FOXTON’S LOAN RESTRICTION

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 2334, 27 September 1921, Page 2

FOXTON’S LOAN RESTRICTION

UNLESS some' more satisfactory arrangement can be entered into between the loeal Borough Council and the State Advances Department to increase the annual advance from ,Cs,()(>o to .ClO,not) per year, for water and drainage it will be eight or ten years hence before the scheme is consummated. At the last monthly meeting of the Council notification was received from the. State Advances Board that the annual advance had, been cut down by half, and in the state of the present financial stress even this reduced sum could not be guaranteed. This intimation fell like a bomb on the Council, and necessitated the immediate curtailment of laying the mains and disorganising the present work. It was decided to send a deputation to wait on the Board and explain the urgency of Koxton’s claims to consideration indhe inter<*sts «»£’ public health. The Board replied that it could not receive deputations, and at lasi night’s Council meeting it was decided to wait upon the Minister of Finance and lay the matter before him. In our opinion, advances for essential public works which have a direct bearing on the health id' a community should be given special consideration. Can the Board say that this principle has been applied generally. We make bold to say it cannot. Foxton is not the only place which will suffer hardship by the proposed reduction, for we notice that Mr Masters (Stratford) has given notice in the House to ask when the Government proposes to remove the restriction which was “causing distinct hardship to many authorities in the buck-blocks.’’ We feel sure that Mr Newman will assist our Council to place Foxton’s requirements’in this connection before the Board.