before they ■ are. in position to: instal water . and drainage, while we afe now ready to go straight ahead with this-work.' The result will be that ih: the race for expansion with ether suburbs, Aramoho will bo left be ■hind. 1 respectfully urge the people of Aramoho to-follow-the good example set to them by Mr Bridges to sihk the differnnees which have blocked their progress tor years past, and to work together harmoniously'for the good-of the whole district, which must mean their , own good also. - i may say that Mr March reminds .me’that the interest on the £16,000 loan is paid out of the rents from reserves, so that this loan is no charge on the jratas. . The consequence is that the only loan on • which interest is paid out of the general rate is the Okehu waterworks loan. THE RESOLUTIONS CARRIED.

Or BURGESS in seconding the motion, nointed out that the. gas works contributed a year to the rates, while the /reduced- price to Aramoho represented 'quitr’diinoo a year. The deputation appeared to have quite overlooked that. The motions were then put and carried unanimously. WATER MAINS.

~ The MAYOR said it was only fair that Araipoho should not be charged interest for this year oh the Okehu loan, as it had not had the water. It was fair, to pay it ■ out of the’general rate, .which would leave .-the-'Aramoho loan intact. Aramoho will 'then have had spent on it a little more /'than its rates produced. He moved; “That the work of extending the water mains to the Railway Bridge be :done out of .general, account, and not charged to ; Araraoho’s share of the £29,000 loan, and that for the present year Aramoho be not debited with interest and sinking fund on any part of the Okehu waterworks loan.” : This was seconded by Cr Williams and carried ; unanimously.