SEQUEL TO REJECTION OF LOAN PROPOSALS

Chronicle (Levin), 19 November 1946, Page 4

SEQUEL TO REJECTION OF LOAN PROPOSALS

Stating that he believed the works envisaged in the recent loan proposals rejected by ratepayers were necessary to the progress of the borough, the Mayor, Mr. H. B. Burdekin, saiid at last evening's meeting of the Levin Borough Council that he had intended resigning from his position because he could not suhscribe to a policy which he regarded as retrograde and non-progressive. However, as a result of a letter he had received from the Levin Junior Chamber of Commerce that evening, pledging itself to work for future loan proposals, he had reconsidered the matter and was prepared to continue in office and await the result of the Junior Chamber's efforfs. Two members of the council, Crs. A. O. Powell and D.^ J. Gardiner, indicated that prior to the receipt of the Junior Chamber's letter they had intended following a similar course.

The Mayor told the meeting that the Junior Chamber had heard a rumour of his intention to resign, and late that afternoon he had met its board of directors by invitation and explairied his reasons for his decisioh. Later, in consequence of that meeting, he had received the letter. The Junior Chamber's letter stated that at a meeting that evening it had passed a resolution urging the Mayor to reconsider his decision and pledging itself to call a public meeting after the general election in order to place before the ratepayers the full facts in relation to the recent loan proposals poll. In addition the Junior Chamber pledged itself to work , for and assist the council in carrying out any future loan- proposals insofar as they related to water and machinery. In concluding, the . letter expressed the hope that the Junior Chamber would have the pleasure of working side by side with the Mayor for the betterment of the •cown. Commenting ou the letter, the Mayor said that if it was possible to get some result from the meeting which the Junior Chamber proposed to convene, he was prepared to leave his resignation in abeyance until after that was held and the outcome was known. "I am going to leave it to this meeting to see if we are to make this borough the most progressive up and down this coast, instead of retarding its progress," he added. "The verdict of the ratepayers on the loan proposals has no- doubt given you all much food for thought," said His Worship. "While I cannot, of course, speak for the whole council, I think the result must be regarded as either a vote of no confidence in the policy of the council, or a definite attempt on the part of a certain section of the ratepayers to say that there shall be no inerease in the rates, regardless of the merits of the proposals. "I have not heard any adverse criticism of the proposals themselves, other than that to purchase the land, even from those who openly stated that they voted against them. What may be' a repercussion of the change over to rating on the unimproved values, may also have had something to do with the feeling of ratepayers whose rates were considerably increased as a result, not to vote for anything which would have the effect of a further inerease. "With regard to the voting itself, it can only be regarded as most unsatisfactory, as barely one-third of the total on the roll voted, and it was not a conclusive test of what the majority of ratepayers really felt. It may- be that as it is twenty years since a poll had been held, that many entitled to vote did not realise their responsibility, but be that as it may the small number voting evidenced a surprising lack of interest in the welfare of the borough. Drainage Issue "To those who voted against the proposals on the slogan of 'Drainage First/ I would say that they evidently did not realise that the implementing or otherwise of these proposals would not have increased the time necessary to instal the drainage by one day. "Personally, I regard the drainage as a most necessary and urgent measure, but only to be undertaken when the fullest information is available, and after the most careful consideration of the alternative methods, both as to their feasibility and their cost. Some months ago I discussed the queslion with a Minister of the Crown to see whether the intentions of the Government as to the work to be carried out by the regional councils would cover such a work as the local drainage scheme. I was informed that it was only about third or

fourth priority, and consequently could not be regarded as a measure to be undertaken at once. However, I think that the council should continue with the taking of levels^ and have everything ready to prdceed when the scheme has been decided on and the necessary consent of the Government can be obtained. The drainage, however, cannot in any way be regarded as an ' alternative to the proposals submitted in the recent loan measures. They are two entirely inde?pendent and separate matte^s. Blow at Borough's Progress "In my opinion a serious: blow has been dealt at the progress of the borough by throwing out the absolutely essential proposals for water and streets, footpaths and machinery. There could be two. opinions about the purchase of the land, as this measure was in a different category to the others, but I am at a complete loss to understand the reasoning of those who voted against' the other proposals. "It would almost seeip as if the effect on the rates of the passing of the loan proposals had not been appreciated, as I have been told of criticism on the street that- if these proposals had been carried, then with the cost of drainage on top of that Levin would have been so heavily rated that it would retard its progress. I have also been told that during my term of offiee, as a result of too much spending, the rates have gone up. "Now, what are the facts. Notwithstanding increases in costs, which have affected almost every phase of our borough activities in common with every other public and private enterprise, had it not been for the necessity to replace a tfuck destroyed by fire, and for the replacement of which no adequate provision had been made in past years, the rates for the current year, other that the hospital rate over which we have no control as a local body, would have actually been slightly lower than the previous year. "Then again, the total additional annual cost to each ratepayer, had the loan proposals been carried out, on the basis of an average unimproved value per section of £150, would have been just over 12s each. Some of this annual inerease may well have been saved, as it is always a fact that when loan moneys are being used in the general work or the borough, ordinary revenue expenditure is less. So then, for the sake of 12s per annum, people who have been patiently waiting for footpaths for years, and have been told that they would have them when the war was over, have now got to wait indefinitely. Need for Machinery "As far as the need for machinery Is concerned, I will content myself with merely saying that within the last few days the grass on the berms in Queen Street has been cut by hand with a scythe. If, for lack of proper machinery, this method :i§ what we ai;e- forced to adopt, then we can hdrdly call ourselves progressive." 5? f Councillors' Reactions Cr. Gardiner said he wholeheartedly supported the Mayor's statement. He felt the rejection of the loan proposals by ratepayers was a vote of no-confidence in the council. He had intended resigning because the defeat of the loan proposals meant that progress would be stullified, and he considered the council's efforts towards the growth of the borough would be useless. However, in view of the assurance of a body like the Cr. Powell also endorsed the Mayor's statement. He felt after consideration of the defeat of the loan proposals that it would be futile to carry on when the policy could only be anything but progressive.