MAYORAL CAMPAIGN

Evening Star, Issue 23880, 9 May 1941, Page 5

MAYORAL CAMPAIGN

MR A. H. ALLEN AT CAVERSHAH Mr A. H. Alle.il, who is seeking reelection to the city mayoralty, last night addressed a meeting in the Caversham Methodist Church Hall, Mr W. B. Taverner presiding. During the course of his address Mr Allen stressed the sound financial policy of the council during the past three years, and contrasted it with that_ of tho Labour Council in the 1935-38 period. During the three years of the Labour council’s administration the profits of the departments had amounted to £178,747, but during the past three years they had risen to £240,625. During the past three years the renewal funds had been steadily built up, and were now in a healthy state. When the Labour council took office in 1935, Mr Allen said, the renewal funds stood at £522,530, but they -were steadily raided until by 1938 they had dropped to £405,938. In the succeeding years the funds were built up to £437,973 in 1939, to £440,185 in 1940, and to £509,632 in 1941. This sound financial policy would be continued, Mr Allen said, if he ivere returned.

DR M’MILLAN AT ST. CLAIR Dr D. G. M'Millan, M.P., Labour candidate for the city mayoralty, last night addressed meetings at Wakari and St. Clair. Speaking at St. Clair, he quoted his opponent’s statement that Mr Allen thought that the mayoral position should go to the candidate who had most time to devote to it. “If that is so, doubtless Mr Allen and his association will be voting for Mrs Orpah Jones-Neilsou,” said Dr M'Millan, amidst laughter. Dr M'Millan said that he and his colleagues were in favour of reducing ground rents to sports bodies, and he again pledged Labour candidates to reduce the general • rate if returned on May 17. He claimed that there was sufficient margin to permit both of a reduction in the general rate and a reduction in charges. Dr M'Millan said that a lot of piffle was being talked about what would happen to the patriotic effort if he were returned as mayor. “ There is in operation,” he said, “ a Patriotic Council set up according to Government nlan and also a number of subcommittees. These are working well, and it is not my intention to interfere with them if elected. These committees and their personnel will be available to whatever mayor is elected.” If he was the successful candidate, said the speaker, his aim would be to helip, and not to hinder, them, and where they desired it he would give them their leads. “ And here,” said Dr M'Millan, “is the joke of the campaign. I am reliably informed that this afternoon and this evening the Citizens’ Association has had a team of workers, including a group of boys who attend a wellknown school, hard at work in the National Party rooms getting their circulars ready for the post to have them out to-morrow ahead of the Labour ones on Saturday. What a joke! The self-styled 1 non-party ‘ Citizens’ Association hard at work in the National Party rooms getting their non-party propaganda out!” (Published by arrangement.) ■ ’CANDIDATES FOR LOCAL BODIES Four Labour candidates addressed an audience of 16 electors in the Security Hall last night. Mr J. P. Ruth was in the chair. Mr E. T. Cox, a candidate for the City Council, dealt mainly with the question of the increase in rates made by the present council, and the expenses involved in its policy. A new lift in the Town Hall and a ‘‘tomb” on Signal Hill were all that it had accomplished, he said. Mr G. H. Bpyes, a candidate for the City Council, Mr W. L. Ruttledge and Mr D. Copland, candidates for the Harbour Board, also spoke. At St. Clair addresses were given by the Hon. M., Connelly, M.L.C., a candidate for the City Council, and by Mr W. M. Taylor, who is seeking election to the City Council and the Hospital Board. Mrs G. Brooks, independent candidate for the City Council and Hospital Board, addressed a small but appreciative audience at the Albany Street Hall on Thursday afternoon. The message of Mrs Brooks’s address was the need for independent thought and action in civic affairs and the necessity for the electors to frame the policy which they wished thpir representatives to carry out. Mrs Brooks also stressed the desirability of a woman’s voice on the City Council, and she felt that the time was long overdue when women, with their common sense and practical experience of family housekeeping, should take a hand in (directing the economy of municipalities. With reference to the rates of the city, Mrs Brooks asked whether it was realised that out of every £1 over half went to pay interest on loans. “Is that good housekeeping?” she asked. “If women had run the city’s services on these lines they would have been thrown out as incompetent; we have tolerated mismanagement by men too long.” In Hospital Board matters Mrs Brooks referred to the cheerless conditions of the Caversham home for old age pensioners, and here again stressed the fact that new and pleasant homes for the aged could be built just so soon as the people of Dunedin demanded them, since there was no physical obstacle in the way.