MAYORAL CONTEST

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 180, 28 April 1931, Page 11

MAYORAL CONTEST

Rates Controversy POSSIBLE ECONOMIES Street Works and Reserves Describing finance as the life-blood of the municipality, Mr. T. C. A. Hislop, the Civic League and Ratepayers’ Association candidate for the Mayoralty, told a Wadestown audience last evening that great care would be needed during the next two years. The citizen of to-day was not so well off as he was a few years ago, said Mr. ■ Hislop. It was the first duty of a municipality to help its citizens by making reasonable economies without impairing the efficiency of the services and civic development. He had suggested lines on which such economies could be made, and he detailed them on lines previously announced. Mr. Hislop said he was sure they could save £20,000 on street works and get as much done for the money as they did in 1929. They could save in the reserves department. Last year they spent £BOOO on special works., includingthe new golf pavilion at Wakefield Park, and he thought a saving could be made without any loss of efficiency. Things that were luxuries should be the first things to be cut. A saving could undoubtedly be made in refuse collectmn, and then there was a decrease of £5500 in the hospital rate. There was also a bigger amount coming from petrol tax, altogether some £40,000. In addition, there were savings to be made in administration and in avoiding overlapping; closer supervision would increase the total. Mr. Hislop was given a vote of thanks and confidence.

MR. LUCKIE’S FIGHT Meeting at Lyall Bay “CORNER TURNED” “No man on the City Council worked harder for the citizens than Mr. Luckie,” said Mr. W. Hildreth, in presiding over an electors’ meeting at. Lyall Bay last night, addressed by Mr. Martin F. Luckie, Mr. Luckie said at this election he was fighting a lone hand. Everyone recognised the need for strict economy, and expenditure that was incurred when money was more plentiful came in for more criticism than usual in times like these. d Mr. Luckie said he was not prepared to make all sorts of promises that there would be wholesale reductions in the rates, although he did not think there should be any increase, and possibly there might be a small reduction. Economies could be effected, said Councillor Luckie,- but he did not agree to reducing activities which would mean curtailing the staff and putting people out of employment. As the outlying districts developed, new roads, pathways and other services were rendered necessary, and such expenditure had to be incurred if the city were to grow. , “Things are as bad as they are going to be, and they are going to be better,” said Mr. Luckie. “We have turned the corner. This is only a passing phase, and we have just about seen the worst of it. Next year will show us ’ vast improvements in the figures given, but we can’t budget on them.” The opposition which had been shown by the Ratepayers’ Association to the laving of the tramlines had been an injustice to those who for many years had been promised shorter routes to their particular suburbs. The necessary legislation had been passed, and the Ratepayers’ Association said it was opposed to a loan being raised to lay the trams between Bowen Street and Tinakori Road. The council had the money without raising a loan, and the laying of the tramlines would' not have been a charge on the rates. It would have come out of the tramways funds. The tramlines were a necessary part of the schemes to give quicker access to the eastern and western suburbs, and the Sydney Street work and tfie tunnel would not have been undertaken by the council without the intention of laying down the tramlines along those routes.