THE LOAN ROPOSALS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2682, 11 December 1909, Page 5

THE LOAN ROPOSALS.

MEETING OF RATEPAYERS

A meeting of ratepayers, to consider the Borouglwoan proposals amounting to £175,00, was held in His. Majesty's Theatre last night. His Worship, the Mayor (Mr W. 1). Lysnar) occupied the chair and there was a fairly large attendance of ratepayers. A telegram of apology was received from Mr I<. Harris* The Mavor said that they did not want to consider the matter of the loan proposals in a narrow, parochial and selfish way, but rather as what was good for the whole. There was a great want of progress in the community and the town was not being developed as it should; they were growing old, and as a community they were comfortless. The objects dealt with in the loan proposals were going to add to their pleasures and comfort and they should carry them before they _ got too old On the question of putting the loans separately, the Mayor said that there were good reasons against it. One was the legal aspect, and, according to the solicitor’s opinion, such a course was illegal. They could; not get the money at a cheap rate except they got it in a sum of £IOO,OOO. The interest would be £1750 greater if the loans were passed separately, also tlio worts would lftive to be dovetailed in* and another good reason against the separating of the loans was the multiplicity of the ballot papers required. Other towns had tried the splitting up of the loans, but had found they were unable to do it The only question of dispute in the Qouncil was on the road loan, and all but two of the minority, when defeated, fell into line and came with them. The majority had tried to meet the minority in every way they could by getting the most able advice possible/All the advantages could be given, ' but there would be no extra rate./ When the water was carried, they 7 had to pledge a Is 7d rate,- but all the rate required last year was 9d, which illustrated the growth of the town.. Could they not trust to a progressive district to go on increasing in this ratio of value and prosperity. Last year they spent on roads £9309 and this year £9-591 and if the loan was obtained, according to the Overseer, a most capable man, there would be a saving of £IOOO odd. At present it cost £SOO to maintain 73 lamps, but with the new electric scheme they would lihre 100 lamps for £225. Thus in the throe items there would he a saving of IM7IG, more than the total interest on the loan. When sewerage had been proposed on the last occasion he had worked and spoken against it on account of its cost, and that it would only serve part of the Borough ; but now they had a good scheme approved by the most eminent authorities of the dominion. Dealing with the elpctric light proposals the Mayor mentioned the fact that the majority of the shareholders were out of the district. The suggested installation of “Dreadnought” gas, as proposed by the irresponsible morning paper was ridiculous, and did not require to be thought of a second time. He had gone into it, but had dismissed it from Ills -mild. The gas did not give power, and the.y would thus lose the saving on the sewerage scheme. Could anyone, much less a respectable journal, say it was advisable to adopt a scheme like that? The Dreadnought gas was only in the experimental stage. He had had it looked into bv Messrs Niven and Co., and had found it was not worth further consideration. Proceeding, he outlined the advantages of the (proposed electric scheme, quoting; the figures already published. Referring to the waterworks loan he characterised it as an essential of the sewerage system, and claimed that storage was absolutely necessary. The extra revenue derived from the additional reticulation would more than pay the interest on the loan. Dealing with tramways he explained the system to be one of petrol cars, self-contained, and said they could get 7 miles of line and 4 cars for £25,000. The Council had got an estimate for 4 miles and after providing for everything, a surplus of over £ISOO. Then the cost of a larger service’was 'added on, but there had been no allowance made for extra mileage. By installing the trams thev would be making the best road possible. Recreation grounds were specifically apportioned. It was a reflection on the comm unitv that they had grown to the size they had without proper recreation grounds. He maintained that tuey were not a luxury but a necessity, md the reserves loan also provided for a reservoir site. For that reason he would ask them to vote for it if no cjrTier. On the question of the n aimata bridge he referred to the danger of stock coming through the town and claimed that the settlement of the district warranted the building of tlio bridge. The Chief Officer of the Department in Wellington had assured him that the County Council should pay half the cost, if the position was as stated, and if the County was not inclined to pay then- he would see that a commission was set up and the County made to contribute their proportion of the cost.

