UNEMPLOYMENT LOAN

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 646, 24 April 1929, Page 1

UNEMPLOYMENT LOAN

MONEY IS STILL AVAILABLE MINISTER’S ASSURANCE The misunderstanding which seems to have arisen regarding an offer of money to the Auckland City Council by the Prime Minister, the Right Mon. J. G. Ward, for the relief of unemployment has now been cleared. The Mayor, Mr. George Baildon, stated that he had never received any communication about it until last evening. The Mon. J. B. Donald, Post-master-General, remarked to a Sun representative yesterday afternoon that the offer had been made to all four cities and to other large towns some weeks ago. At his meeting at the Remuera last evening, when dealing with the question of unemployment in Auckland, Mr. Baildon said that the Prime Minister made the offer to Wellington and Christchurch, but he had certainly never made it to Auckland. “This evening I received a communication about the loan of £25,000 and I will make application for it in the morning. I don’t know where I can put my hands on £25,000. The money could be raised without the consent of the ratepayers, but that would not be fair and the interest would mean a rate of 2£ per cent.” Yesterday afternoon, before Mr. Baildon’s meeting, a Sun representative had called on the Postmaster-General, the Hon. J. B. Donald, who is eager to relieve the unemployed situation in Auckland. “It is all very fine the City Council saying they do not know anything about the offer.” said the Minister. “If they wish to relieve the unemployment in Auckland the offer is there and they must take it.” “The offer of a loan of £25,000 was made by Sir Joseph Ward from Dunedin and was published in the Press at the time. It was also referred to at a Cabinet meeting. Any sum up to £25,000 can be borrowed, but the conditions governing the offer are that the council shall find a similar amount to that borrowed. Mow the money is raised by the council does not matter.” This morning Mr. Baildon forwarded a telegram to the Prime Minister regarding the offer of the £25,000 loan. The telegram concluded: “May I take it that the offer still stands as I am desirous of considering whether the council can still arrange finances.** No reply had been received by 2 o’clock this afternoon.