LOANS WITHOUT POLL

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 112, 5 February 1931, Page 14

LOANS WITHOUT POLL

Ratepayers’ Protest “PETITION MUST STAND” Following upon the presentation of a petition signed by 4000 ratepayers challenging the right of the City Council to raise loans without the consent o£ the ratepayers, a conference was held between a special committee of the City Council and representatives of the Wellington Ratepayers’ Association. Subsequent to that the Mayor issued a statement outlining a modified plan of action in regard to the access to eastern and western suburbs. To that statement the Wellington Ratepayers’ Association has forwarded to the town clerk a reply, in the course of which it says:— . “The committee distinctly and definitely affirms that the petition fulfills all conditions required by the Tramways Act, 1908. ...... It is of opinion that it has no power to withdraw the petition. It considers itself trustee for the signatories thereto to do everything in its power to ensure the carrying out of the prayer of the petition, and it affirms its intention to fulfill such trust. “The association’s delegates have reported that during the conference they were informed that the £40,000 stated to be available for this work from electricity department funds would be insufficient to complete even the modified scheme by about £lB,OOO, but that the council proposed to provide this from some unused unemployment loan carrying a Government subsidy. The committee most gravely challenges the legality of the use of such funds for the purposes of works to be carried out under a tramways authorising order. The opinion was expressed by the committee that in view of the present and prospective serious economic conditions facing the ratepayers, no further loans for street-widening purposes should be entertained by the council without 1 direct authority from the ratepayers, notwithstanding that such action may be permitted by statute. For the same reason no unexpended money already arranged for such purposes should be exploited or used except in pursuance of legal commitments already made.