THE RIVERS BOARD LOAN.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 242, 29 September 1911, Page 6

THE RIVERS BOARD LOAN.

TO THE EDJTOK. Sir. I notice in your issue of the 27th a letter over the signature of the Hon. J. D. Ormond on the above subject, in which he infers that there is considerable misconception on the subject. Now, so far as Pukahu is concerned, we have been under a misconception in that we were lead to believe that we could claim differential rating, but that illusion! was rudely di.-;>elled, and now. when ; we have came to <>ur proper sense-, we fined we are subject to a uniform sate. Mr. Ormond says, “That it was intended to provide for differential' rating for Pnkatu. and it was only i by accident that this was not done.”) He promises to have this little defect rectified. This is like locking the stable do >r afte r the horse has been stolen. In any case accidents may happen in the future. Would it not be better to leave the loan question altogether tilt the position is better defined- until the present Bill is consigned to the w.p.b. where it should have been thrown long ago. and something better substituted I see no hope of any good being done. I am convinced that the present Act is absolutely unworkable and it is impossible for the board to do any good under it. Mr. Ormond says that the responsibility of rejecting the loan will rest with the Pukahu ratepayers, and that it will prejudice their chance f getting fair treatment in the future. lam not at al! certain that the :<>.'.n will be lanctioncd in the' other wards of the district, leaving cur Pukahu altogether. As far as I can ascertain there is great dissatisfaction through

t ut the district which shows to me that the scheme as a whole is not acceptable to the ratepayers. I think it can be claimed that, at the outside, not more than 25 per cent, of the ratepayers will be benefited by the scheme. That “5 per cent, should be exploited for the benefit of the remaining 25 per cent, is not a fair proposition. As long as the impjressiori r> mains in the minds of the ratepayers that a few r>f the large landowner- are trying to exploit the d’siri'-t for their own bcnHit, there is little chance of this or any other loan being sanctioned. At any rate t'ukahti ratepayers will vote against this loan and take their chance of getting justice in the future. Mr. Ormond is making the most of the maximum rate business, and is trotting it out for all it is worth, but I scarcely think he will be able to land it. a winner. I don’t know whether Mr. Ormond’s explanation will correct the misconceptions or not. but I think it leaves the ratepayers in ttisch the same condition .as it found them namelv. m a fog.- 1 am. etc.. THOMAS TALBOT. Ngatarawa. Sept. 2'-th.