THE Pukekohe and Waiuku Times PUBLISHED TUESDAYS AND FRIDAYS FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER, 4, 1914 FACING THE POSITION.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 3, Issue 227, 4 September 1914, Page 2

THE Pukekohe and Waiuku Times PUBLISHED TUESDAYS AND FRIDAYS FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER, 4, 1914

FACING THE POSITION.

" We nothing extenuate, nor set down nuaht in malice."

A protracted sitting iu clos'j com mittee was the chief feature of yesterday's meeting of tlio Franklin County Council. Interviewed after the committee rose, the County Chairman said lie had nothing to report concerning the decisions arrived at. It appears quite plain that when situations arise, such as the Council is at present faced with, something has to he done to nmet the Decision. The pissibiiity that subs : dies and giants will n>t Iu forthcoming from the Government, that tho rates may not he paid as promptly as they would he under normal circumstances, and th" practical certainty that loan-- for public works cannot at present be satisfactorily floated, are si many danger signals of which the Council mu>t take notice and shape their financial course accordingly. County finance, so far as the bank overdraft is concerned, is rigorously limitel by law. These are facts with which most county residents are famili ir and it s-eems to us that the position should bo frankly put before the ratepayers The plain fact of tho matter is that if the Council cannot get money it cannot proceed with its work. And there need bo no beating about the bush in saying so In order to provide for the woiks which it was inten !e 1 to carry out during this spring, summer and autuuin the Council had engaged itself with heavy emimitments and now that the conditions inseparable from a state of war have arisen the position has beeu rendered difficult. The County Council is not singular iu this respect : most other local bodies that had en'ered up n a similar policy of and most business people, are more or less in tho same fix. Fortunately that b"st of all ro id-iuakois hue weather—is now due so that if operation> on the highways have to be partially suspended no appreciable hardship will be experienced. \Ve are not iu a position to disclose the actions the Council has decided to take to meet the presont emergency, but we feel able to say with confidence that the interests of the ratepayers will be conserved.