NEW BRIGHTON MAYORALTY

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21456, 24 April 1935, Page 13

NEW BRIGHTON MAYORALTY

MR E. A. M. LEAVER OPENS CAMPAIGN WORK OF RETIRING COUNCIL Mr E. A. M. Leaver, Mayor of New Brighton, who is seeking re-election, opened his campaign in the Pier Hall last evening. Mr A. W. Owles presided, and there was a good attendance. Mr Leaver was given an attentive hearing, and after he had answered a number of questions he was accorded a hearty vote of thanks and confidence, on the motion of Mi U. a. Mr Leaver said that the retiring council had had a very strenuous time. The depression had debarred many ratepayers from paying their rates, and it had been impossible for the council to execute all the work it had intended to do. When he took office, Mr Leaver said, he was faced with a debit balance of £2344, including £1097 which had been bequeathed by previous councils. The rates then outstanding amounted to £1341, leaving a net debit of £IOO3. By March 31, 1934, the debit was £2519, but the outstanding rates amounted to £1651, leaving a net debit of £B6B. At March 31, 1935, there was a debit of £1567 and the outstanding rates amounted to £1907, which included £989 of the 1934-35 rates, so that his term of office would finish up with a credit of £340. During the last year £3282 had been expended on public works, and he gave details of the work done with this money. Mr Leaver said that a lighting rate of one penny in the £ would have been necessary last year had not the electric light contract with the Christchurch City Council been cancelled, and this would have further increased the demand on ratepayers. New Brighton had paid £2668 on account of capital for street lighting, including compound interest, and the Christchurch City Council had returned £2500 of this sum, which could be devoted to the reduction of the lighting rate over a period of five years, and in the meantime assisted to reduce the overdraft of the council. Mr Leaver said that he had been accused .of inducing men working under the No. 5 scheme to move into the burough. He had been consulted in only two cases, and it was obviously those who let houses to the men who were responsible. He and the council had always given owners every assistance in collecting their rents, as they h3d the ratepayer to consider. It was, he contended, policy to employ the men registered in the borough. The lack of tools and of supervision had prevented more work being done, but many improvements that would otherwise have been impossible hdd been carried out through the No. 5 scheme. A total of £44,000 had been paid out of Government funds to relief workers in the borough as wages.

In reply to a question, Mr Leaver said that he had been converted to amalgamation with Christchurch for some years, but was of the opinion that it was a matter in which the citizens and not the Mayor or council should make the first move.

The Supplementary roll for the New Brighton municipal election will close to-day at 5 p.m., and nominations for Mayor and councillors will close at noon on Friday. KAIAPOI BOROUGH COUNCIL LIST OF NOMINATIONS The following nominations were received yesterday for the Kaiapoi Borough Council and Waimakariri Harbour Board elections: — Mayoralty—The Rev. W. H. A. Vicker.y. Kaiapoi Borough Council (nine members) —Messrs J. W. Barnard, C. M. Williams. C. T. Williams, G. E. Wright, I. W. Karaitiana. Waimakariri Harbour Board (five members) —Dr. Maxwell Ramsay, Messrs R. F. Joyce and J. W. Barnard.

Lyttelton Harbour Board (one member) to represent the combined district of Kaiapoi and Rangiora Boroughs and the Counties -of Rangiora, Eyre, and Oxford—Messrs F. L. Parnham and C. M. Williams.