PORT CHALMERS MAYORALTY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21940, 29 April 1933, Page 10

PORT CHALMERS MAYORALTY

MR T. ANDERSON’S ADDRESS Mr Thomas Anderson, a candidate for the mayoralty of Port Chalmers, addressed a meeting of electors in the Town Hall at Port Chalmers last night. The chair was occupied by Cr. F. G. Smith, who briefly introduced the candidate. Mr Anderson dealt at length with unemployment and, stressed the need for relief in the coining winter. He urged an immediate protest against the sending of married men to' camp, and advocated placing all the unemployed on the same conditions as those in the cities. He stated that the total indebtedness of the borough was £49,720, the interest on which at the reduced rate, plus sinking fund, was, £2332, and the general rate of £2llß on the reduced valuation would not meet this amount. Water for shipping had dropped over a period of years from £ISOO to £o36—a fall of close on £IOOO. The valuation to-day stood at £24,095, a reduction of £llOO, which meant a further loss in rates of £lO6. The capital value of the town was £361,711, and the value of the borough’s sections, town and, country, was £31,275, producing a revenue of 3* per cent., or equal to £1072. Owing to reduced interest the borough gained £176 and by reduced rents it lost £243, making a net loss of £67. The Unemployment Board allotment during Mr Watson’s term was a very large sum. The term started with a credit balance of £B4 4s 7d in 1931, and finished in March, 1933, with a debit _ balance of £978 14s Id, making the position to-day £1063 to the bad. Councillor Mirams, the other aspirant for the mayoralty, was a party to the Mayor’s policy and turned down the Finance Committee after sitting until midnight and agreeing with it. Further, the staff was reduced in number, the rest of the employees were put on short time, and salaries were reduced, and they finished up in the position he had stated as a result of the Mayor’s policy and of iris interfering with the councils decisions. The majority must rule, said the speaker, and yet people wondered why councillors who were looking after their interests were compelled to take the attitude they were really forced to adopt. ~ ... Mr Anderson d e alt at length with the gasworks which, he said, were a public utility and must be carried on. In regard to Harbour matters, Mr Anderson held strongly that the Port of Otago should be ajt Port Chalmers, as had been stressed in leading articles in both the Dunedin papers. He also dealt with the reconstruction of the cooling chambers, cranes on the wharves, the ..reclamation of Mussel Bay for leasing purposes for industries, widening the Deborah Bay , channel for, large steamer?, a reduction in dues, more imports, the completion of the Mole, and the duplication of the railway line if Port Chalmers were the main port. Mr Anderson concluded by stating'that lie and his colleagues had done something for Port Chalmers since they had represented it on the Harbour Board and that the people should show their appreciation by returning them to finish tlieir Wprk as Port Chalmers depended principally on shipping for its progress. With respect to the Deborah Bay bend, he said the big steamer Akaroa would never have reached Port Chalineis if Mr Campbell and lie had not hammered at the board to increase the width to 400 feet, and if they were returned again they would insist on the width bcin (r further increased to 500 feet. In° reply to a question, Mr Anderson said the Harbour Board had contemplated spending £I4OO on the drain at Mussel Bay. It was now intended to use stone from the Port Chalmers quarry instead of wood. The stone vrould make a permanent job. A unanimous ■ vote of thanks was accorded Mr Anderson for his address.