COUNCIL'S BUILDING FUND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20981, 18 September 1931, Page 10

COUNCIL'S BUILDING FUND.

PROPOSAL AT HAMILTON. OBJECTION BY MEMBER. [from our own correspondent. ] HAMILTON, Thursday. Advice that there was no statutory impediment to the moneys set aside by the Hamilton Borough Council as a building fund being used for the purpose of erecting the proposed new municipal offices in Alma Street was leceived from the Auditor-General at a meeting of the council last evening. Criticism- of the council's intention to use the funds on hand for building purposes was voiced by Mr. C. J. W. Barton. The money, he said, should have been made available for work in the town and should never have been taken out of the general funds. The council had gone as far as it could iu getting around the ratepayers on the question. The people should have had the right of voting on the expenditure of £IO,OOO. Mr. F. H. Clapham said he considered the council had adopted the proper policy in setting aside the funds resulting from good budgeting in the trading department rather than asking the ratepayers to sanction a loan. Mr. Barton denied that the money was ever taken from the trading funds. The town clerk, Mr. L. Waddel, explained that the moneys in the building account had been found partly from rents, partly from funds which in the ordinary course of events would have been paid into the insurance account, and also from the transfer of £2OOO from the electricity account. Mr. C. Lafferty announced his intention of tabling a notice of motion to have the whole question reviewed. The Auditor-General's letter was received.