ASSISTING THE WORKLESS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 733, 5 August 1929, Page 10

ASSISTING THE WORKLESS

COUNCIL TO RAISE LOAN OF £25,200 CR. J. R. LUNDON DISAPPROVES By special resolution the City Council decided today to raise £25,200 for the purpose of carrying out recentiy-formulated unemployment relief works in Auckland. Cr. J. R. Lundon intimated that he would oppose the projected schemes when today’s resolution came up for confirmation 10 days hence. r JpHE total cost of the works is estimated at £57,043 aad this bears an expected Government subsidy of £17,938. The council already has in hand a sum of £4,180. being unexpended loan money taken over from the Tamaki Road Board with the amalgamation of that district with the City. In addition there is £9.800 available out of previously authorised loans for street improvements. The council will therefore have to raise a loan of £25,200. This amount is made up of the fol- j lowing works. The figures set oppo- : site the individual works are not the . actual cost of each undertaking, but j the amounts of the council will have j to raise when allowance is made for j subsidy and money in hand:—Xo. 6 section of Waterfront Road. £14.008; Western Springs playing area, £5,600; Western Springs stadium cinder track, offices, etc., £4.179; laying out of area in front of War Memorial Museum, £1,278: cost of debentures and raising loan. £135; , total. £25,200. It was resolved that the security should be a special rste sufficient, to cover interest and sinking fund, and that the currency be for a period not exceeding 33 years. The interest j rate would be not more than 6 per j cent, per annum and the sinking fund not less than 1 per cent. Commenting on the several schemes j Cr. Lundon said he would oppose the council’s action when the time ar- : rived for confirmation of the resolution. Cr. E. J. Phelan: Are you opposed to our finding relief for the unemployed? Cr. Lundon: I do not oppose relief , works, but I say these schemes are ; not right. I think the whole Water- i front Road should be taken in hand ! and not gonly section G. The council should go to the ratepayers and not to the Loans Board. The reference was to the fact that ' the council is empowered by statute to raise small loans without seeking the authority of the people, but large | expenditure must have ratepayers’ approval. His idea was to raise a sum sufficiently large to complete the Waterfront Road in its entirety. The estimate of the late city engineer. Mr. W. E. Bush, was £93,000. but the ! council had decided at a meeting at which Cr. Lundon had not been able I ro attend that the escheme was too : i large in view of the condition of the f i City treasurj*. Cr. Lundon took exception to cerj tain parts of the Western Springs | playing area scheme. He promised I to attack the whole relief projects 1 in. detail at the next meeting.