TRAMWAY WORKS

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 30, 5 February 1931, Page 18

TRAMWAY WORKS

i RATEPAYERS' STATEMENT

: Following upon the presentation of pk petition sigaed by 4000 ratepayers Challenging the right of the City Counjril to raise loans without the consent o£ the ratepayers, a conference was held ■between a special committee of the City Council and representatives of the Wellington Ratepayers' Association. Subsequent to. that'the Mayor, issued a statement outlining a modified plan of action Sn regard to the.access to eastern and western suburbs. To that statement tho Wellington Katepayers' Association has forwarded to the Town Clerk a reply, in the tiourso of which it says: " The committee distinctly and definitely affirms that, the petition fulfils all conditions required by the Traniyay.» Act, 1908. "It is of opinion that it has no power to withdraw the petition. It considers itsolf• trustee for the signatories rfchercto to do 'everything in its power ensure the carrying out of tho prayer of the^petition, and it affirms its inten,tion to fulfil such trust. "The association's delegates have reported that during the • conference they were informed that the £40,000 Stated to bo available for this work from electricity department funds would be insufficient to complete even the modified scheme by about £18,000, but that the council proposed to proyide this from somo unused unemployment loan carrying a Government subsidy. The committee-most gravely challenges the-legality of tho use of such' funds for tho purposes of works to be tarried out under a tramways authorising order." The opinion was expressed by the Committee that, in view of tho present rind prospective serious economic conditions facing the no further loans for street-widening purposes should be entertained by the council without direct authority from the ratepayers, notwithstanding that such action may Be permitted by statute. For the same reason no unexpended money already arranged for such purposes should be exploited or used except in pursuance of legal commitments .already made.