PILING ON THE AGONY.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXV, Issue 4752, 17 September 1924, Page 3

PILING ON THE AGONY.

Sir, —I regret I did not attend the las’ meeting of our Borough Council because anything said or done at these or similar meetings is much more impressive and real than mere hearsay afterwards. However, I have a copy of your last issue before me, and until I learn that you do not produce a correct statement of what took place I will content myself with your report the reel. Concerning the loan proposals as suggested by the Mayor. Mr Marshall is to bei congratulated upon bringing forward such modest yet urgent proposals—modest because cautious and inexpensive ; urgent because essential. Yet what do we read ? Cr. Flatt objects and raises the bogey that a £2OOO building might clash with a scheme for building a municipal town hall, and that the council’s finances are not sufficiently strong at present to spare money on council chambers ; yet, almost in the same breath, hei supports a proposal to expend £4OOO on present library site ! XVhy ? Is it because it would then be nearer his own backyard ? To add insult to injury Cr. Flatt considered that an important statement made by the Mayor was not sincere. Surelj this is about the last thing the Mayor can be accused of, and Cr. Flatt expresses a want of confidence in his chief by making such a flinpant remark. Maybe Cr. Flatt intended it ok a joke: if so, the sooner he learns the better that when discussing important business at the council table jesting is very much out of boundis. If my memory serves me right, this is not Cr. Flatt’s first attempt to secure improvements, at the ratepayers’ expense, adjacent to his own premises, and ratepayers should bear this in mind at next election ofi councillors. Likewise Cr. Bain’s remark. For him to say that Normanby Road would soon be a "dead-end” of the town is not worthy of a first standard schoolboy, and is a gross insult to the town and the intelligence of people who think otherwise. It behoves ratepayers to carefully watch any further attempts to increase the already heavy rate bill, at least until there is a more decided increase of population. A municipal town hall, or even 1 £4OOO building to replace the present library, is quite unnecessary at present, for, as Cr. Vuglar says, “the ratepayers are not in a position to stand it,” and I agree. RATEPAYER.