WAIKATO RIVER BOARD

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 745, 19 August 1929, Page 10

WAIKATO RIVER BOARD

SETTLERS SEEK RELIEF LIQUIDATION OF LOANS (Front Our Own Correspondent) PUKEKOHE, Saturday. Tlie affairs of tha former Waikato River Board were dealt with by a deputation which waited on the Minister of Public Works, the Hon. E. A. Ransom, today. The deputation asked that the Government should contribute £3,780 toward the liquidation of the loans by the board. The amount represented that proportion of the loans, which now stood at £10.329, for which the D class lands in the river board’s territory would be held as security. Th* original loans raised in 1913 totalled £9.750. This amount was increasing by the addition of accrued interest. The board was abolished two years ago and the Waikato, Franklin and Raglan Counties had assumed liability for the amount outstanding. When the first loans were raised D class lands were excluded from paying rates, but as the responsible authorities now desired to raise fresh loans with which to extinguish the old debts, difficulties arose regarding the ity. If the Government paid £3.780 toward the amount the difficulty classification and rating over the A. h and C classes of land would be simplified. The Minister said he was quite in accord with the suggestion that tn« owners of the D class land, who had had no vote* in raising the loans, should be exempt from liability. He wanted, however, a definite assuranc* that the local bodies concerned would assume liability for the remainder o. the debts before h« could recommend the Government to vote the amouru asked for. Mr. John Dean. Franklin Count} said that assurance would be given The Minister said the request wou receive consideration.