MR. ANDREWS REPLIES TO MR. DOWSE

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 190, 10 May 1938, Page 18

MR. ANDREWS REPLIES TO MR. DOWSE

Cost Of Labour Promises ! “60 PER CENT. INCREASE IN RATES” A check-up of the works which the Labour candidates had gone about the district championing showed that to carry them out would mean u 60 per cent, increase in rates, said the Citizens candidate for the Lower Hutt mayoralty. Mr. J. W. Andrews, speaking at Alicctown last night. There had been no defined policy’ presented except in a circular, ami the points in this were not worth serious consideration, he said. It appeared that the Labour ticket went around the district promising to the particular area they were addressing whatever they thought would catch the most, votes. However, a check on their promises had shown what the cost would be. As for his Labour opponents remarks on the holding of muncipal office by noiiratepavers, it was his belief that, while local body' finance was dependent on a levy on ratepayers, the people who hud the power in their hands to fix that levy should at least be ratepayers. He could quite believe that anyone who subscribed to a policy that was against the principle of private ownership of anything wouid oppose this view, but he had no apology to make for it.. His Labour opponent’s advocacy, of a zoning scheme was made to look ridiculous when the opinions of world authorities on town planning showed that Lower Hutt was proceeding along the lines advanced by those experts. No municipality hail done more than Lower Rott in town planning. Anyone who had been but a short distance from the borougn could see that. It had had a first-class town planner exclusively engaged on this work for three years. The result would be the saving of hundreds of thousands to the borough and the fostering of a civic plan second to none. , Not the least nebulous ot Labour s plans was the proposed investigation into the tnilk supply. This was investigated years ago. The supply was known to be clean in all its phases, and the cost of milk fair in relation to the costs of production. , One Labour council candidate had spoken on the need for brightening up the main street. This candidate and his ticket leader should have had a talk on co-ordination, because it was Cr. Dowse who had opposed the council’s scheme for brightening up the main street. All the same it had been agreed to, and the lamps were in stock. When the power board could spare the staff in a week or so the work would be done. High Street Deal. Mr. W. E. Gregory, another Citizens’ candidate for the council, described the purchase of the High Street land as an example of the benefit the borough received from having men of vision and administrative experience handling the borough’s affairs. Mr. Andrews had purchased this block with an existing 80-foot frontage for the borough at £BOOO. When the frontage was put through the land would have a frontage of 400 feet, and be worth no less than £30.000. The profit to the, borough would be substantial. In addition the borough would have a civic centre worthy of any district, and there, would also be a motor camp and parking area. The present, council had not forgotten sport, said Mr. Gregory: the fine recreation ground and grandstand were examples of this. . , . He would be proud to associate himself with men of the calibre of Mr. Andrews and his associates,: they could point to worthwhile and profitable accomplishments in the borough’s interests.