RATEPAYERS AND LOANS

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 69, 18 September 1936, Page 8

RATEPAYERS AND LOANS

When a municipal body contem-| plates asking its ratepayers to sanction a loan for certain purposes and desires to make sure of a favourable vote, it ought first to explain clearly, in a manner which cannot be misunderstood, the exact nature of its proposals, with all essential detail, the cost involved, and, above all, the necessity for the expenditure in "question. In short, it must make out, as far as possible, an unanswerable case. The ratepayers are not only a [jury of citizens, with the common sense attributed to public opinion in the aggregate, but they are also interested parties in that their pockets are likely to be affected according to their vote. This is all the more valid a reason why their elected representatives should take every care in preparing the case for a loan. The Wellington City Council is precisely in that position; It proposes to go to the ratepayers—probably in November—with a loan schedule involving a considerable amount of money. There are two outstanding i items on. which the Mayor (Mr. Hislop) considers the council should concentrate. The first is the renewal j and extension of the city drainage [system, estimated to cost £200,000. The second is the completion of the Rongotai aerodrome, including the reclamation of part of Lyall Bay, at a cost of £140,000* of which the Government is prepared to find half. This makes a total of £270,000. Other items which would swell the total considerably: were mentioned by councillors, but these are overshadowed for the time being by the main proposals. The first item in the , scheduledrainage—has been discussed in "The Post" on several occasions, and may be accepted as an absolutely necessary work, if the city is to continue healthy. The council should have no difficulty, if the case for drainage is presented as it should be, in securing the sanction of the ratepayers for this work. With the Rongotai proposal the circumstances are different. I While it will be generally agreed that Wellington must have an adequate airport, if it is to benefit, to the full measure it deserves as the capital city and centre of the Dominion, from the most modern transport, the public still lacks assurance that Rongotai is the best or the only site for such a purpose. It has been pointed out in the news columns that expert opinion is by no means unanimous on the outstanding merits of Rongotai as an airport, even if the proposed extensions were carried out. The suitability of an aerodrome for the purpose for which it is designed is purely a matter for experts in aviation, and before any final decision is reached as to site, a scientific investigation, covering all the circumstances and conditions affecting commercial aviation, should cover all alternatives. There is no evidence available to the public that this has been done for Wellington. It may be that Rongotai would emerge from such a comparison of sites with flying colours, but in the meantime 'the Mayor cannot blame the public if they are a trifle sceptical. Unless the ratepayers can be convinced that the. heavy cost of completing the Rongotai aerodrome is justified, such an attitude may well be reflected when they come to vote on the schedule in November.