ONEHUNGA'S FINANCES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19620, 26 April 1927, Page 16

ONEHUNGA'S FINANCES.

STATEMENTS CHALLENGED. MAYOR AND DEPUTY-MAYOR. An unexpected development occurred at the close of a meeting addressed by Mr. J. E. Green, a candidate for the mayoralty of Onehunga, at the Royal Oak on Saturday. In his remarks he uaid he deprecated the action of another candidate in advertising that the affairs of the borough were in a state of chaos, and that the finances should be investigated by an independent committee. As a matter of fact, the finances were in a very sound state, the year ending with a net surplus of £SOOO. However, the retiring Mayor, Mr. J. E. Cowell, would like to-deal witn the advertisements more fully.. Mr. Cowell said the statements were intended merely to catch votes, whereas they would do nothing but unnecessarily alarm the ratepayers. The statement that the borough was :n a state of chaos came very inappropriately from Mr. Mcintosh, who had been deputy-Major for four years, as well as a member of the Finance Committee, and yet he had never objected to its decisions. .He flatly denied the truth of the advertisements, particularly the suggestion that the rates would have to be raised unless the affairs were reorganised, for the surplus for the year was so substantial that the incoming council would have £7OOO to £BOOO for roads and might possibly be able to reduce the rates. Only once had Mr. Mcintosh objected to the roading proposals, and that was when the council decided to use a little of the unemployment loan for a road which could not be finished with the ordinary roading loan. There was still about £SOO of the former loan left, and no doubt it could be employed on the road which Mr.- Mclnosh had in view, whereas it would have been a mistake to leave a road only partially constructed when money was available to make a good job of it. Mr. Cowell added that the ratepayers would not accept the claim of Mr..Mcintosh to put forward a constructive policy on the strength of his six years in office, for they would not judge him by his promises but bv what he had done during that time, and if mistakes had been made lie was just as much responsible as the rest of the council. This was his only opportunity to refute the statements made by fhe Deputy-Mayor, and he hoped the latter would give his reply when addressing the electors on Tuesday evening. Mr. Mcintosh said his statements had been misunderstood, for he referred only to the roading and drainage loans and not to the general finances. However, he would fully replv at his meeting iri the Foresters' Hall.