A QUIET RECEPTION.

Waikato Times, Volume 87, Issue 13273, 31 August 1916, Page 7

A QUIET RECEPTION.

(Continued from Page 6.)

value and purposely avoided making the stronger ease, because lie wished to present the matter to them in the fairest possible manner, and showed Frankton as being in the strongest financial position. The Fairer Statement. Mr Biss, continued Cr Ellis, by usinfg the endowments, shows Hamilton with less than half the "excess liabilities" of Frankton, and he (Cr. Ellis) considered that he presented the fairer statement of the present position. A good deal had been said about his having placed wrong figures before them, but as he did not go outside the published and audited statement of accounts of the two boroughs, it was impossible for them to be wrong. Councillors seemed to think that he had misled them as to what the rating position would be if they joined Hamilton as a separate rating area. ''l have always maintained," said Cr. Ellis, "that, under amalgamation, our rates would not exceed 2d in the £. You will see that .Mr Hiss proves on the figures for last year and the estimates of the two boroughs for the current year, that a gentral rate of ljtl would be quite sufficient. Adding to this the 7-1 Gd required to pay the interest and sinking fund on our unproductive loans, our total rates under amalgamation would be 1 la-lGd in the pound; still under my estimate, although matters have altered considerably since it was made."

Cr. Smith: Hut you objected to our present rate of 1 ,'d. Cr. Ellis: That is so, and f slill object to it. II is bad finance, and you can only carry through by increasing your overdraft. Supporting His Contention. Cr. Ellis, in concluding, said that he had tried all along lo place the position fairly before them, and lie was naturally pleased that the report under discussion supported his contention that amalgamation was a good thing for Frankton.

Cr. Smith: You were perfectly honest, Cr. Ellis, but you were on Ihe wrong wicket. Laughter.) The .Mayor asked what reply would

they send I" Mr Hiss? Cr. Smith: Ask him to make bis charge low and the payment, term as lonu' as possible. . Laughter.)

Cr. Jolly thought that .Mr Hiss might have left out the part telling them they should <i<i their shopping in Hamilton, and given llicni some more simple ligures.

The report was adopted, and it was resolved, on the motion of Crs. F.llis and .lolly, to send a copy to the Hamil-

The report of the Department of Internal Affairs oflirer, .Mr Newton, whieh practically decided the matter as far as the .Minister was concerned, got "short shrift," and was adopted after a few minutes' discussion.