VINCENT COUNTY ELECTION.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 1107, 21 November 1917, Page 5

VINCENT COUNTY ELECTION.

Mr S. T. Spain, one of the candidates for the Dnnstan Eiding addressed a number of the residents of Clyde, in the Town. Hall- on Tuesday, November 13th. The chairman (Mr . Smart) in opening the meeting referred to Mr Spain's work during the six years he had been a member of the Council, and to the reputation he had earned among the ratepayers. Mr Spain in thanking the chairman for his flattering remarks, and those who had honoured him with their presence, went on to outline s%ie of the incidences during his term of office. In joining the Council in 1911there were only two of the old Council present and very little information could be gathered from them. At that time the overdraft in the bauk was £2,500, with two ' small loans, and a land fund overdraft. At that time mo tons were beginning to come in and the cry was for better roads. At the end of 1914 the bank overdraft stood at £5,240, and during these three years he had acted as treasurer and the council were always' looking to the treasurer for ways and means of reducing this overdraft. In those days the amount of Gold revenue received was about £2OOO and this has steadily been reducing for in 1914 it was down to £IOOO and 1917 to L 750. This was a big loss to the council and what with extra roads aud bridges they had their hands full. In 1915 the Government saw fit to keep the liabilities of each riding separate, but it was not a good move either for DunsUu and Clutba Ridings. The latter riding had to borrow money from the other ridings as there was no reasonable way of claiming money. The overdraft of Ciutha 2i years ago stood at £I2OO and to-day it is L 2400. The overdraft of the Dunstan Riding 2i years ago stood at LBl3 aud to-day it is LI4OO, but there is every hope of recovering this amount. The Dunstan Riding is placed at a great disadvantage for whenever a heavy rain comes a good deal of damage is done, especially on the Clyde-Cromwell road. Last year the upkeep on this road amounted to LISOO of which the Government granted LSOO, the balance being paid by the Dunstan Riding. The Clyde bridge required repairing and the County euginecr estimated the cost at L3OOO, and when tenders were cidled the lowest received was LSOOO. In the constructions of the ClydeCromwell' railway a good deal of damage had been done to the road, but he (Mr Spain) hoped "the Public Works would attend to that. In the whole of the riding there are about 100 miles of road and it was very unjust to ask the Dunstan riding to have to keep up all this amount of road. The motor traffic was principally responsible for the wear and tare of the roads and while he (the speaker) was in Australia he made enquiries regarding the motor tax and found that Ford cars were taxed L 6 aud a lorry of 20 h.p., L2O. It was a great pity the Government saw fit to abolish the gold tax, for the revenue to-day would have been LIOO.OOO. The act only affected the South Island not the North. The Minister of Public Works had stated that provision would be made .for bridges and punts, but very little could be done until after the war was over. Mr M'Kean in fitting words proposed a hearty vote of thanks to Mr Spain for his most able and instructive address.