SEVEN STREETS

Waikato Times, Volume 122, Issue 20420, 10 February 1938, Page 8

SEVEN STREETS

WAD-SEALING PROGRAMME BOROUGH COUNCIL DISCUSSION PROPUSAL .PPROVED The p”,posed expenditure of £4506 on a »• .dU-seumig progt amine, pr.neipuil” on lliuruLiguiai.es bounding the "igii, , rU . ,* L . tu suine i-uUiii ialk.ng. first m prole si by Mr u. Lafferty * ami tiien in jostii.cal.eii, by Mr 11. M Jiaiiiniund, ci.aaniaii ui llie Works Goij.nnllce, Wuen it came up fur approval at the meeting ul the Hamilton Buiuugh Council last evening, at which the Mayor, Mr J. li. Fow, presided. The Works Cuinni.ltee', in its recommendation to the council, staled that it was impressed with the necessity ut completing a greater length of sealing work than had been the case recently and that considerable savings in maintenance could be achieved. To enable the comm ttee to carry out the most urgent ul the works, it had requested tlie Trading and Finance Cornmil tee to make available an additional £3OOO immediately. This sum, together with £550, which could be utilised from the year’s kerbing allocation and the estimated savings in maintenance on the streets involved during the next financial year (£BOO to £900), added the report, would enable the council to complete the following works, ' including re-grading and re-metalling, where necessary:— £ Maeroa Street 570 Peach Grove Hoad 1082 Boundary Road 1245 Abbotsford Street 225 Seddon Terrace 924 Grey Street (South) 275 Knighton Hoad .to Nelson Street) 185 Total £4506 £3OG(* From Electricity Account The Trading and Finance Committee, in its report, recommended that the £3OOO asked for by the Works Committee should be transferred from the Electricity Account. “It is only two years ago that the council laid down a policy whereby profits from the Electricity Account should be used solely for the kerbing and channelling of streets in the borough that had already been sealed with loan moneys,” said Mr C. Lafferty, in protesting against the proposed programme. This year, said Mr Lafferty, no kerbring and channelling work had been carried out and the transfer of another £3OOO from the Electricity Account would mean that £14,000 had been taken from this source during the current financial year.

“What I strongly object to,” he added, “is the transfer of the £550 from this year’s kerbing allocation for this programme. This money was set aside in the estimates for kerbing and channelling and the ratepayers are entitled to have the money spent as allocated.” “Only 76 Houses Benefit” Mr Lafferty stated that he.had inspected tlie thoroughfares mentioned on the programme and could see no justification for the expenditure of , such a sum of money. On his tally there were only 76 houses bordering the streets and roads which the committee proposed to seal and these streets and roads were for most of flieir length on the outskirts of the borough. lie could not understand the committee’s attitude when there were so- many streets well withjn the borough boundaries, and carrying more traffic, that still required sealing. Again, none of the thoroughfares in the schedule could he termed important highways, nor was their sealing a matter of any urgency. It seemed to him that the council was failing in its duty to the ratepayers. Prior to asking the chairman of the Works Committee to reply, the Mayor drew attention to the fact that several petitions had been received from residents on some of the streets mentioned asking for sealing work to be done to abate the dust nuisance. Proposals Defended “Accustomed as we are to hearing misrepresentations, half-truths and suppressions from Mr Lafferty at this council table, he has exceeded himself this time,” commented Mr Hammond. “The committee have in mind the good of Hamilton as a whole and not one or two individual streets, and the streets mentioned in the schedule, carrying an immense amount of traffic, represent an urgent and necessary * work.” Referring to Mr Lafferty’s contention that the council had committed itself to the expenditure of electricity profits in kerbing and channelling alone, Mr Hammond said that this was far from correct as for several '■years kerbing and channelling, roadsurfacing and footpath maintenance had been carried out with nioneys from this source. “I take sivong exception.” he said ' to Mr Lafferty’s suggestion that the £550 is going to be taken permanently . from the year’s kerbing allocation. Mr Lafferty knows well that it was explained to him in committee that this sum would he recovered when the Waikato County Council paid its share of the cost of sealing Peach Grove Road. The money would then be transferred back again to the kerbing and channelling account. Mr Lafferty has been grossly unfair, not only io his fellow-councillors but to the ratepayers in leaving the impression that this money is beimr ‘looted’ from the kerbing account. The programme, in my opinion, is an excellent one and will give satisfaction to a great number of people.”

Programme Approved Mr Lafferty rose to reply but was ruled out of order by the Mayor, o.i the ground that he had not moved a motion. The schedule, as proposed by the 'Xorks Committee, was then put to the meeting md approved. Mr Lafferty alone dissenting. Mr Fow: Does anyone else wish to speak and place themselves before the public? Now is the chance to do so. Mr Lafferty: You are doing your share ! The recommendation of the Trading and Finance Committee for the transfer of the £3OOO from the Electricity Account was then placed before the meeting for approval and was opposed bv Mr Lafferty. He was. however, the only dissentient and the recommendation of the committee was approved.