COST OF LIVING

Evening Post, Volume XCII, Issue 75, 26 September 1916, Page 2

COST OF LIVING

MUNICH?ALISATION DISCUSSED BY'PETONE COUNCIL.

At last evening's meeting of .the. Petone Borough Council a circular letter was read from the Minister of Internal Affairs drawing attention to powers granted by Parliament, whereby municipalities may, under Government regulation, enter upon certain stated municipal enterprises such as providing clearing-houses for milk, refrigerating chambers, trawlers, bakeries, and brickworks. The Mayor stated that, with reference to milk clear-ing-houses, the proposals were not practicable in Petone. He was of opinion, and his opinion was endorsed by several councillors, that the only solution of the milk problem was a municipal dairy farm, where, if cows. were properly examined and 'tested, there would be no need of the further and expensive testing-house. He also considered that the refrigerating chambers were outside the bounds of Petone's activities at present. Councillor Cox disagreed, and thought the idea worthy of consideration. Referring_ to the fishing industry, the Mayor considered that joint action between Petone and either the adjacent smaller boroughs or the city would be desirable. In this "regard the Petone Council has already approached the city with an offer to purchase fish should the city provide a trawler. _ Councillor Anderson thought the council should take immediate steps to ascertain whether a regular supply of fish at a i-easonable price could be provided from Makara or other places, and on the motion of Councillor Forsyth it was decided to invite fishermen at Rona Bay, Makara, and Paremata to make offers to the council for the supply of regular quantities of fish.

1 On the motion of Councillor M'Kenzie, it was decided to request the Minister in charge .of the New South Wales bakeries to furnish full particulars of the working of the industry in that State. No action waa taken in regard to a brickmaking plant. In* reply to a remark from Councillor Gaynor that "he hoped the council would make a greater success of * other enterprises than it had of the gasworks and coal business," the Mayor stated that when the balance-sheet of the gasworks was available Councillor Gaynor might alter his opinion. A .business that had not had^ one penny of capital added in twelve years, but which erected out' of revenue an additional £10,000 worth of plant, and had handed over to the sinking fund_£looo besides, was surely not a bad business. He drew a comparison between, the Hamilton borough, which had just purchased a plant, and Petone, to the great advantage of ■ the ■ latter, stating that Hamilton * had just paid £60,000 for a.plant of a smaller capacity than Petone's, which was capitalised at only £21,000. *