The Chronicle. PUBLISHED DAILY SATURDAY, JULY 15, 1911. "ONLY ONCE MORE."

Horowhenua Chronicle, 15 July 1911, Page 2

The Chronicle. PUBLISHED DAILY SATURDAY, JULY 15, 1911. "ONLY ONCE MORE."

Through 011-0 man's instrumentality, subscriptions totalling more than half the amount requisite) to gain a Government subsidy of pound impound sterling towards the proposed public baths for Levin have been obtained in this town, lint, apparently, the other £125 will be 'hard: to raise. Several prominent citizens have said that they will not subscribe, and they base their refusals on principle purely. Why, they ask, should they contribute towards establishing baths when many property owners who are absentees or neveuspend.s will escape all liability and yet 'benefit financially by the improvements that the town would experience from the expenditure? The query is apt enough. As an alternative to a footing of the full bill of C2oo by the Borough Council, a. suggestion has been made that a sum of £120 should be voted fro 1 the rates as a supplement to the £120 or so that h:as been subscribed, publicly. At first blush tlii.s suggestion seems to .be «i reasonable on.\ but closer investigation shows that in effect it would be irksome and unfair. A subscriber of £10 or £5 to the public subscription list would lie justified in making strenuous protest if the guerdon of his generosity was an additional tax upon him (however infinitesimal), to make up for the borough council grant. Wo have good' grounds for saying that when the collection day comes quite half of the public subscriptions will liave to be marked "11011 est inventus" by the honorary collect'or. if

the balance of £125 should be voted from rates. It seems to us. after viewing the case in all its asnec', s that the borough council will he well advised if it resolves primarily to hnve nothing to do with half and half measures. After that, it can discuss the general principle wit.'i "cleared decks." Tf it to vote the whole amount from the general rates, well and good: and if it resolves still to stick to its " never surrender" policy—well, neither well nor good ; but advisedly we say better this attitude than tho coinpromising alternative of putting an extra financial burden on willing shoulders of the comparative few who 'have set down their names on the list.