THE LOAN PROPOSALS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 295, 7 September 1920, Page 6

THE LOAN PROPOSALS

MEETING AT HATAITAI. A meeting to consider the city loan propasals was held at Hataitai last evening, Mr. A. Leigh Hunt presiding. Delegates from the Eastern Suburbs League were also present. The chairman stated that, a recent meeting of the Town Planning Association hail approved 'he whole schedule, especially if the City Council could get through tho various works proposed in the next five years. Ho thought the council were wrong in pledging themselves to such large proposals without first placing the matter before the ratepayers. Fe 'hoped that city and suburban Tatopayers would adopt the schedule as a whole. The interests of ratepayers generally would have to Ik studied to get them to tho poll. Propaganda work would have to be dono in tho district, and as this meant funds he suggested that a levy should be made. From the point of view of eastern suburbs residents tho tunnel question was of vital importance, and if tho proposal was not carried at this poll it would lw another five years before the electors would have a chance of voting on the question. In this respect they were as anxious to help the proposals for other suburbs, as he believed tho other suburbs were to help them. Mr. A. Blake, president of tho Eastern Suburbs Citizens' league, said that tho league was not satisfied with Hie grouping of the proposals, and urged that it was a debatable point whether the new power station should be erected in Evans Bay, especially as experts differed as to the site. The suggestion that tho trams should ran through Wakefield Street met with their disapproval, and it was felt that tho Orongorongo tunnel contract required some further explanation from the council. Personally he was forry that tho linking up of 'the Wallace Street tram with John Street had not been listed with tho other items. At the recent meeting in tho Town Hall. the Mayor seemed to think that the ratepayers' associations wore not needed. In fact, he referred to them as nebulous bodies. The suburban associations were trying to foster the civic spirit, and in his opinion should bo encouraged. The Mayor had called a further meeting for Tnarsday night, so evidently ho had arrived at the conclusion that the ratepayers generally needed further enlightenment. He was of opinion that there should he a representative of the eastern suburbs on tho City Council, and cordially supported tho candidature of Mr. W. J. Gaudin for the forthcoming by-election. Mr. H. A. Huggins hoped that the noil would not be treated in a parochial spirit. The Mayor, ho said, had referred to tho ratepayers' associations somewhat slightingly, but in his (the speaker's) opinion His Worship would find them a power in the land. He moved that this meeting of residents of Hataitai and North Kilbirnie support the full loan schedule

Mr. W. J. Gaudin seconded the. motion. He said that if Wellington was to progress at all money must be raised for these works—they could not be done out of revenue.' All were agreed that the 'schedule was not perfect. It seemed to him that tho grouping of the items had not been fixed by the council, but rather that it had been done for them. He regarded the Mount Victoria tunnel proposition ns a city work, becauso it would relieve the congestion on Adelaide Road. In his opinion tho cost of the tunnel was overestimated, and the opinion of one man should not be taken on this important matter. The price on the 1914 schedule was 100 per- cent, less than the present estimate, which was difficult to understand, because labour was the chief item. Another matter open to discussion was the proposed location of tho new power-house, more especially as one of the City Council's experts favoured the present Harris Street site. If they wanted to see the city progress they would have to vote for the whole of the proposals, and if they wero carried the council would have to seo that the most urgent works wero pressed on with.

Tho meeting decided to support Mr. Gaudin's candidature at the forthcoming by-election, and thoso present formed themselves into a committee to work for tho candidate. The levy for propaganda work was also agreed to, and committees were formed to canvass the district for contributions.

MEETING AT SOUTH WELLINGTON. A meoting to consider the loan proposals was held last evening by the Wellington South Progressive Association. Councillors Wright, Dale, Bennett, M'Kenz'e and Chapman, attended and explained tho proposals. Mr. W. A. Worth, chairman of tho meeting, suggested that ratepayers should take a broad view of tho proposals, and other speakers also considered that the schedule should be suppirted as a whole,