MT. ALBERT AFFAIRS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 97, 27 April 1933, Page 11

MT. ALBERT AFFAIRS.

RELIEF PAY PROPOSALS.

MR. PICKENS* CANDIDATURE,

A good reception was given Mr. G. J. Pickens at a meeting in St. George's Hall, Kingsland, last evening in the course of his campaign for the Mayoralty of Mount Albert.

Mrs. F. E. Martin, a candidate for the Hospital Board, presided over the meeting. Mr. J. A. Lee, M.P., made an appeal to every Labour voter in the district to record hjs vote in favour of the Labour candidates offering. He mentioned the personal experience in many practical spheres of Mr. Pickens, and the fact that the other candidates aleo had experience which would be of use in such positions. Mr. Pickens gave an outline of the policy adopted by tho Labour party and its candidates. He emphasised that the Christchurch City Council —the only Labour municipal body in the country— was paying its relief workers 15/ a day and had also reduced local rates. That policy had been adopted by the Auckland party and the speaker saw no reason why such a condition of affaire should not exist under a Labour council in Mount Attiert. He instanced many schemes whereby the borough might save enough money to support the unemployed on productive relief works at higher wages. He suggested plans for a conversion loan securing a reduction of one per cent on interest, saving approximately £8000. A similar stim could be saved by tho decision not to pay the annual sinking fund allocation. That, declared Mr. Pickens, would not he repudiation, hut would be simply the adoption of a nationally-advocated policy. An attack on the administration of the present Mayor, Mr. W. F. Stilwell, and the present council was made by Mr. H. Barnes, a candidate for the council.

Mr. F. E. Martin, secretary of the Auckland Labour party, and a candidate for the council, was loudly applauded by tho meeting when he suggested that a* Labour council in Mount Albert would withhold moneys due to the Government if the latter refused to provide 12/6 a day instead of the present 10/ as its subsidy for the unemployed. An additional subsidy of 2/ or thereabouts would be provided by the borough, giving the 800 workless in the district a relief wage, on productive works, of at least 14/6 a day. Other speakers included Mr. J. Nixon and Mr. Hultquist. . ,