Mr. W. G. Price Favours Ratepayers' Poll For Street Improvements

Wanganui Chronicle, 9 November 1950, Page 6

Mr. W. G. Price Favours Ratepayers' Poll For Street Improvements

“After five and a-half years’ service as a member of the Wanganui City Council, I am again offering myself for re-election, conscious that during that term I have endeavoured to the best of my ability to serve all sections of the community,” said Mr W. G. Price, Labour candidate and sitting member of the council, speaking at Gonville last night.

“Since first being elected I have retired from the Post and Telegraph Department and am now in a position to devote all my time and energy not only to the council but also to the Wanganui Education Board, the Wanganui Technical College Board of Managers, the Aramoho School Committee and other organisations with which I am privileged to be associated. I can assure you that I will continue to work in the best interests of ihe whole of the city. “I am fully aware of the many pressing and urgent needs in the city, particularly the necessity of improving streets and footpaths. In this respect I fully endorse Mr Rogers’ stated policy of advocating that ratepayers be given an opportunity of deciding by poll whether the programme of tar-sealing many more streets, and also improving footpaths, should be accelerated, or the present policy of sealing out of revenue continued,” said Mr Price. “I must reiterate what has already been stated on numerous occasions in the past. Finance is one of the council’s main problems, for the expenditure of any local body is limited almost entirely to the amount of its re* venue from rates. There is also the urgent need for improving ouf* reserves. This is another question that will need very close attention, because here again finance is involved. “In civic administration one is confronted with many problems, but they are not insurmountable if the right approach is made to them,” Mr Price added.