50 years ago

 COMMISSIONER Andy Walls opened a commonwealth Grants Commission hearing in Hamilton yesterday with a valuable message for municipalities seeking financial aid. Cr. Walls said some municipalities were likely to receive more favourable consideration than others. Municipalities getting more favourable attention would be those which tried hard to raise revenue themselves and could no longer reasonably increase rates and charges to meet rising costs and community needs. The commission would look closely at councils which had kept their rates and charges low, when they could have justifiably increased them, Cr. Walls said. The commission hearing in the Hamilton town Hall opened with submissions from the Wimmera Region and several member councils.