BOROUGH ELECTIONS

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXXII, Issue 12543, 3 May 1935, Page 5

BOROUGH ELECTIONS

CA'SE FOR. UNEMPLOYED

COUNCIL CANDIDATES AT KAITI . Shaking on practically the same ines as on the previous evening, flje unemployed workers’ candidates for the Borough Council, Messrs W. Appleby and C. S. Goodson, address ed a. moderate gathering of electors in Kaiti schoolroom last evening. The chairman was Mr J. Mohan, who explained that the candidates were nominated on a non-party basis. The candidates put forward by the ■unemployed had a practical knowledge ;of the position of relief works and,, if elected, would be able to supply that practical knowledge to the unemployed’s affairs. Mr Goodson, in opening, thanked members of the public for assistance given, whether practically or in spirit. It was considered mass action was essential and past experience had proved this was so. The Unemployment Board. formerly pent men out to camps, hut the efforts of unemployed had ended that system, so that to-day there was no. need for married men to. accept work in camps. • Opposition to the aerodrome work had led to much improved conditions for the workers and representation to the Borough Council had effected improvements in other directions. Tho UnemployedWorkers’ Movement had. attempted to secure- a similar allocation to Gisborne r.s in the cities, but in this connection the council, had let the men down, even though they had promised assistance. An extra allocation for. the workers would have meant much to the business people of the town and also the landlords. Actually, however, the movement had secured considerable improvoment in the allocations and on this account votes were claimed for the unemployed representatives. The. unemployed were greatly concerned with the finances of the town stated Mr Goodson, and were rigidly opposed to wasteful expenditure. For instance, the grass plots scheme had been designed, be believed, to drive most of the business to the low or end of the town. The council had substituted mechanical labor for man power and this was a greatly mistaken policy. With the expansion of the borough there should have Seen an. increase in the number of employed, but actually there had not been any increase. None Were put off certainly, but- -some had died and they were not replaced. Touching on the matter of ratepayers working eff rates, Mr Goodson claimed, they had not been, able to trace, this -scheme despite a statement by the Mayor that such a motion ha'd been carried. He closed with a strong appeal ifor support and -stated that the movement was tile only body in Gisborne doing anything practical to offset the effects of the depression. MR APPLEBY’S ADDRESS Mr Appleby stressed that it was through the Borough Council that tho people were able to get in touch with the Government. Ha outlined the. aims of the workers as detailed on the previous evening and express ed regret that the attendance was not greater. The council could havo done far more and had promised to do far more, but they had not come tip to scratch. They must realise there was a change- coining in the system under which we now live. This was a matter for the people themselves, and it- was essential. The speaker mentioned that in ♦Scotland there was a' council entirely composed of unemployed. There was terrible wastage in the borough—on Taumata Hill , for instance, where the men simply dug out soil ant replaced it again; the Park course was bought in order to free the owners of liability. The council appeared to be under the influence of the bigger jieople of the town. Sometime ago a local sporting body sought removal of a stand to the Victoria Domain. The project was approved, but the racing people opposed removal and so nothing was done. How ridiculous was the Awapuni lngoon scheme! Another white elephant was in the offing—this being a v at-er supply scheme which would ccst £60,000 and supply little more water than at present. In the speaker's opinion the only possible source of supply was at Rere. It was said there was risk of an earthquake breaking the pipe-line, but they would r twa-ys, have earthquakes. He attacked the conversion Joans scheme and contended that thp present ‘.system would break down long before the loans were paid off. Touching on the visit to Gisborne Of tho Minister for Employment Mr Appleby stated that Mr Hamilton promised a remedy of the position—a few days after .he left, however, they received a cut in relief wages. There was far tco much lip service on the part of the Government. Mr Appleby spoke further on the lines of his address the previous evening, especially advocating the raising of a loan , for. relief work. The present council stated tills was impossible on certain grounds, but already it had been put into effect in other towns. The council had also refused to co-operate in providing milk for the wcrkless. It appeared £7,000,000 in -wages tax was paid last year, yet only £4,500,000 was paid to the workless. The Minister even got up in the House and stated that there was a danger of the .tax producing- ,tcp , much, money. Mr Applely pointed nut that. the. Unemployment .Boards had decided to give .the workless an,- extra halft day’s pay for the Silver Jubilee, despite the fact., that, a. month’s pay was urged. Such parsimony was almost unbelievable, and showed the need Of representations for improvement in the conditions generally. BUDGET OF QUESTIONS Asked if he* favored working off rates at 10s a- day, Mr Goodson replied that ho favored a living wage, not any standard, wage. He was definitely opposed to such .a 1 rate as mentioned -.and: believed' a married man with two children should receive at least £5 a week.

