LOAN POLL ARGUMENT

Taranaki Daily News, 19 December 1931, Page 16

LOAN POLL ARGUMENT

PATEA MEMBER’S ATTITUDE. CRITICISM ■ BY CHAIRMAN. The attitude of Mr. A. J. Gibbs, one of the Patea county representatives on the South Taranaki Power Board, when support for the loan proposal was being sought was criticised by the .chairman, Mr.°J. B- Murdoch, at last night’s meeting of the' board. Mr. Murdoch said he regretted, the stand adopted by Mr. Gibbs. Mr. Gibbs had not opposed various resolutions ot the board leading up to the poll, nor had he opposed the board’s granting the chairman authority to take such steps as he thought necessary to further the proposal. At the previous board meeting Mr. Gibbs had said he did not personally favour the loan, but would do nothing against it. 1 . . At two meetings of ratepayers which the chairman had addressed in support of the loan, Mr. Gibbs had advised the people not to vote for it, Mr. Murdoch alleged. The chairman considered that after a subject had been thrashed out by the board members should support the board’s decision, though it might not coincide with their own views. Mr. Murdoch had hoped that the members would work as a team. Mr. J. W- Snowdon said he believed opponents of the loan had issued a circular in which there might have been misstatements. He understood that one of the chief opponents of the loan already had his home lit by electricity. Mr. Gibbs said he had made it clear that he was not in accord with the views of all the board. He had never led the board to believe he would support, the loan. He was responsible only to the ratepayers in his district and did not represent the views oi the chairman and other members of the board. He had attended two meetings at which he had said nothing very desperate. He had taken no part in any propaganda. If a circular had been issued, and he did not know that it had, he knew nothing about it. He had not canvassed against the loan, nor. had he followed meetings around criticising it. He had attended two meetings in his own district, where the views of the ratepayers apparently coincided with his own. He had said nothing further than what he had said at those meetings. His attitifde might have caused concern because he was not as enthusiastic as other members, but he could not help that. Sixty per cent, of the ratepayers had supported the loan and that ended the matter as far as he was concerned. Mr. Murdoch said Mr. Gibbs’ attitude had caused the board a lot of work. It was .not a question of dictating to any member. Mr. Gibbs said Mr. Snowdon’s remarks must have referred to him. His part was an expensive one and he would link up with the board’s supply when available, as it would mean a Saving. At the meeting he had expressed only his own view, which was that the present was not an opportune time to raise a loan. He believed that New Zealand suffered from too many loans, though he admitted many were for less productive proposals than the board’s proposal. Mr. E. Long said that in his opinion anyone advising ratepayers to vote I against the loan had stood in his own light. The present he considered was I the very time when the loan should

have been supported. Thousands of pounds were being sent to foreign countries for petrol and the money .would be kqpt in New Zealand if electricity were 'used. From his own experience he knew it was from 15 to 20 per cent, cheaper to milk by electricity. At a meeting in Alton Mr. Gibbs was reported as saying that he was not in favour of the loan proposal at the present time, but was agreeable that it should be put to the ratepayers; if 60 per cent, of them wanted it they were entitled to it. ’ i