HARBOUR FINANCE.

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 158, 22 July 1937, Page 4

HARBOUR FINANCE.

Those concerned about Napier Harbour Board affairs, ratepayers in particUlar, will doubtless have noted with interest the announcement, ;n our yesterday's issue, of the intention to seek legislative authority to raise further loan money with which to carry on the work of making a harbour at the Breakwater. The notable feature of this proposal is, of course, tEat it is not intended to give the ratepayers any say with respect to it, but to avoid the need for taking a poll. To this end the now legislation is not take the shape of an amending local Bill that would be open to possible objeetion from dissenting ratepayers, but is, by special arrangement made between chairman and Minister, to be embodied in the Government 's customary "washing-up" Bill. iSo far as we can ascertain, this proposal has not been publicly discussed by the Board, so no idea can be formed as to the amount involved, and on that may depend greatly judgment as to the propriety of the procedure which the chairman will doubtless require to ask the Board to confirm. Before doing this he may be confidently expeeted to lay before, not only the Board but the public also, his qromised statement as to how the financing of the undertaking reaLy stands. Indeed, it will have been noted that the Minister himself asks for some such statement, and it can only be hoped that full and detailed information ?^il] be furr^hed as to both past and prospective expenditure.