Mr Gcodson further mentioned that the unemployed candidates stood firmly for patronising local industry. Gravel was obtained from Napier despite the fact that the Cook County quarries were producgood supplies. To another question, Mr Appleby stated that he considered the Haiti works *hould pay a higher rate for Water than other parts of the town or else should provide its own plyMr Appleby . stated also that lie was strongly in favor of bitumen work for all roads. On the motion of the chairman, a vote of thanks to and confidence in the candidates was carried with acclamation.

MAYOR AIjTY CAMPAIGN

MR COLEMAN AT CITY HALL

In, pursuance of his campaign for the Gisborne Mayoralty, Mr D. AY. Coleman, ALP., mob the ratepayers at the City Hall last evening. The- attendance totalled about 2CO.

Mr J. 11. Hall presided, . and in introducing the candidate, paid a tribute to his administrative qualities gained through experience. Mr Coleman, in expressing his pleasure at the attendance, said ho recognisr-d,; that it. was an unfortunate night to hold the meeting, as a big sports gathering was a- counter attraction, and one perhaps could not blame tho people, for a sports meeting was more attractive than n political address. The audience Was quite as large as he anticipated. ll,e ha>l intended to hold his town meeting on Monday evening, and had secured, the Opera House for. that purpose. Then he realised that Monday night was the night of the King’s .Jubilee. In view of the occasion he felt it was unseemly that he should he indulging in an election wrangle on such a. date. He had therefore cancelled his OperaHouse date, and that evening was the only night available. Mr Coleman again explained his reason for standing as a candidate, namely, that in his opinion Mr Jackson had failed in that capacity. Fie referred to tho garden plot in Gladstone Toad and sketched the various actions .by the council which led to the abandonment of the scheme, at a cost of £I2BB. If the Mayor had really understood the position that position would never haye arisen. Mr Jackson had said that the previous council had proposed. to plant a double row of trees down Gladstone road. To that state mont he gave an emphatic denial, and Substantiated comment by ft minute from the Borough Council book.

Mr Coleman then turned to finance on the lines of his previous addresses, and told how the rates had been reduced during his term -of office. The ratepayers should consider Which of tho two candidates could handle matters in the best way. He referred to his overhaul in tho engineer’s department during his term of office. When he took office the wages totalled £3124 n year, hut when he relinquished the position they were £1603, and the efficiencv of the department had not been affected. Mr Coleman also dealt with the water supply, and the position of the unemployed, and the borough , finances, on the lines of his previous addresses. He thought the council should give assistance to the sports bodies, both amateur and professional. So far as he was concerned, no large leans would be raised.

Mr Coleman also spoke on his candidature for the Hospital Board on lines similar to those previously published.

In reply to a question, Mr Coleman said he did not favor the establishment of a municipal bank for the borough, under the present monetary system.

Labor candidates for the council, Hospital Board, and Harbor Board also delivered brief addresses. At the conclusion a vote of thanks to the candidates, proposed by Air J. McLean, was carried by acclamation.

An unusual case was called before 'Mi; J. Miller, S.M., at the Hastings ' Magistrate’s Court, when Andrew Jamps O’Donnell was charged with, on February 8, making a false statement over the telephone with the infcention. that Constable Bowich should ‘act upon it to the substantial detriment of his duties, as a, police officer. The statement O’Donnell, was alleged ! to have made was ‘-There arc 2 men fighting in front of Nelson’s store, Omahu Road. One looks as if he is dying, and you had better come up immediately;Mr ; t( L. dA. Rqgei’S appeared' f°r accused, and airited- for a, trial l>y jury. The case was then adjourned until June 12 on account of a police witness being unavailable.

Clock bargain week; Westminster, ’Whittington, and St. Michael, Chimes. 1 Mantel Striking Clock's: * Usual ' price £4. New 52/6. Every clock guaranteed. —A. Stoneham and Co., Ltd., Jewellers; - Gem- House, - Gisborne.