ST. KILDA MAYORALTY.

Evening Star, Issue 20150, 15 April 1929, Page 13

ST. KILDA MAYORALTY.

to TRB EDITORSir, —Your correspondent' “Safe Play,” in In’s eulogy of Mr Hall on Saturday, takes me to task because 1 suggest that tbc office of mayor should be a rolling one. My aim was to point out to Mr Hall what’l considered would ho a graceful act after four years of tbc mayoral office, and. that was to retire from the present campaign and allow some other councillor equally qualified to fill the position. A defeat at tbc polls and that is what will happen—would not be in any way a fitting climax to a career so generous m its service to the ratepayers.

Knt all service lias its aspirations and its limitations. “ Safe Play ” says that never in the history of too borough lias improvement been so marked as during Mr Hall’s term. Tin's is questionable. Jt may he true, but never had a mayor of the borough the opportunity to spend £25,000 over a period of four years before, and the irony of it all is that Mr Hal! strongly opposed the raising of the loam and yet does the spending and gets the credit. Equally unfortunate for “Sale Play ” is the credit he gives Mr. Hall lor lighting the borough. 1 have been told, and I believe it to he true, that the .installation of the lighting cost each ratepayer j|d in the £ on die rateable value oder a period of some years. It could not then have been possible to have undertaken the work, except that the Dunedin City Council stood out of the capital cost L refuse to he drawn into any argument unou the improvement of the streets. They are conspicuous to the memory of £25,000, spent not wiselv, hut too well.

The ratepayers need no advice about changing the leaders at the present time; they know when thev have had enough. ‘‘Safe Piny” should not have mentioned beach improvement. f am sure Mr Hall does not wish that part of his service to be discussed at flic present juncture. The Peach Society’s last carnival balance sheet is a current scandal, a facsimile of the borough management. 1 am, etc., April 15. Ponnv Pj.at.