WAITEMATA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 20 November 1912, Page 3

WAITEMATA COUNTY COUNCIL.

DEPUTATION TO PEIME MINISTER.

A deputation from the WaUeinata County Council waited upon tbo Prime Minister (Hon. W. V. Massey) last Friday concerning matters affecting county finances.

Mr John Bollard, M.P.. introduced tbe deputation, which consisted of Messrs A. Cochrane, V, Kerr-Taylor. A. M. Lang, E. Day, (J, A. Cawkwell,

Mr Cochrane, in explaining the object of the deputation, said that the county ratepa3'erfs had approved a £58,000 loan, which the AY aid Government had granted. Of this sum £20,000 had been lifted, and they desired the present Government to let them have the balance' au tlio rate cf interest at which the first instalment was granted 12 months ago Auother mattor about which they were much concerned was the payment or special grants. The grunts often did not come to hand as promptly as was required, and, as the Council was only allowed a limited bank overdraft, ihey often found a dilliculty in meeting their obligations.

The PriuiO Minister, in replay, said he no°d hardly remind them that the last Administration in January last had decided that, in view of tho financial conditions prevailing, a £.30,000 limit should be observed in the matter of loan advances. Since then the stringency had not lifted, and tho present Government did not feel that it would be justified in raising the limitation until after the Minister for Finance had visited England So far as the price of money "was concerned, the Government had decided on a policy of differentiation between loaus for development and non-development purposes. In the case of loans intended for development purposes, however, a considerable reduction would bo made. Loans for development work would have first call for attention, and the work which the "Waitemata County Council had in hand would como under tho latter heading. In regard to grants, he could only assure tho deputation that tho piescnt Government intended to make all jniblio works allocations available at tho earliest possible moment, so that necessary works should bo carried out before the winter weather set in each year. Tho congestion in tho Magistrate's Court at Auckland was referred to by the deputation. It was stated that a caso in which tho County Council were interested had been hanging fire for two years. E\id(nice in support of tho County's caso he.d been given in 1910, and during the two years intervening there had been no attempt to hear the evidence for the defence, the case being adjourned time after lime, the ]M ::yisirar.«:'.s explanation being that tho congestion was such that lie could not proceed. The Prime Minist/'!1 said that the Hon. A. L. nOrdir.arrs, Minister for Justice, attention would be called to the deputeti(.n\s complaint.

The need for thorough analysis of the soils in the Waitomata county was urgf'd upon the Prime Minister. It was stated that in the oounty there was Mime of: the richest land to be found m the Dominion, but that likewise thoro wus some of the poorest. The use of nmnurps, it was stated, re--presented sunn-thing of a gajrible. A thorough analysis would give the sottiers some knowledge of what manures to use to get tin; best results. The Prime Minister replied that if samples of soils were sent to the Agricultural Department, free analysis would be made.