LOAN PROPOSAL

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 53, Issue 32432, 17 May 1944, Page 7

LOAN PROPOSAL

DECISION OF COUNCIL

BETTER ROADS & BRIDGES APPLICATION TO LOANS BOARD A special meeting of the Coromandel County Council was held on Wednesday, May 10' for the purpose of considering a motion to apply to the Local Government Loans (Board for its sanction to (borrow £’3'6,000 by way of loan.

The proposed resolution was read, by the clerk, Mr J. H. 'Lucas. Several objections were received which were read, and discussed. They represented approximately 42; ratepayers. Councillors spoke in turn, the general expression of opinion being to let the proposals go forward.

Cr. E. M. Minifie stated he had gone through the items carefully and considered they were well distributed throughout the county. He maintained it was a future rehabilitation scheme to build the (Peninsula as we would like it, and he was confident that it would lead the county into the way of progress. He appealed to the councillors to think of all the boys who were coming home —were they to come home and find bad roads, broken bridges and general feeling of frustration or would they see progress wherever they went or find work to d o — as j,f this loan is carried, it must bring added work, on roads and industry. Cr. A. Watkins said the object was to get the loan through and he could not help but think that if the proposals had been for half the amount, say £l'B,oio'o it would .have been more acceptable to the ratepayers. A num-

ber of -people were afraid of the large sum involved. He agreed that the council chambers' were badly needed, but he knew there was objection by some. Cr. H. C. Bull said the loan was necessary, but that certain items' involved- were not and these would de-

feat the whole. He said he supported the proposal and hoped it would be the means of getting .sound bridges throughout the county. His riding needed them badly enough anyway, were his concluding remarks'. 'Cr. T. E. iSimpson stated, that the whole-thing was wrong in principle, giving as his reason that if money was available to fight wars it should be available to build bridges and good roads. Having said so much he said he was going to leave the matter to his ratepayers to decide for themselves. 'Cr. C. S. A. iGeard supported Cr. Simpson’s remarks and said he, too, would leave it to the ratepayers to decide. He was of the opinion that not enough of the facts were understood by a number of persons in connection with the raising of a loan and suggested that he was in favour of the question being fully gone into publicly before the ratepayers were asked to vote on it. He also stated that he considered the whole question was one of putting the cart before the horse as the county should be revalued first.

Cr. A. J. iDenize said he was, going to fight against the loan, his views being well know by most sections of the community. He advocated free money. He admitted a loan seemed necessary for bridges, but considered that as long as the council adopted the practice of paying for a loan or used revenue that the position would never be any different. Let the bridges fall down, he counselled, then the Government would have to build them the same as they have in the past under such contingencies. He intended going round his riding again and where he spent one day in his first trip round he would spend three the second time. He stated he would be fair in that he would answer questions fairly when requested and not only push his own side to it. The resolution was then put and carried, eight voting for and one against. The chairman in declaring the motion carried requested Cr. -Denize to put info writing his reasons for voting against the proposal.

uiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiHiiiiiiiiiniliiiiiiiiiiiiiiidiiiiiiiifi' Further Coromandel News will be found on Page 6.