NORTHERN ADVOCATE DAILY With which is incorporated the NORTHERN MAIL DAILY. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 1919 MR FAGAN'S LETTER ON THE HARBOUR QUESTION.

Northern Advocate, 3 September 1919, Page 2

NORTHERN ADVOCATE DAILY With which is incorporated the NORTHERN MAIL DAILY.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 1919 MR FAGAN'S LETTER ON THE HARBOUR QUESTION.

Registered for transmission through

the post as a newspaper.

In our issue of Tuesday appeared a 'letter from Mr D. W. O. Fagan, in which it is stated: 'Xo poll of ratepayers will be held as to the particular scheme of harbour improvements to be adopted. I doubt much as to whether they will even be consulted on the expenditure of the money. Having once been granted the power to raise the money, the Harbour Board can go ahead and spend it in a.ny wild scheme they like," etc., etc. This .statement of Mr Fagan's is, we trust, written in ignorance of the true facts 'and is not put forth in order to prevent as much as possible the signing of the petition to Parliament now in circulation.

To put the matter clearly, the passing , into law of the proposed Empowering Bill will enable the Board to borrow and expend sums of money only in the manner prescribed by the Harbours -Act, 100S, the Rating- Act, 1908, and the Locail Bodies Loans Act, 1908. Under the first-named Act the Board, before undertaking any works, must prepare and submit to the Minister of Marine for approval plans and details, with estimates of cost and the date when such works can be completed. Duplicates of these documents rmist be lodged at some public office *at the port where the works are intended to be executed for inspection by the public.

Section 194, sub-section G of this Act, provides that if any Harbour Board at any time permits any money borrowed to be expended in any manner or for any purpose other than that for which it was borrowed and ought to be expended, every member of such board who consents thereto shall be liable to a fine not exceeding £ 100; and it shall be the duty of the Auditor-General to institute such proceedings as may be necessary to recover such fine, etc

The Local Bodies Loans Act ®ays: "Before raising a special loan the consent thereto of the ratepayers of the district shall be obtained by the locnl authority. The local authority shall publish in some newspaper circulating in the district for four successive weeks:—(a) The particular purpose or purposes for which the loan is required; (b) the suan proposed to be borrowed for each such, purpose; (c) the proposed security and the provision for repayment of the loan. The board may appropriate and pledge as security anyone or more of the following:—(a) The work, land, building, erection or other subject-matter of tihe loan, and the revenues therefrom; (b) a special rate made and levied i'or the purposes of that special loan; (c any other property of the local authority, and any revenues from any source, and any funds and monies.

If Mr Fagan -wrote in ignorance he is, of course, to be excused, but if it was with the intention of throwing dust in the eyes of ratepayers, then the above particulars will be sufficient answer.. We do not object, to our columns being , used for fair criticism on public matters, but when they are tised for the purpose of setting aside the truth in order to mislead the public, then we think it time to take a hand.