The Chronicle. PUBLISHED DAILY FRIDAY, JUNE 23, 1911. THE CORONATION SUBSIDY.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 23 June 1911, Page 2

The Chronicle. PUBLISHED DAILY FRIDAY, JUNE 23, 1911. THE CORONATION SUBSIDY.

Since it seems certain that the

public baths for Levin are not to ibe erected at present, and that in consequence of this decision of the Borough Council the profeiTed Government subsidy may be lost, it would be well if the local authority endeavoured to secure for Levin and district sonic portion at least of the maximum sum of £250 proferred by the Government in respect of certain specified works that might bo undertaken in terms of its offer. The fact should be borne in constant mind that the Consolidated Fund is raised hy taxation of the .whole dominion, and that tlhoso towns which fail to take advantage of the Government's offer will be taxed just as much as those that do accept it will be. To put tho case bluntly, -we may say that Levin must pay its sixpences to the consolidated piper in any event, and that therefore Levin should endeavour to get a tune played locally. The suggestion made by Councillor Blenklborn during the discussion on the public baths proposal— that a portion of the subsidy, if not the whole, of it, might he secured towards the cost of properly stocking the shelves of the Levin public library—seems admirable, but unfortunately it seems to be a fact that the Government subsidy is not applicable to such a purpose. None the less, there are other means of procedure that may he adopted. Why not get the baths after all? Though the Coronation of the King is now happily accomplished, Ave take it that the Government's subsidy is not limited in time by the actual occurrence of that happy event. Had the building of the baths been authorised by the coun- • cil absolutely without demur, the constructive work would have spread over several months, and in view of this eventuality it might bo well to make an endeavour to make clear to the council that a decidedly preponderating bulk of public opinion is in favour of constructing the baths. As a matter of fact, the council's estimates of expenditure for the year have been cut down, by nearly £125 in anticipation of the expenditure for the baths being undertaken out of revenue; so it follows that those councillors who were deprecating expenditure- on. the baths on the ground of inadvisable expense were needlessly alarmed, for even the biennial rate of a half-penny in the pound would not have been necessary. This, however, is a remark by the wivj. The chief point for consideration at pres;vi:it is whether an effort will be made to turn the protestors of -Monday last into better trends of thought and action. Those of them whose objections were made on I the ground of expense may see reason to modify their opposition, while t'.'.ose who considered, that insufficient time had been allowed them in which to make up their .minds and to ascertain the trend of public opinion may be better seized of both aspects of the case by the present time. If the council recedes from the logically 'untenable position it has taken up (that such works as the building of pu'blic baths should be charged to loan account and not to revenue) no doubt it will he found that the Government subsidy will be still -available.