THE LOAN PROPOSALS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 30, 4 February 1913, Page 8

THE LOAN PROPOSALS.

Cr. Morison's Motion Defeated 6 —4, ‘‘We’ra Getting Better as We Co Along.” The notice of motion given by Cr. Morison was duly disposed of at the special meeting of tne Borough Council last night. As Cr. Morison rose to his feet to move his amendment, Cr. King remarked: “You can’t tell us anything fresh, if you talk all night.” But as a matter of fact, there wa< a very great deal “fresh” in the discussion, though the majority of it might be described as “por-

sonalit'es.’

Cr. Morison, in moving the amendment to the Mayor’s motion, sad there seemed to be an attempt on the part of some councillors to construe his words to mean something that they were not intended to mean: an attempt to construe his words to mean that there would be friction on the Council quarrelling with each other. They knew perfectly well— ~ Cr. King rose to a point of order. Had Cr. Morison any right to refer to past debates ?•

The Mayor upheld Cr. King’s objections, but Cr. Morison continued in the same strain. Ho stated that it was on public grounds that his remarks were based, in that he had thought - and thought so still—since every item "bp. the schedule had been passed by a majority •of the Council, it would ibo a better way to go forward with a straight front, and endeavour to s vay public opinion in the direction of having the whole lot carried in one loan. They all knew that His Worship the Mayor voted against +his item of the bridge. “I don’t vi-Ti to sty anything unfair,” said Cr. Minison, “but I contend that it is .Tie duty of anyone in the chair that his balance of power should be held evenly. We know be voted against this bridge, but we were surprised at him using both his deliberative and .castir.g vote in favour of this resolution. It seemed to be a last struggle to get what he considered—l give you credit for that—to be the right thing to do, I think it was unfair.

The Mayor: I can’t allow you to say it was unfair. As far as my rote ia concerned,. I can’t allow you to touch ion that. Your remarks are a reflection on me. Cr. Morison: No reflections 'lne Mayor: You are doing so, Cr. Morison, when you say I am unfair. I must ask you not to repeat that, Cr. Morison went on to question Cr. Ward’s right to vote on the question before the Council. “I think,” he remarked, “that Cr. Ward is just going to the full extent of his,” but the Councillor did not finish his sentence. “He got leave of absence, which practically meant that he was ■leaving the Council—and it was generally understood—leaving the country', yet his vote practically divides t.re Council. He’s leaving the country to-morrow, we might say, and he votes on a very important question to-day.” Cr. King: And quite right, too. Cr. Morison concluded that he hoped his few remarks would not be misunderstood. Ho had moved his motin, as a protest. He believed that the Council was making a very seri ous mistake. Cr. Lawson seebndod the motion. Cr. Healy said he was opposed to the motion that the issues should be placed separately on the schedule. If the loan went to the ratepayers in one proposal, then the whole of the ratepayers would benefit should the loan be carried. They were proposing to borrow £42,000. If the ratepayers wanted, a loan it should be ;■ >on.t equally over the whole of the iiordugh, irrespective of any majority of voting power, which unfortunately this Borough held. Take street improvements, and it would be seen that while £14,244 was proposed to be spent in the north, only £4955 was to be spent in the south. Consider drainage, and it appeared that £lO,,000 was to go to the north, as against £2OOO to the south. He thought it was only fair and just and equitable, that if we went in for a loan, the wholo of the community should benefit by it. As long as the greater portion of the people remained on the north end, so long would, the majority vote allow the north to select just what it wanted. Even admitting that the bridge was for the south and the Councillor held the view that it was for the good of the Borough as a whole—the proportion of money to he spent was only £24,244 for the north, as against £12,955 for the south. It was indeed a parochial proposal to put the issues separately, and the only equitable way was to lump them into one loan. Cr. King contended that the Mayor, in acting as he had done, had done nothing unfair and nothing wrong. The Mayor had used his casting vote against motions lie had moved, and he had seen nothing unfair in that.

Cr. Healy: But you gave notice to rescind.

