MAYORAL ELECTION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21939, 28 April 1933, Page 10

MAYORAL ELECTION

MR MITCHELL’S CAMPAIGN Addressing the souttli end electors, Mr Mitchell received a very fair and attentive hearing from an audience which completely filled the Forbury Corner Lodge Hall. Mr V. G. Cavanagh briefly introduced the candidate and made eulogistic reference to his worth on the City Council. . , During his address, which was entirely without interruption, Mr Mitchell fully outlined the suggested- water scheme, stating that it would be a wonderful asset to the city, and that it would help materially to alleviate the distress which was so evident in our midst. Mr Mitchell expressced sympathy with the unemployed and referred to his own personal repeated requests to the Unemployment Board in Wellington for better conditions. In his opinion something should bo done in the direction of investigating the very heavy administrative charges in connection with the fund.

Referring to the question of rates, Mr Mitchell said that some of the letters appearing in the press recently with regard to conditions in Dunedin as compared with other cities were misleading. because of the different basis of reckoning. Some centres rated ou unimproved values while others rated on annual values. He was proud of Dunedin’s position in this respect, and keenly advocated that Dunedin should continue on the sound lines pursued through the past years. A vote of thanks to Mr Mitchell for his illuminating and instructive address was carried by acclamation without dissent.

MR R. S. BLACK’S CANDIDATURE Mr R. S. Black addressed the electors in the Sunshine Hall, Tainui, last night, Mr A. R, Lawry being in the chair. The chairman said that he had known Mr Black for 30 years, and all that time he had been prominent in service for the public. The speaker specially mentioned Mr Black’s connection of 30 years with the friendly society movement, for which he had done great work. Mr Black, in the course of a fighting speech, answered many of the Rev. Mr Cox’s assertions regarding municipal affairs, and added that he would be pleased to meet that gentleman on any public platform before May 3 in order to debate any of the questions involved. The campaign had begun in the proper way, a clean fight between two aspirants who were experienced in civic life, but, unfortunately, Mr Cox’s advent bad resulted in immediately lowering the level of the tactics employed. To accuse men who had served years cm the City Council with having “defrauded the city” was a sample of these tactics, and lie (Mr Black) could, in reply, point to Dunedin to-day and say: “Is there any finer or cleaner city or citizens in the Dominion? ” In regard to Mr Cox’s vision of 8000 crippled, sickly children in five years time, he (the speaker) had a different vision; it was of a forgotten depression, with the adult population all in work and the children well and healthy. This would be the outcome of sane management of the city’s finances and of fair treatment to the present unemployed and ample succour to the needy, not as the result of , a madcap policy of reckless pillaging of funds upon which the future depended.

Several questions were put and answered, and a vote of thanks was accorded the speaker.