WAIPAWA SEAT

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 11327, 3 October 1930, Page 5

WAIPAWA SEAT

MR JULL’S CAMPAIGN

CANDIDATE REPLIES TO MR COATES’ ALLEGATION

Association.) -v TAKAPAU, Oct. 2. At the AVaipawa by-election campaign, • Mr A. E. Jull, the United candidate, addressed a largely-at-tended meeting to-night. , In the course of a policy speech Air Jull said Air Coates had charged him with not protesting against the proposal to take £316,000 of the new petrol tax to pay local body subsidies, interest on public works grants, and maintenance instead oi adding the same to the Highways Fund, thus letting the country ratepavers down. Air Jull claimed that Air Coates’ statement was absoliitelv untrue. Air Jull said he called a special meeting of the counties executive to consider the Budget, and the executive decided to urge the Premier to accept the county conference proposal that the new" P® t ( s tax bo devoted to assisting dJ.ouu miles of rural roads not now directlv assisted from the Highways Board. Tho Farmers’ Union executive agreed to accept the counties’ proposal instead of their own, and a pnnt, deputation waited on the Premier, when Air Jull yoicedtlie request of both organisations. The result or their representations was that while the Finance Alinister had this year placed the above-meutioned charges on the petrol tax instead of m the Consolidated Fund that will only operate until August 31 next. Cur ino- that time local bodies would not lose their subsidies, the Highways Baord would not receive less money than previously, but the above-men-tioned charges would be thrown on the road-user instead of the general taxpayer. Air Jull-insisted ho had not let the' country ratepayers down. AH Jull said Air Coates had also stated that he (Mr Coates) had a decided say in appointing Air Jull to the Main Highways Board. The candidate pointed out that the real fact was that AH Coates refused the appointment of AHssrs .T. D. Brace and \ E. Jull, who were recommended, and asked tho counties’ executive for other recommendations. Tho executive successfully resisted AH Coates demand and AH Coates was forced to' “eat the leek” and made the appointments. ‘••That was how AH Contes assisted Air Jull s appoint ment”, the candidate concluded.