HUTT ROAD BILL THE MAYOR'S ATTITUDE. MR. WILFORD EXPLAINS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXII, Issue 62, 11 September 1911, Page 7

HUTT ROAD BILL THE MAYOR'S ATTITUDE. MR. WILFORD EXPLAINS.

On his return to his official duties this morning the Mayor (Mr. T. Ist. Wilford, M.P. was asked by a Post representative: if he had anything to Say on th& subject of the Hutt Roads Bilj. "1 underhand," said Mr. .Wilfotd. "that my attitude in not opposing the Hutt Road Bill has been criticised wh>»& I have been away. I took the profit atMtude and I claim that no adverrtt criticism could reasonably be directed against it. My reasons are these ! 1 called: two meetings of the heads of local authorities concerned under th* Act of 1903 and we went through th* Bill and were satisfied that the Bill oi 1911 imposed no greater liability on. local bodies than was imposed by the 1903 Bill. If the Bill before the House had been prevented from passing, then the contributions of Wellington City, and the Hutt, Petone, and On&low boroughs and the Hutt County would have been increased, because unless the Bill was passed Miramar, Eastbourne, Upper Hutt, and Makara, who were formerly liable, would have escaped. The result would have been that Whatever Would have had to be paid by local bodies, would have been increased to make tip for the loss from the noft-inck-dm of these bodies?. Obviously, therefore, it wa# in the interests of Wellington City, the Hutt, Petone, and Onslow Boroughs and Hutt County that the Bill should go through. Thets wa* no other foly of looKihg at the position. The procedure was .agreed to by the Mayors and chairmen of these local authorities and they will bear me out in thig contention. In plain language, if the Bill had been prevented from passing, the liability, whatever it may be, which Under the Act of 1903 was divided among nine local authorities, would have had to be divided ahionf five under the Act of 1910. It ie a simple mtm in arithmetic to show that £60,000, say, divided among nine means a less contribution from each body concerned than if five alone had to bear it."