LANDING GROUNDS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 791, 11 October 1929, Page 6

LANDING GROUNDS

BORROWING BY LOCAL BODIES PRINCIPLE CRITICISED Press Association WELLINGTON, Thursday. The Local Authorities Empowering (Aviation Encouragement) Bill was read a second time in tile Legislative Council today. The Hon. A. S. Malcolm deprecated any move tending to increase local body rates, and questioned the wisdom of permitting local bodies to increase their liabilities in iliat respect. If aviation were left to private enterprise it would advance more rapidly. There should be the safeguard of a poll of ratepayers before a local body was permitted to borrow to spend money on landing grounds. The Hon. E. Newman agreed with Mr. Malcolm, adding that the duty should be on the Government and not local bodies to provide for aviation. The Hon. J. Barr said the principle of local bodies borrowing without the permission of the ratepayers had already been departed from in various instances, subject to safeguards. In the present case, a resolution of a local body had to be confirmed at a subsequent meeting of which public notice had been given. The Leader of the Council, the Hon. T. K. Sidey, said it would be admitted that every important town would want, a landing ground. The Air Minister in Britain had declared that there was a liability on local authorities to provide landing places. The Local Government Loans Board would be a sufficient safeguard against excessive expenditure in cities. The Bill was read a second time.