AN EXTRA RATE

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 25053, 17 November 1944, Page 6

AN EXTRA RATE

ONEHUNGA BOROUGH

MEETING PAST LOANS Much noisy but good-humoured argument was heard last night at the last of a series of three public meetings called by tho Onehunga < Borough Council to explain the present state of the borough finances and reasons for the council's decision to collect additional rates this year and until further notice. The meeting was held at Royal Oak and there was an attendance of over 200 people. The Mayor, Mr A. Garside, gave details of loans totalling £68,000 which previous non-Labour councils had raised since 1935, and in respect of which special rates had been struck,but never collected, interest and sinking fund payments having been made out of general revenue. The amounts were: — Waikaralca Cemetery and recreation reserve, £15,000 and £7000; water supply, £42,500; Emergency Precautions Service, £3500. The Mayor added that the present council had been obliged to budget for an overdraft of £II,OOO at the end of the current year. For water supply a further £40,000 would have to bo borrowed. The contract price of tho new reservoir being built on One Tree Hill was £28,000. Former Mayor's Question • Mr J. Park, recently Mayor of the borough, rose in the audience and invited the Mayor to say what revenue would be obtained from water in future. "In a few years it will be free to you," he said. The -Mayor replied that the same promise had been made about the Waikaraka recreation ground, but it had proved to be a liability. In reply to a question on the probability of greatly increased purchases of water by the Mount Roskill Road Board in the next few years and greater consumption in other districts, the Mayor said the council expected to sell less water this summer owing to the closing of Government vegetable gardens-and military camps. < A Christmas Box The Mavor said, that now that the matter had been placed before the ratepayers the council intended to collect the special rates he had mentioned, totalling 1 11-12J in the pound. The charge would amount to about 16s on the average residential property. ' "Demands are going out on December 12," Mr Garside concluded. "It will be a Christmas; box for you, and you can pay in January and make it a New Year gift to the council." (Laughter.) ' The meeting broke up without passing any resolution. TRAINING SERVICEMEN THE TIMBER WORKERS : REPLY MADE TO CRITICISM (P.A.) WELLINGTON. Thursday A reply to criticism in respect of the recently announced subsidy scheme for the training of ex-servicemen in the timber industry was made today by the Minister of Rehabilitation, Mr Skinner. Some of his comments referred to statements made at Ilotorua by Mr C. Lindsay, a member of the national council of the New Zealand Timber Workers' Union. "Right from tho timo the scheme was first mooted, over 12 months ago, the Trade Training Advisory Committee of the Rehabilitation Board has kept in touch with the representatives of tho employers and employees, including the New Zealand Timber Workers' Union," said the Minister. "At the last such conference, held at Rotorua on September 5 last, the union was represented by Mr Lindsay. The trade training committee subsequently made its recommendations to the Rehabilitation Board,; which decided to offer subsidies for various periods." % Mr Skinner pointed out that the intention of tho scheme of subsidies was to ease the entry into the timber industry of inexperienced or slightly experienced, ex-servicemen. In the past employers had to train men at their own expense, paving full award rates from tho stari. He knew that it took a lot longer than three months to train a competent bushman, and he had not implied any such suggestion in his original statement. "I also notice that Mr Lindsay and Mr Seator. president of the union, make inferences about providing cheap labour under the scheme, and that the workdone by bushmen and mill hands is regarded*as relatively unimportant by the Rehabilitation Board," said Mr Skinner. He added that ho knew only too well the sterling performance that had been put up by this class of worker. They had worked long hours in their country's need. TIMBER FOR HOUSES NO PRIORITY FOR SOLDIERS A decision to ask that the supply of materials for returned servicemen's homes should bo given the same priority as for State housing was reached at yesterday's meeting of the Auckland District Rehabilitation Committee. It was also agreed to support a suggestion from Mr C. B. Sinel that labour on that typo of building should die declared essential. A letter from , the timber controller stated that of tho total volume of timber going to the Auckland district 50 per cent went to essential work and furniture making, and the remainder to building, mostly of State houses. The main difficulty was the timber shortage in tho North Island. New mills were being considered and machinery had been purchased in tho United States, but there would probably still be a shortage. It was suggested that the use of other materials, such as bricks, should be investigated. Mr A. P. Postlewaite said he was amazed to see that ex-servicemen wore given no preference over civilians, but had to compete with them for the available timber supplies. _ It was stated that in somo cases men had plumbing and other materials on the site, but had been waiting for three to four months for timber.