EARTHQUAKE LOANS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 76, 22 December 1937, Page 6

EARTHQUAKE LOANS

Hon. W. E. Barnard Replies to Hastings Mayor CONFERENCE WITH MINISTER Pollowing upon the reply made by Mr. G. A. Maddison, Mayor of Hastings, to the .suggestion of "tactlessness" made by the Hon. W. E. Barnard, Member for Napier, regarding the proposal to have the conference between local bodies and the Minister of Finance, the Hon. W. Nash, to discuss earthquake rehabilitation " loan repayments, in Pebruary, instead of January as originally proposed, Mr. Maddison has received the following letter from Mr. Barnard: — - "I aeknowledge receipt of your letter of yesterday 's date, and note the explanation nqw given to me (and the public) of the reason for asking that the Minister of Finance visit Hawke's Bay in Pebruary instead of in January. "Mr. Nash had, as you know, agreed to come up during January, and I find to-day, after consulting Mr. Cullen, that the Minister made a tentative suggestion to him that ima meeting with the local bodies concernad fcfight take place between Christmas and the New Year« Mr. Cullen, however, states he at once informed the Minister that this time would be most inconvenient. Personally, I hope that Mr. Nash will 4ake a well-earned rest during that brief hcfliday interval. "t)n receipt of Mr. Harding's letter of December 16, in which the proposal for a Pebruary meeting was conveyed, I wrote Mr. Nash and suggested that he endeavour to postpone his visit until late in January. I assume that, if ^[r. Nash fixes a time near the end of January, it will be possible for the local bodies interested to complete the data required at the meeting. "Apart from this suggestion made by me, a Copy of Mr. Harding's letter was forwarded to tha. Minister, and, as you observe, tbe decision as to date now rests with him."