THE MAYORALTY

Evening Star, Issue 18254, 19 April 1923, Page 4

THE MAYORALTY

CR HAYWARD OPENS CAMPAIGN

The first, meeting in connection with the mayoral election was held last night, when Cr Hayward addressed an audience of about forty persons at the South Dunedin Town Hail. The candidate, who was briefly introduced by /he chairman (Cr Taverner), spoke for just on an hour, and was given a patient hearing. CV Hayward' raid that he had intended speaking in every suburb, but had unfor-

tunately been laid aside with appendicitis, and was under doctor's orders not to overdo it. He had therefore to confine himself to the two meetings he had arranged for. His one desire had always been to do the very best in his power for Dunedin, and if elected ho would: continue to do so and to assist in the launching of the great project, the, Imperial Exhibition. Further, he wa;i out. for a square deal every time for the workers employed by the City Council. The council, said Cr Hayward, had passed through a very difficult period. VVh.it with the shortage of money, the increased rate of interest, and the high cost of material, it had been impossible to get on with many of the new works that had been projected. He referred to tbo successful floating of the loan in Otago at 6 per cent., and the consequent saving of thousands of pounds to the ratepayers. The tide had now turned, lie said, for a few mouths ago a further loan of £42.500 had been raised at 5 per cent. The speaker explained the method of valuation —a matter that was widely misunderstood —stating that it was prescribed by statutory law, which fixed the valuation at not 'ess than 5 per cent, of tho capital value of the property. It was difficult in late years to arrive at a fair valuation, but the valuator had made liberal, allowances where inflated values existed. RATES REDUCED.

With all these difficulties, however, said Ur Haywardt things had gone so satisfactorily that the City Council had been able to reduce the general rate by 2d in tho £. In twenty years the rates had been raised only a halfpenny, so that at the present time they were Ijd. lower than they were twenty years ago. He questioned whether any town in New Zealand was in the same favorable position. SPENDING THE LOAN. In regard to the recent loan of £42,500, it was proposed tQ spend this during the coming year on earthworks (£474), curbing and channelling (£5,228), crossing? (£l2), asphalting (£3,271), steps (£243). top-dressing (£308), and special works (£52,964); while out of the ordinary account it was intended to spend £52,865 — m metal (£10,858), top-dressing (£4,454), scavenging (£13,400), special works (£11,660), street lighting (£10,000), and sundries (£2,493). The disposal of house refuse would receive close attention also.

The gas department drew, perhaps, less criticism than any other. Yet the public tiad no idea what anxious times tho committee and manager of the works had experienced. There had been a lime when Dunedin had but a nine days’ supply in view, ana once it had been necessary to have 500 tons of coal railed from Lyttelton at a ridiculous price. But everything had come out all right, and tho council had been able to reduce the price of gas to consumers by 3d per 1000. Dunedin had tho cheapest gas in New Zealand. GENERAL COMMITTEE’S WORK. Speaking on the work of the General Committee of the council, Cr Hayward mentioned that tho abattoir had been worked well. _ The method) of carrying meat to the city, however, must be improved.’ With regard to the St. Clair baths, he thought that more salt water baths were required. Other work urgently needed included a new residence for the caretaker and improvements to the esplanade in tho vicinity of the hatha The tepid baths in Moray place had been built some years ago at a cost of about £514,000. Tho patronage fell off owing to the discoloration of the water, but a filtering plant had been secured at a cost of £52,654, with the result that tho revenue had increased by over £SOO in the first year after the installation. Over 900 boys and girls were yearly taught to swim in these baths. The Turkish ■baths had been short lived, and he proposed that ten new slipper hatha lor hot baths should be placed in the old Turkish bath rooms.

THE FISH AIARKET.

Somehow, said Cr Hayward, the question of a fish market was invariably linked

with his name. Fo question had: given the General Committee more food for thought. Put the further they went into the matter the clearer it became that until a law was

passed providing for the handling of fish on the same principle as the handling of meat a municipal market could never be a financial success. Auckland had lost £7,552 in fifteen months over its market. THE FREE LIBRARY. Concerning the Free Public Library, the speaker said that the citizens did not realise what it had come to be. Few imagined it would become such a success. He quoted figures showing that in 1922 over 30.000 people had visited the reference library, and 190,000 the reading | room. r l he books issued numbered 215,858 | and the stock of books was 57,710. A few j years ago he had advocated branch libraries. and these would have been established but for the very much increased price of books and cost of management. INSURANCE. The insurance venture had turned cut a. great success. For six years now the council had conducted its own fire and accident risks, with the. result that the accident premiums (for five yoars) amounted to £10,868, and the claims and charges to £2,449, leaving a balance of £8,418. The fire pr omiurns lor four years amounted to £7,010 .and the claims to £515. No wonder the insurance companies did so well, said Cr Hayward. The accident fund, he added, with £IO,OOO transferred from the general account, now stood .it £27,878. THE TRAMWAYS. With regard to the trams, the speaker said that this committee had had its difficulties too, owing to the high price of material and the consequent inadequacy of the rolling stock. Complaint had been made that the new cars had not been built in Dunedin, but as a matter of fact when tenders wore called for none had been received from Dunedin or from anywhere in New Zealand. Consequently the council had to go to Australia for ! the cars. The duplication of Anderson | Bay lino was necessary, as it was found to be very difficult to keep an even timetable with the single line. The. Opoho imo was now being pushed on, and extensions to Atornington, Alaori Hill, Caversham. and Anderson Bay would have to be reviewed at an early date. The Roslyn lino was giving the committee a .fair amount of trouble, but when the new rope was put in the difficulty would be ended for the time. That lino, however, was most unsatisfactory, owing tr the excessive friction of the cable. He would suggest mailing the terminus at the top of the hill and the starting point at Scouilar and Chisholm’s corner, with a separate line to the Kaikorai. OTHER DEPARTMENTS.

Tiie enlarging of the Southern dam, at a cost of about £50,000, was an important work, and this was going to bo one of tho finest reservoirs around Dunedin. The electric shovels had been most successful.

Electric power and lighting was the city’s largest trading concern, and was being extended as quickly as possible to overtake tho ever-increasing demand. Tho department had arranged another loan of £2C0,000, which would be spent on (he clam, generating plant, and buildings at Halfway Bush (£9,400), and on reticulation, etc. (£100,000). The new pipe line at Wnipori when completed would give an increase of 50 per cent. Cr Hayward spoke of the satisfactory stale of the reserves, and went on to say that he did not believe in piling up profits, but in utilising those profits in giving further concessions to ‘ratepayers in tho matter of gas, electric light, trams, etc. A larger amount of money must be allocated for watering the streets, and a progressive policy in regard to asphalting adopted. Ho was in favor of meeting the sports bodies in conference regarding playing areas, and in doing something that would be an advantage to them. A number of questions were put to Cr Hayward and satisfactorily answered, and on 'the motion of Mr Rowland a resolution was carried unanimously' that the candidate was, in the opinion of the meeting, a fit and proper person to occupy the mayoral chair.