NO MONEY FOR A PICTURE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LIV, 23 March 1921, Page 5

NO MONEY FOR A PICTURE

C 1! UISTCIIU R( 1 iTTI T Y C OUNCIL SFRIOUS FINANCIAL POSITION (My Telegraph-Special to Mail) CHRISTCH URC H, This Day, The City I ouucjl last night rejected n. mot'on to expend £SO in the purchase of a picture by a New Zealand artist at the present exhibition. During-tho discussion Or. J. A. Flosher said tne Council at the end of the financial year were going to he up against tho biggest overdraft they had over had. Whatever was clone in the way of spending money should he left to the incoming Council, and tho present Council should not pilo up debts for somebody else to pay. The Council had reached an acute position, and it was time-to call a halt and stop spending money which was not absolutely necessary. . . Cr. C. P. Agar said the motion was very inopportune. The more ho studied the financial position of the city of Christchurch the more appalling' it seemed. Did Cr, Langley (the mover of the motion) realise that the day of unemployment was very close now, and that the £SO hp wanted to spend.on a picture would be much more profitably employed in relieving unemployment during the coming winter? The Cjiieslion had to he faced, and faced seriously. as to what the Council were doing to put the finances of the city in order. A large portion of the rates for the next, year had to go towards reduction of the overdra't. IT the Council did not see to that their bankers would, and that meant the Council would have to dismiss a good many of their employees, and the £SO would hp needed for unemployment works in the winter to come. Cr. Langley: If I was as pessimistic of the future of 'this grand city of burs as Cv. Agar is. I think I would want dumping over the side of some ditch. . The Deputy-Mayor said he did not think Councillors were opposed to the purchase of a picture; but the financial position compelled them to act cautiously. Cr. Herbert- said business people at the present time wer© hard pressed, and the Council ■should not inflict on the .ratepayers one penny of unnecescary expenditure. , . , The motion was lost by 8 votes to 4.