LOANS BOARD

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 104, 4 May 1935, Page 5

LOANS BOARD

ABATTOIR PROPOSALS

I tried to get The Post* to justify the Local Government Loans Board in. refusing to Banction a. loan for.-the City Abattoirs," said Mr.'M. J. Reardon at a recent municipal election meeting. "The Post' had not replied,'but the Lbans Board had taken up the question: "Early "L cam Pa'en, Mr. Reardon explained, •J.he Post expressed satisfaction because the Loans Board would be able'to curb the activities of the Labour Party,,if • the election results favoured the Labour candidates. Mr. Reardon then: invited'the Editor of ."The Post" to. justify-the boards action in refusing a Joan*.of £48,000 to rebuild the Wellington' City Abattoirs. As a result of 'the publicity thus. given the J/oans =Board has now written the Town Clerk asking that these pubhe ■ statements should be modified.- ■'" ' _ "The facts as recorded by tlie Loans Board, do not -substantiate the-terms of your reply, to Mr. M. J. Reardon,"'"the secretary of..' the,..board .'states in ."■ hS« letter to the Tow-n Clerk.- "In the.fifirst place T the statement ha-the.Local. Governmen Loans.Board •hasrefUßed vto sanctioa a, loan on two oceasions'is;incorrect' The loan: application submittedlby your council m 1929 -wasnqt. declined by the' Loans Board.. It was referred back to the .councll. J ; f?r,. furtller consideration., as to the suitability of the-existing site, for a municipal abattoir. . .\"; ~..,; ' \'' ,'"The present; loan application was certainly declined, but in my letter of' 6eptember 4 last you were notified that the additional expenditure of £6350 for ;the .purpose of putting the works in order was not questioued (i and that in. the yiewVijf the Xoans Board this amount should; be able-to be financed out of, the cash xesources of the council. • It )wb,Uld appear that,the.conditions complained of by Mr. Reardon in his letter of the 4th' ingtanfc niayin no small measure.be,attributed>to inadequate maintenance in tbel .pastri ,1 refer here to the-condition of the concrete flooring ■which is alleged, to be so pitted aiid broken that blood and'filth, percolate through the: concrete and lie .stagnant. IE this condition of affairs exists it will apparently not be remedied as "a result ~ of the expenditure of.loan flioney,to the extent of £6350 which is the amount;included inthe present application for extensions and additions to the works.'...";

Here, iv Mr. Reardon's opinion, was-:*' striking example of . unwarranted interference with the'functions: of- the; City Council,-and' that was the issue that tha candidate tried to raise.- There was-an-, other aspect of this tnatter that, must be held against those city councillors;wh.o had control of- the■:city's. affairs for some,.years past. MQneys Had been'taken irom' the disrict fund to the une .of £14,000, t» £16,000, and spent; at the-rabattoirß-for the benefit of the master; butchers. Hid the loan been' granted the council might have been able to return' this money totits proper purpose, but with the refusalvbf the Loans Board to "sanction vtheloani that huge sum had been-wasted;:^ 'Master.bVjtchers'could ait:back and.defy the;COUftcil to collect this money out of killing.'fees, whereas -.the cpuncilv had ■ the ..power- ,to make, loans a charge ■ against theTjutcKeri.