HOSPITAL LOAN.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 22 February 1928, Page 5

HOSPITAL LOAN.

PROPOSED LENGTHENING OF TERM.

BOROUGH COUNCIL OPPOSITION. At last night’s meeting of the Hawera Borough Council the Mayor referred to the recent local bodies conference in regard to the hospital loan and the proposal to lengthen the term. After some little discussion, a motion was carried unanimously that this council communicate with the Minister of Health and point out that it considers it would be a mistake to alter the existing arrangement and go in for a longer dated loan, and that the Mayor and town clerk telegraph this resolution at once, setting forth reasons therefor.

Speaking to the motion, the Mayor said they would remember that the chairman of the Hawera County Council and himself had moved that matters remain as at present They considered the scheme a move in the wrong direction, and that it was ridiculous to say a saving would be effected.

Cr. Morrissey agreed, and said hi thought the Government would not allow the change to be made. The present Minister, he said, was at the opening and stressed the need for upholding the present scheme of finance. The Mayor said that calculations made disclosed a ridiculously small saving annually in rating, while there would be a large total loss over the whole period. The annual saving was so small as not to be worth consideration, while there was a possibility of a lessened bank rate.

“There ought to be, at any rate,.” said Cr. Simpson. Continuing, the Mayor said the advocates or the change had made much of the “poor struggling former,” but what of the “poor struggling townsman” ?

The motion was proposed by the Mayor and seconded by Cr Simpson, who said that they must take immediate action, for there was also a possibility of a decrease in subsidy.