WAIMAKARIRI RIVER TRUST

Press, Volume LXXV, Issue 22768, 21 July 1939, Page 15

WAIMAKARIRI RIVER TRUST

to tot jmiTo* or tot raws. Sir, —I was surprised to learn from the report of the last meeting of the Waimakariri River Trust that it was decided to make application to the Government Loan’s Board for permission to borrow £12,300 for the purpose of erecting a shingle plant. To the average person this sounds a harmless proposition,' but to me there appears a grave danger. This is a case of a local body, which is already a heavy rating authority, going in for trading. If such a plant is erected by the trust and proves unsuccessful, then the already over-burdened ratepayer will have to foot the bill, , On iriaking inquiries I learned that in this city there are a number of privately owned shingle plants which are at the moment able to supply all the necessary requirements. If the trust operates its plant then it will possibly mean that some, of the present owners will have to go out of business, and as well as ]>eing heavy losers of capital will be forced to put many employees on the market.—Yours, etc., ANXIOUS RATEPAYER.

July 18. 1939. [When this letter was referred to Mr F. W, Freeman, chairman of the Waimakariri River Trust, he said that because of-the control works-of the trust, the position with the river was that since the new Waimakariri bridge on the North road was built some 12 years ago, measurements of the riverbed proved serious aggravations of shingle—about three inches a year—totalling about three feet. Mr Freeman said it was desirable to remove this shingle by the establishment of .a shingle plant, bv the trust or by private enterprise.]