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THE PROPOSED MUNICIPAL
LOAN.
TaBs proposal of the Newcastle Borough
Council to borrow the sum of £74,000 for
the carrying out of public improvements in
the city is a very important step, and one
which materially concerns the ratepayers,
inasmuch as the interest on that sum will
amount to an additional £2960 on the annual
expenditure to be provided for. When a
forward step of such a character is taken,
ratepayers do well to subject the proposal to
the most trenchant criticism, for the purpose
of ascertaining if the action of the council is
warranted by the necessities of the case. In
order to, arrive at a satisfactory conclusion
the ratepayers will immediately proceed to
ascertain what the council intendto do with
such a large amount. The largest item
for which money is required is the sewerage
of the city, included in which is
drainage, the estimate of expenditure for
the combined work being £40,000. If
there is one work above another which
requires immediate attention at the hands of
the citizens, it is the adoption of measures for
preserving the public health. For many
years past Newcastle has, with some injus.
tice, had to bear with the imputation of being
a dirty place, the nature of the business upon
which its prosperity mainly depends having
been largely responsible for this. But the
residents of many large towns, even the chief
cities of New South Wales and Victoria,
would have been very glad to risk the chance
of being called grimy if the same quantity of
coal which is annually exported from this
place could have been shipped from their
ports. Greater attention, however, has
recently been paid to the cleansing of the
town; many eyesores have been done away
with; the centre of the coal shipment has
been removed from the heart of the city.
and the tar-metalling of the streets
has conduced greatly both to the
comfort of pedestrians and the good
repair of the thoroughfaree. The proposed
sewerage, though a work of magnitude, is
actually a necessity, for the growth of popu
lation demands the thorough sanitation of
the city by measures of underground drain.
age similar to those which have been found
necessary in large centres of population all
the world over. The sewerage of the Sydney
suburbs will cost millions, and the Mel
bourne people have found it necessary,
owing to the terrible bills of mortality they
have annually to face, to carry out a
thorough scheme of sewerage. The expen.
diture in Newcastle for preserving the health
of the people from the ravages of disease
induced by the present insufilciency of drain
age will therefore be one of the boat invest
menta which could be municipally under
taken. A sum of £24,000 is proposed to be
expended oh the rebuilding of portions of the
Market Squpare property, and in other perma
nent improvements within the municipality.
the property belonging to the borough is, for
tunately, situated in the best quarter of the
principal street, and it has been admitted for
a long time, past that the older portions of
the houses, notwithstanding the large rents
they bring ic, are utterly out of keeping with
•the more modern types of architecture found
in close proximity to them. Expenditure
upon a work of this kind is therefore on a
footing with the improvements which are
'being made by private citizens all over. the
city and district, and which, by the unerring
test of pounds, shillings and pence, are found
to be highly remunerative investments.
Borrowing for such a purpose as this is
.therefore. perfectly safe, inasmuch as the
nmu?nicipal estate will be benefited by the in
:orement earned by the private enterprise going
•on all around it. Finally, a sum of £10,000 is
'to be paid for the electric lighting plant,
which has been installed and in working
'order since the beginning of this year.
This work was resolved upon some time
'back, and is now beyond the stage of dis
.cussion. . When the council begins to receive
from the citizens rates for private lighting,
"the profitableness of electric lighting will be
'made as apparent as its excellence and beauty
.are at the present time. If any doubt should
'arise on the former point, the test of offeriog
'it to the public.at the price to be paid by the
*council would, we feel certain, be a decisive
oie.' The loan of £74,000 required is there
fore for no speculative or doubtful purpose,
.but.for objects of a solid and useful nature,
-and.such as are in keeping with the general
progress and increase of the population, and
the present and future necessities of the
coity. '
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