THE SPRINGS WASH-HOUSE.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 2 November 1916, Page 3

THE SPRINGS WASH-HOUSE.

TO THE EDITOR

SIR, —In your report of the last meeting of the Helensville Domain Board, . I notice you give an accurate and complete report of the business done, but the bare report -without comment may be somewhat misleading. Your report states that Messrs Lambert, Becroft and Field voted against a proposition regarding a wash-house for the Springs Domain; alsq that Messrs Lambert and Field moved in favour of leaving the matter in abeyance ; and also that Mr Field moved in favour of a portable copper being obtained instead of a washhouse being built, The cqst of the work proposed to be done was estimated, by the committee recommending it to cost £20. Mr Lambert, in opposing the resolution, gave as his reason that the finances qf the Board were nqt in a position tq warrant the expenditure. Mr B^ecroft gave as his reason that while the Board was as heavily in debt as it is, no expenditure sh.qu.ld ha incurred that could possibly be avoided; while I, in opposing the expenditure, spoke to the following effect: The Board at the present moment is in the position that it owes to the Bant 3, debt of nearly £300, incurred some Qye years ag^q. This is guaranteed by nersqna no longer in the Board.. The B,qard also qw.es yearly £300 more than, it expended in order to make a priqr expenditure of £1000 grant moneysavaiiable, -but against this is £100 due frqm Government, whiph, howeyer, the Board cannot lift until it first pays qff a debt of £140. Sqme three months ago, |, as chairman qf the Board, arranged with the Bank^ tq obtain a further advance qf £150, upqn tfye then members of the B,qarc[ guaranteeing, tfye overdraft. This would fyaye enabled the Board to pay its debts, relieve the guarantors who no longer held. office, and put the Board in a sound financial position. The then Board, however, turned ray proposals down, and left tlfe financial pqsitiqq as it was. In opposing the resolutiqn fqr expenditure of the npney in question, I expressed my determination to oppose all expenditure outside of necessary wages, etc., until the Board's finances were put on a satisfactory basis, either by adopting my previous proposal, or. in any other w,ay the present Ejqard cquld suggest. Hoping you \yill insert tb t is explanation of our attitude. —I am, etc., "E Thitrlow Fjeld.