COUNTY RATE is. Fixed Tentatively

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 120, 7 June 1937, Page 8

COUNTY RATE is. Fixed Tentatively

UNCERTAINTY OVER WORKS PLAN Candid Comment On Saturday's Conference FAVOUUT1SM ALLEGED Saturday's conference between local "bo0.es and' the acting-Minister of Labour, tlie Hon, P. C. Webb, was the subject of some candid •comment l»y members of the Hawke's Bay County Council to%ay. The chairman, Mr F. B. Logan, contended that no credit was due to the council for its submission of the programme of works, which was simply a revival of a list that had for a long time heen hefore the department and had "been practically ignored. The suggestion was made that certain local bodies at Saturday's conference were favoured in that their applications were heard in camera because they had the ear of the Memher of Parliament for the district, the Hon. W. E. Barnard. The treatment shown to the Hastings Lorough Council was npt considered ^ustified. Members considered that tho council had been placed in an awkward position, as it had no inforxnation regarding rates of subsidy from the Government for special works. After considerataon of the estimates to-day, which was necessary for the levying of the rates for the current year, tentative rates only were fixed. Owing to the possibility of definite advice being received by the conference of local bodies to be held on June 24, eome adjustment may be necessary. In this case there will be no anmouncement of the rate for the ensuing year nntil the Jnly meeting, when it Will be etruck. "In the notification of the purpose of the conference there was something that was unforfcunately f aulty, ' ' sa'id Mr Logan. "None of the local bodie3 knew oificially what was taking place. IWe were told that it was taking place at nine o'clock in the morning, and it dicln't start nntil an hour and a-half later. Naturally, there was a feeling of unrest in many of us at fieing brought Into town so early anci kept waiting as we were. ""What we thought would take placedid not eventuate," he said. "The acting-Minister of Labour was anxious that something should be done to solvo the unemployment problem. We are all just as anxious to see it solved. No Definite Offer, "We thought that the Minister trould have had some definite offer to make. We expected that he would have said; 'Put f orward your programme of works and we will make you a subsidy of 40 per ccnt., 50 per cent. or 60 per cent.,' as the case might be. While the Minister was absent from the room Mr Cullen said that the Government might be pxepared to give to 90 per cent. of the cost of labour. This was seized upou by Mr 'Tucker and some otkeis, who saw in it immediately greut possibilities. The Minister on his return appeared to be a little alarmed at this, as he was unable to tell us what the rate of subsidy would be. If he could have told us that, we would have Tbeen in a position to-day to discuss proposals and estimate for them.

"There is going to be a further meeting on June 24, when the local bodie3 will meet again and put f orward their proposals of works, which will afterwards be considered by Cabinet. We shall then be told what the rate of subsidy will be. "During last year," continued Mr Logan, "we submitted many works to the department which would have absorbed a large number of unemployed. Up to the present we have not had any satusfactory reply as to whether the works are satisfactory to the department or what the subsidy would be. * * On Thursday last, two days before ihe conference, our clerk, Mr O'Con"nell, sent in a list of half a dozen works, and he was careful to sfcate tha; tliese had been submitted long_ ago.

Hastings Borough's PositloD. . ' 1 Use was made of the opportunity to rap the Hastings Borough Council over the knuckles for not bringing forwaTd a programme of works. The Mayor of Hastings, who was there. was hurt about this. The county was considered to be more wide-awalce than the Hastings borongh because it had submitted a programme. It is only fair to eay that the Hastings Borough Council did not knOw what the conference was about and had no idea what would * take place. We submitted our programme a long time ago,' and there is no credit coming to us for what our clerk did on Thursday. It might be thought that Mr Maddison had slipped a. bit and had failed to do his dutv. J. can say that Mr Maddison ,'s reputation is just as fair now as it was before the conference. "The question before us, " Mr. Logan added, "is a diffieult oue to decide. If we accept the .cstitnates before us to-day without allowing for any additional works to provide tabour for unemployed, we are asking the -ratepayers to accept an expenditure °f £70,000 as against £55,000 for last year. This includes a harbour rate and the inerease in the hospital rate. We a.*e really asking the ratepayers of tlie Hawke's Bay county for an additional £15,000. "The question of unemployment is a serious one. Wo are all alaTmed at the itumber of men who are on sustenaneo throughout New Zealand. It s oertainly a national problem. It is a problem. fhat the Government said that it would solve. I don't know whether we can do very much to help them." Mr. W. Turnert How many sra cn Ipitenancc?

The chairman: About a thousand, 1 understand, in this district. "I am going to say not on the council 's behalf, hut on my own," said Mr. Logan, "something that xnost people have been afraid to say, I am very alarmed as to where the increased pay and sustenance money is going to. When I go to town on a Saturday I see things that fiU me with shame and horror. I do iiot in any way blame the publicans, and I am not a prohibitionist; but I say that drinking in New Zealand has increased beyond all bounds this year. Members have only got to go into tovm at the week-end, and they can see for themselves. "The people were given the weekend holiday in order to enjoy their leisure and to put vim into their bodies. The nest generation as a result is expeeted to be more virile and more healthy. From what is going on I can't see how the next generatiba is going to be any better than tlie present. I am saying this now in oraer that it might give some other people a lead. The position is ,serious, and this can't be denied. "Doesn't Seem Qulte Fair.' "We all know that the problem uf unemployment is a eeridus one,' said Mr. G. Lassen. "Wo are all prepared to do what we can to assist in solving it. In connection with the conference on Saturday, the Napier Harbour Board and the Taradale Town Board had their applications taken in camera. It was just those who had the ear of the member for Napier who knew what was going on. Those outside knew nothing. There was some mention made of political propaganda by Mr. Barnard, and he would not rcad the council 's letter when requested to. I should say that was very much political. The Taradale people got what they asked for io camera from the Minister without having to go to Cabinet; yet we have got to submit our proposal to Cabinet. This does not seem quite fair when others can. come in and get just what they want." "One o;f our works was estimated to cost £8000 and had cost us £60 to prapare," said the chairman. "More than that," said Mr E. lH. Beamish, in „jvhose riding the Ohiwia stream work is located., "In the council 's letter the past tense was used, showing that our work had been submitted before," poihted out the chairmau. "How could our letter be called a political letter f" asked Mr N. B. Ericksen. "It wasn't. but I don't suppose we can do any good by discussing this -any further," said the chainnan. "We placed delaila before vatdoua officers of the department and the various Ministers, and I don't see who else we could have brought our works before." A councillor; We certamly wcnt to a lot of trouble. "Both the Taradale Town Board and the Napier Harbour Board probably made requesfs before the conference to have their applications heard in camera, and we hadn't done that," said the chairman. "Nothing Definite At A11-" "It ds only fair.to state that the Minister offered to take any further applications jn camera from those who requested to do so," said Mr Ericksen. • "Why have we got to submit our proposals to Cabinet when others can get what they want without doing so?" asked Mr Lassen. "I can't answer that.'' "It is a pity that the personal aspect entered it," said Mr Lassen. "I regret that we got nothing definite concerning our proposals." The chairman: Nothing at all. "I take it that it is no good our going into the matter further just now," said Mr C. C. Smith. "We have received nothing from the Government and we will have to abide by the estimates we approve to-day."

"If we had been told what the rate. of subsidy would have been, or somewhere near it, we would have known where' we were," said the chainnan. "There is still a month to go, and works can be submitted, but they will now have to be entirely riding matters If favourable terms can be received members may be able to agree at our next meeting to further works being carried out." The matter was not proceeded with further, and the council proceeded to discuss estimates for the respective ridings.