EMPOWERING BILL

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 29, 3 August 1923, Page 8

EMPOWERING BILL

CITY LOANS BY SPECIAL ORDER

OPPOSITION FROM CIVIC

LEAGUE.

The Wellington City Rates Consolidation and Empowering Bill was considered and discussed at a meeting of the Civic League about the middle of last month, and it was then decided to oppoae clause sof the Bill. So far as the league was able to learn, the matter had not previously been considered by any ratepayers' association, but the council of the league took the matter up, as it has representatives of the majority of those associations among its members. The meeting decided that evidence should be given before the Local Bills Committee of the House, and, accordingly, the chairman, Mr. \V. S. Wilson, and the secretary of the league, Mr. D. M'Laren, attended a meeting of the Committee with representatives of the Chamber of Commerce and the Industrial Association. .

Mr., M'Laren stated this morning that on that occasion he gave evidence on behalf of the league, which statements were endorsed by the others present. A suggestion was made, which suggestion had since been repeated, that clause 5 should be retained, but that a limit should he placed on the amount of loan money which the City Council might raise by special order in any one year Ihat proposal he was not prepared to accept, for he had seen no -representations of the need of that form of legislation at this particular time. He had been present at the annual meeting of the Eastern Suburbs League when the Bill was considered, and that meeting, which was well attended, unanimously resolved to oppose clause 5. With reference to the provisions in the • i r, ei atlnS to the consolidation of rates, said Mr. M'Laren, he had discussed the matter with a. good many citizens, and the general view expressed was that the existing complexity in regard to ratine should be avoided if possible, and that consolidation was bound to come At the same time it was felt that the effect which the new legislation would have on the rating of property in what is now the city proper should be fully explained, and m that connection he took steps towards securing the co-operation of the Chamber of Commerce for the holding of T ""*»"?, '", •the Coun«l Changer, Town Hall, which the Mayor was prepared to place at the disposal of the league, that,the Bill might be explained by the responsible officer, in charge, Mr. Mr CW 1 Pl^. Sol^itor, but owing to co ,M tle£ S lUnef the arr™gements could not be proceeded with At present the information" available to wWrhT 0 lndic?' ed that increase which the consolidation would entail to^TfS -in l he ci^ would am°«"t utw,? Ji I'" *5 e £ ' but there would undoubtedly be advantages to the city kJnVo a?u admuust*ation and bookkeeping, and the issuing pf rate notices, besides offering other advantages which Pff^y ?»d° the consolidation desirable at this time. The league had been de'iZ 6 *? tHe S6neral Principfe, but DlacedV? 6 * aS much fefcwnitioii ln,f tl be£°re ratepayers as possible' beZu r? W meetin S of the Local clnaiH T lttee-° nth 6 14th in «^nt, to was arsnPart t V CU ar matter ' as the Bi" was a matter that concerned all citi-

Clause 5 of the BiU, shortly stated proposes to give the council Lw« to raise loans for tramway or °an?Hrv pajeis for their sanction, that is, if the clause is persisted with and adopted t£!