The metal question was a most important part of the proposals, and the works proposed had been apportioned. All streets were entitled to consideration. In 1909 the sum: of £8317 was collected in rates and £9521 spent, and such a position was not right. Messrs Jarrett and March ant had advised them and both reports had been adopted. It would have cost 11s 4d per yard to use Waihirere metal' for foundations, but the cost of the Kaitaratahi gravel would only be 4s at most, f A qualified engineer would be appointed to supervise the work and the work would be done on his recommendations and the Council’s approval/All the advantages in the loan proposals could be had and they would save themselves £75000 in 9 years. The rates started at 9d then went to Is, and it waa not until dll2 that a-2s rate was reached. All 'this was asuming that the tramways cud not earn anything, but every shilling tliev did earn would go to lessen the rate. Concluding he asked the ratepayers to give their earnest consideration to the proposals, and not to vote against them unless they could conscientiously do so after studying them carefully. . , Mr W. L. Roes said-that he was pleased to be able to urge the peopleto vote for the proposals as a whole, not separately, for the good of „ the place. There had been no progress in the last 30 vears, and .not a single public improvement had ever been made in the place at the will and cost of the people. They ' alone wore the people who could help to make Gisborne what it would be in the future, one of the most foremost towns in the Dominion. He appealed to them to govern themselves, and to, remedy the fact that Gisborne was laughed at all over, the Dominion as the only place that had no public gardens) and no public convenie'nces. Tire public men of the past had l-etrt 50 years behind the tunes. . He

hod changed his opinion regarding! be putting of the loans as he thought they hao to view the matter in the interests of the whole and not of any one section, of the community. Continuing, Mr Rees quoted figures at length to show that the saving to the ratepayers would be even greater than mentioned, in the statement of finance compiled by the Town Clerk. Instead of the yearly annual increase being £4OOO for the next 9 years it would be more than £lO,000, as the place was going on grow- 1 ing with increasing rapidity. If they spent the £175,000 in the next 2 or 3 years there was not the slightest fear of any increase in the rates. A number of the works would be producing so that in reality they were borrowing very little more than £IOO,OOO. The benefits were so manifest and. the proposition so plain and useful’ that he sincerely hoped tliat people, for the benefit of the whole, would support the loan proposals, even if objecting to one or more of them. Mr Rees concluded by outlining his idea of the great future in store for Gisborne, and moved the following resolution: “Tliat in tlio opinion of this meeting it is advisable, in the best interests of the ratepayers, 'that the Borough loan proposals be put as a whole/’ Mr C. H. Ambridge seconded the resolution. He had seen many opportunities lost in the past, and was quiteconvinced that the proposals were the soundest and most feasible thing for the Borough of Gisborne. Cr Darton; then mounted the platform to state to the meeting his rea-. sons for opposing the proposals. The people had only heard one side/if the question, the good side, but there was another side, and it was their duty to hear it. The sewerage scheme was not jv drainage scheme, although persistently called so. It did riot provide for storm water. It was riot for the Council to dictate to the people what they should have and the people had decided they could not afford Mestayer’s scheme. Mr Merchant’s scheme had, from the beginning, the whole-hearted support of all the Councillors, as the best they could get for the money, and one that would answer the purposes of Gisborne for many years to come. He was in favor of most of the proposals, but in regard to tramways would like to say that they would bring into competition outside lands, and consequently reduce the valuation, and as the outside lands were going to benefit so much they should hear a share of the cost of construction. He gave place to no one regarding recreation grounds, and wished the Council had gone further in them. He would like to see more ground bought and he strongly favored the purchase of land for recreation purposes, but not the improvement of reserves out of loan money. He was the only Councillor that opposed the erection of the Waimata bridge. It was his duty, if he could show it to be wrong, to oppose the expenditure of £SOOO. The Cook County Council had a legitimate claim, and it was only fair to expect- that the Borough might have to pay the whole of the loan. No commission such as suggested by the Mayor had power to order the County Council to contribute to the ‘cost. The proposed site was even more dangerous to children than the Kaiti bridge, but if the bridge was put further up the river he would heartily support the proposal for its erection. They had not had £9OOO spent in maintenance on the streets this year. Only 1100 yards of metal had been brought in. The money had been spent but not on maintenance, and other things had been done with it. Administration had cost £2OOO and bad administration was the cause of the whole trouble. The road estimates had not been approved by a competent engineer, and the two accountants had merely certified to the correctness of the Town Clerk’s figures. The figures, to be correct, would mean than in 17 years Gisborne would have to be half the size of Auckland. After further criticism of the financial statement Mr Darton dealt with the expense of maintenance. If they formed 30 miles of roads of Eaitaratahi “'mud” there would be uo saving in maintenance, but) rather it would go up two fold. The Council would come back to the figures 12,000 yards of good metal and 50,000 yards of Eaitaratahi shing.- If they formed the roads of good metal they might be able to save something in maintenance but not otherwise. The ratepayers returned the Councillors to lay before them a number of schemes, but the Council had uo right to usurp the functions of the ratepayers and force them to vote for all the proposals on the score of wanting drainage. Proceeding Cr Darton said that the'loans, if put separately, could be amalgamated afterwards and put on one paper, and he defied the Mayor to say otherwise. Only two loans would require to be amalgamated in order that they might obtain the money at the cheap rate of interest. It was the ratepayers’ right to vote on each of the proposals; it was for them to sa3' if they wanted them all, and could afford them Necessary as most of the propoasls were, the greater portion of them were unproductive, and not direct revenue producers. The rate could not go over 2s, but the valuations could go up and as long as the Town Clerk was the man that made the valuations they would go up when revenue was wanted. Concluding, the speaker said that lie always supported the Mayor in anything that was for the benefit of the people generally. There had been no opposition to the Mayor because he was Mr Lysnar; but the majority on the Council had never answered a single argument brought forward by the minority and the Finance Committee of the Council had never met to consider the proposals. Cr Eirk claimed that the Finance Committee had met to deal with the question. Hours and hours of consideration had been given to the matter, and, if the people dm not believe that the Council was giving them something that was in the liest interests of the Borough, then he would ask-them to vote against all the proposals, and call upon the Council to resign. Cr. Darton’s statements regarding the accountants were unjustifiable reflections on the probity and honesty of these gentlemen. and it was just the same in reference to Mr Gardner, who had signed the estimates. He appealed to; them, in conclusion, to consider the proposals, go into the matter carefully, and if they could show where they were wrong it might not be too late to alter the position. If they could not see anything against the proposals he would urge them to vote for them and thus help to make Gisborne the town, it ought to be, 4 Mr T. E. Toneychffe referred to Cr Darton’s remarks as those of a man with pique and a grievance, and touching the lowest principle of man, his pocket. In Gisborne they were thirty years behind any other town in the Dominion, and in what was practically the backblocks there were better streets than Gladstone Road. Ho asked- them to put the paltry; matter* of saving rates out of the question and vote for the proposals. Let them see if they could not raise something better on the ruins of the mistakes tliat had been mad© in the past.

