WORK STARTED

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 102, 4 May 1929, Page 10

WORK STARTED

THE MAYOR'S STATEMENT FURTHER LOAN AND SUBSIDY LIKELY The Mayor to-day made a statement setting out the position at present and indicating the council's future intentions. "The £25,000," said Mr. Troup, "has already been accented by the City Council, .mid a loan has been arranged to enable a start to be made with the western acces:. The representatives of Labour know that 90 men have been placed on that work, the payment for which will come out of this lean and the Government subsidy together. A smaller part of the loan is being held back for the approaches to tho tunnel for the eastern access, but until such time as the tender—which is no being advertised for—is accepted, the Loans Board does not approve of that work beiug proceeded with, to which tho council took uo exception. As soon as the tender is received, and it is ascertained that the price will come within the amount anticipated then the Loans Board will be approached again. The Government subsidy allotted to the west is £15,000, the'subsidy for the east £10,000. "Thj £25,000 promised by the Government was definitely allocated by the council and by the Government for this work, -nd the loan has been raised on tho strength of this allocation. To alter in any way this allocation .vould lead to confusion and the necessary forms that have to be gone through would rather delay than expedite the work.

"The only way out of the difficulty is one which I suggested, and which the Prime Minister had now agreed to: that the Government should agree to a further subsidy to enable the council to employ a number of men immediately on works other than those of the eastern and western access, leaving the £25,000 intact for those works. A special meeting of the council is being called for Wednesday to consider tho whole matter of unemployment, and to decide whether it will accept this latest offer of the Prime Minister."