Cr. King: All the same, I took m\ beating like a man.

Cr. King went on to say that be thought every one could see that in the past the south had not suffered, and that, according to population and rates collected, the south had had a very fair proportion of the public expenditure of the Borough. He had always given his vote in favour of necessary work in the south, but he did not consider the bridge was a necessary work. It was not necessary to do anything until they found that the traffic was conjested. Cr Healy: Parochial.

Cr. King: I object to that word. 1 vote for the whole of the Borough, myself. You stand for only one portion of the Borough, and that part : '- Opunako Road.

Cr. King then went on to refer to Cr. Morison’s motion, which, he sail,

was ill-advised. Cr. Morison evidently thought that Cr. Ward would be away and that was the very reason why ho brought his motion on. Ur. Morison knew perfectly well that otherwise it would not be carried. As it was, Cr. Ward had “pipped Cr. | Morison on the post, and the motion i was not worth anything.”

Cr. Dingle rose in defence of the Opunake Road, and claimed ohat on a Saturday afternoon there was as much traffic on that road, as on any other road in the Borough. As for Cr. Morison’s notice of motion, he did not agree* with this Councillor. He did not think the motion had any chance. “You can’t convince these gentlemen what is right,” he remarked, “because the?ideas which have been drilled into them are so warped.” Turning to the bridge, Cr. Dingle claimed that it was necessary to have a new one. He stated that it was quite incorrect that it was never congested, and pointed out that on one afternoon when the road roller

was passing over, there was a congestion of traffic which was distinctly dangerous. People from the south were bringing thousands of pounds into Stratford

A Councillor: And they can’t get over the bridge; you mean it’s too dangerous for them. Cr. King: Cr. Dingle really ought to stand for Parliament. .

Cr. Ward was' surprised at the remarks passed by Cr. Morison. He might say that Civ Morison .only a few days ago tried to influence him to stay- away from this meeting. Cr. Morison denied having done any such thing. He had merely asked Cr. Ward when he was going away. Cr. King: How much did you offer him ? Cr. Ward repeated his previous remark saying that on the bowling green at New Plymouth, Cr. Morison had asked him for a quarter of an hour, so that he could speak to him on the matter. Cr. Morison; I absolutely deny that I ever said any such thing. Cr. Ward: Then all that I can say is that Cr. Morison has a very had memory. The Councillor went on to say that ho had a perfect right to vote on this matter, for though he himself might a© leaving Stratford 1 he had interests in the town, and would have for some years to come. He' considered that it was his duty to attend the meeting of the Council and vote for what was right. u The Mayor said he had allowed Cr. Morison to give his notice of motion so as to allow him to endeavour to substantiate his claim that the; motion diould be rescinded. His Worship claimed that this Cr/Morison Md.,not lone, since he had brought forward no fresh arguments. He contended that the fact that every item had been carried by a majority had nothing whatever to do with the manner in which they were placed ‘ before the ratepayers. His : WoKship deprecated the ,raising of the north versus the south business, and Hind that theuaembers representing ’the 1 south were responsible for this.!" It did notocome from the north. ; ' ■

Cr. Healy: That’s because they’ve got all they want. The Mayor continued that/ the south had been fairly ttb'ated, according to its rateable value, 'arid stated that all improvements must necessarily radiate from the centre, of the Borough. As to the matteT' of congestion on the bridge, Mr Kirkwood pointed out that no matter how wide the bridge, a steam roller would always biing congestion, for the reason that the horses were afraid of the rollei. The motion was then put to the meeting. Four hands —Crs. Morison, Lawson, Healy, and Thompson appeared in favour, and Crs. Ward, McAllister, King, Boon and the Mayor voted against. Cr. Healy pointed out that Cr. Dingle had not voted. Cr. Dingle stated in explanation that he did not believe in a notice of motion, when the Councillor who brought it forward knew there was no chance of making any of the Councillors change their views. He would therefoie vote against the motion/ This made the 1 voting 6—4 against, the Mayor remarking with a smile, “We’re getting 1 better as we go along.”