TOWN HALL LOAN

Opotiki News, Volume I, Issue 23, 13 April 1938, Page 2

TOWN HALL LOAN

LIVELY COUNCIL MEETING ALTERNATIVE SCHEME REJECTED BOARD TO BE AGAIN approached A special meeting of the Opotiki Borough Council was held in the Borough Chambers last night. Present: the Alayor (Air. G. S'.Aloody), Councillors J. J. Moody, T. G. Johnson, S. Shalfoon, A. G. Stevenson, F. J. Short and the town clerk (Air. W. H. Briggs). An apology for absence was received from Cr. Webb. The town clerk 'read the following letter from the secretary of the Local Government Loans Board: With reference to your letter of the 17th. inst., it is not the practice of the Local Government Loans Board to supply reasons for the decisions arrived at in respect of loan proposals brought before it. In your council’s case I might mention that the Board was in possession of full reports from its technical advisers and gave full consideration to all aspects of the proposal. In the Board’s opinion the scheme was not. warranted at the present time and subsequently the matter was referred back to your Council for further consideration. If as the result of your Council’s further deliberations on this matter it is still desirous of proceeding with the loan then it is open for your Council to again- approach JII3, Loans Board for, sanction to raise the loan. A letter on the same lines was also read from Air. Hultqiust, ALP., in. which the Alinister of Finance set. out the Board’s reasons for refusal to sanction the loan.

Or. J. J. Atoody asked why Air. Hultquist had approached the Board. Air. Briggs said the member was not written to by the Council on the matter of the Board’s refusal. Cr. Moody said he must have been prompted by somewhere else. There was something wrong about it. Cr. Shalfoon said it- was very kind of Air. Hultquist to take up the matter. Someone outside the Council must have written, to him.

Cr. Johnson: If any councillor had written to Air Hultquist, the reply would have gone to that person personally—not to the town clerk.

The Mayor: The letter shows that Mr Hultquist is interested in the scheme.—Cr. Short also agreed with this view. Cr. Stevenson moved that a vote of thanks be passed to Mr Hultquist for liis interest in the matter. —Carried unanimously. The Mayor asked what was to he done about the question. Cr. Shalfoon.: You know very well what is' to be done. You have the reply. Cr. Shalfoon then said that the majority members of the, council didn't want anything. They were just twisting from corner to corner. They could have had the hall long ago. Cr. Short: I take strong exception to Cr. -Shalfoon’s words. As far as 1 am concerned I have done my best to secure a hall, Plunket room and vest room. The speaker then went on to say that he believed he was honest in his endeavours. He took a view of the position which was not a shortsighted one. It. would not benefit the district for only five years. They should provide a scheme that would last for thirty or forty years. They did not want to have to alter things later. He referred to the water supply scheme. They had an engineer who said lie could provide a water supply for £3OOO. The council did not favour this. The people wanted something better and the scheme had stood the test for over 25'years. He considered there was still a. good hope they would ( get the sanction of the hoard to :*.the £BOOO. The scheme would liq l .revenue producing. They- had County Council' 'tgvuse the areg Vth^Sf; required. would^pt-''be' costly to the ancT would last 40 that they again approacixifneyjtoans Board. Cr. Shalfooi'iilT^ Object.' Cr. Short is twisting' thi‘over. • My motion is before.^MFS'^jeGting., Cr. Cr Short’s motion. • • j’’ mgl ■■ Cr. that his motion he put. council had agreed to before his mo-

tion was put. Something else had been started. - He objected to that. He would ask Or Short liow much the population had increased? It had decreased. People were leaving tlio borough. They could not stand a loan of £IO,OOO. They •■cojuM bilLj a decent town hall, for abdnt £2OOO. He would ask the Alayor to put liis resolution. He would not accept Cr Short’s shifting to another resolution: Cr Short: Or. Shalfoon’s remarks are decidedly insulting. Cr Stevenson said that without a shadow of a doubt the council had adjourned the meeting to receive the letter. There was no twisting about tli matter. They could discuss it. Cr. Shalfoon could' twist as well as anyone. Cr Afoody contended that Cr Shalfoon’s motion had priority, and said to thei Alayor ; “It’s up to you to put the motion. Alayor: It’s not on.the agenda. Cr Shalfoon: Blame the town clerk for it. Air Briggs said that the wording on the agenda paper referred to and included Or Shalfoon’s . motion and it should be dealt with. Air. Briggs then read Or Shalfoon’s motion of which he had given notice. The town clerk added that any councillor could move an amendment. Cr Short then moved as an amendment that the council again approach the Loans Board, andi ask that they reconsider tlieir decision and again ask for a loan of £BOOO to build the town hall, municipal buildings, restroom and plunket room. In seconding th e amendment Cr Johnson said he wished to put Opotiki on the map. He referred to various schemes that were going to benefit the district. It was no Use going in for a scheme which in a . little while would he outgrown by the town. He considered there was a great future ahead of the tow r n. They wanted everything combined — scattered all over the town. They didn’t want to block any scheme. Cr Shalfoon said lie understood they would have to wait for 12 months before they could apply again. They were losing sight of, the fact that they could have a town hall at a cost, of approximately £2OOO. The County Council would pay half the cost of the Plunket room and rest room. The present office could still do. Ten thousand pounds was an unnecessary luxury and unwarranted. He'would say that they would never get the money from the ratepayers. He.would promise them that. They would he better to have the town hall. Cr Short said the ratepayers were the ones who would carry the poll and sanction.the loan. Cr Shalfoon suggested the council should call a. meeting of the ratepayers to see what their opinions were. The plans had never been put in a window for the ratepayers to. see. They should know what the scheme was properly. Mr Briggs said that Cr Short’s motion was out of order. The Mayor had to he consistent and they should deal with Cr Shalloon’s motion first. The Alayor: We want to have it in order. Or Aloody: Aren’t you game to vote on it. ■ Ci* Short : AVliat do you mean by that? The Alayor: You want the motion to be put without anv discussion. Cr Shalfoon: There’s been plenty of discussion. Cr .Shalfoon’s motion was then put and lost. Gr Shalfoon then said that ail he could say was that the majority members of the council did not want the Plunket room and rest room. Cr Johnson said, he objected to Cr Slialfoon’s remarks. He wanted a decent scheme. He was not against progress and would not do anything to wreck the town. Cr Short then moved that the Council again approach the .Board in connection with the loan and that Or Johnson look into the matter when in Wellington. The motion was carried by four votes to two.