Cr. Smith also spoke in. favor of the proposals, outlining each of them and giving his reasons for supporting them. He held that Eaitaratahi gravel, if Jgkjj put down properly; would make- good roads and that the proposals should : be put as a whole. If they were re- ;/.f| jected the Council did not want to resign but would* prepare the proposals to be put before the ratepayers in another manner.

Cr. Pettie, in answer to a call from the back of the building; explained his attitude in connection wth the proposals. He had done his best in the Council in the interests of the ratepayers and he believed that all the Councillors had been imbued with the spirit of doing what was best for the district. He ; with others, had thought that by putting the proposals separately there would be a better chance of having some of the most important of them carried. When the majority of the Council had decided on putting the proposals as one loan he bowed to their decision. In conclusion Cr. Pettie {a member of the Finance Committee) declared that that committee had never met to consider the proposals. They had a meeting since the statement had been made, but he had not been present. He pledged himself to the Mayor to vote for the proposals as they stood, as although the road proposals were not the best they might have been, much good might be done, and he had no hesitation in recommending the ratepayers to vote for the proposals. The Mayor, in reply, spoke at length denying the truth of many of the statements made by Cr. Darton. At 11.20 p.m. a ratepayer rose and drew attention to the lateness of the hour, asking that the motion be put. The Mayor, in conclusion, said that it had been decided that the whole Council should meet as a Finance Committee.

Cr. Pettie rose to deny this statement, but Crs. Eirk and Smith affirmed that it was true.

Cr. Pettie again denied that any such arrangement had been come to at a Council meeting.

The motion upon Being put to the meeting was declared carried on the voices.