LOANS AND SPECIAL ORDERS

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 115, 11 November 1929, Page 8

LOANS AND SPECIAL ORDERS

(To the Editor.)

Sir,—Paraphrasing the phraseology of a famous gentleman from Table Mountain the ways of the City Council of Wellington seem peculiar. During this session of Parliament the council promoted a Ideal Bill. It- was called the Wellington City Empowering Amendment. This measure covered a lot of ground from requiring private owners subdividing their lands to construct drains to giving the council power to transfer a portion of the Town Belt to the Wellingon Fire Board. Few councillors apparently, know but little of the powers and comprehensiveness of this varied and autocratic measure. By one of its autocratic" powers the longsuffering ratepayers are deprived of their rights to review or authorise the raising of loans for specific purposes. It will be in the memory of all citizens that a loan tor Bowen street was turned down by the ratepayers' vote's last year; and several times those having knowledge of the city's affairs told the ratepayers that they did not know what they were doing, and that, despite their votes, the work would be proceeded with. While ratepayers slept and slumbered the City Council, it seems to me, has stolen a march upon them. The Bill already named now provides that "special orders of the council raising special loans shall be unassailable on the passing of this Bill," and the Bill is passed. Before the House that passed the Bill had risen the City Council had a special meeting and passed resolutions authorising itself to raise £139,000, none of which is for the repayment of old loans, but, is all stamped "1929." Next appears an " advertisement in the "Evening Post" of 6th November, 1929, which, boiled down, reads: That the City Council doth hereby resolve by way of special order that a special loan of £80,000 ... be raised for the purpose of constructing . . . alliation or extension of ... and Bowen street, etc. The rate of interest is fixed at 5% per cent., and the security for interest and sinking fund (1 per cent.) is a 6pecial rate "on all rateable property in the City of Wellington." All these loans amounting to £139,000 are covered by "special rates" and the security is the same. And "without discussion each resolution was agreed to unanimously." " So in the twinkling of an eye, and without a murmur of protest or justification from any councillor elected to safefiuard the rights and privileges of ratepayers, a further burden of approximately £10,000 a year was added to the rates. The Legislature saw something peculiar in all this, and contrary to the wish duly expressed by the council, provided that the Bpecial orders of the council shall not be assailable "unless proceedings are commenced within three months" from" the passing of the special order resolution. But who will bell the cat? It may be the council has no intention of circumventing the expressed will of the ratepayers in relation to the Bowen street business, but in view of what has been said and now what has been done, many ratepayers will be convinced, even if they had any doubt about it previously, that the ways and methods of the City Council under the present regime are peculiar. —I am, etc., > * J. D. SIEVWRIGHT.