PROGRESS—AND CONSISTENCY.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVIII, Issue 140, 28 May 1928, Page 8

PROGRESS—AND CONSISTENCY.

(To the Editor). Sir, —The Mayor of Hastings, as you can prove by looking up over back files, made a lot of noise to induce ex-Minister Parr to purchase tho site for a new Courthouse. This corner was the last part of Makirikiri Creek to be filled in. The site has been under offer for sale for the past three years and the Mayor could have bought it—and can still buy it. For a long time past the Mayor has been lamenting about the loss of rates on the section. The council paid £12,000 for the Women’s Rest section which they converted into tho dead-end of a street leading to a wholesale grog store. It has no other purpose except to carry forty-five useless electric lamps which have no purpose except the glorification of Mr Maddison. I have never heard of his lamenting the loss of rates on this section? Why? Since then they have bought another small piece which was paying rates, now pays nothing. It is also stated that the Mayor has bought Rivers’s corner of the same block. The agent told me the council had bought that piece. The Mayor is also negotiating for the purchase of other parts of the block. We don't hear anything about the loss of rates on all this property nor on a lot more old gravel pits that the council owns, and on which no rates are paid. These sections could have been sold long ago as they are only lying waste and growing weeds. Why make so much useless fuss about the Courthouse site and keep dumb about the Women’s Rest block? I like a man who does things, even if someone else has to pay for it—but I like consistency much better!—l am, etc. A. A. GEORGE. Hastings, 26,5,28.