A LOAN DELAYED.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1574, 18 October 1912, Page 4

A LOAN DELAYED.

— ♦ AN APPEAL TO THE MINISTER. "Tho owner of tho pipes is threatening to put in a receiver, and they do not luiow what to do" said Mr. Clark (Chalmers) in tho Housta of Representatives yesterday afternoon, in asking the Minister for Finance to assist the WaiItouaiti Borough Council to obtain a loan of .€9OOO for water-works, which was provisionally approved by the State Advances Board. He explained that some eighteen months ago tho loan was authorised almost unanimously by the ratepayers, but subsequently tho board notified the conn, cil that somo technical error had been mado in connection with tho poll. Tho position now was that tho council had no money for the work, and even if it received tho full amount of <£5000 now allowed, it would not have enough. Mr. Clark suggested that if a new poll was taken, and tho error rectified, the Minister might assist the oouncil—without using any political influence—to obtain the amount provisionally granted, Tho Hon. J. Allen (Minister for Finance) replied that he had no power to interfere with tho board, and unless it recommended him to take some action in the matter, ho could not do bo until the law was altered. He advised the member to wait until tho Public Accounts Committee reported on the administration of the State-guaranteed advances system, and see whether ho could gain any hops from that or from the amendments to tho Act which would be introduced in a few days.