CITY COUNCIL’S PROPOSED POLL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 13 December 1932, Page 6

CITY COUNCIL’S PROPOSED POLL

(To the Editor) Sir, —Whilst I do not wish at the present time to cause a newspaper controversy on the debatable question of the advisability or otherwise of the City Council taking a poll for the pur pose of raising a loan for securing an Old Settler’s Memorial, and the establishing of a Fire Board for the city, yet 1 think that two statements reported in your issue of Friday last should not be allowed to pass unnoticed. The first is that “His Worship went on to refer to the fact that Nelson had the earliest settlers yet was the last place to honour its pioneers.” Secondly, the Mayor is reported as having said: “As to the Fire Board the cost would be practically wholly borne by the insurance companies.” Now both these statements are contrary to fact. The A lay or surely must know that the latter statement is erroneous, and. that the city would have to .hear , the same proportion of the cost apd..upkeep a's the fire insurance companies, I would add that in any case there may be some difficulty in obtaining the consent of the Loans Board for permission for a poll, to be taken for a loan for aiiy purpose whatever. The board evidently properly realises that it is time that local bodies should “take a pull” in regard to loans and not further increase the indebtedness and burdens of the ratepayers, and encourage extravagant administration.—l am etc.. Wm. LOCK. Nelson. 12th December.