DR McMILLAN'S CANDIDATURE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24606, 14 May 1941, Page 10

DR McMILLAN'S CANDIDATURE

TO THE EDITOR Sir,—Dr McMillan's frank admission that the statement on council budgets and rate reductions would mislead no one was not wholly unexpected. After all, it was so obvious to everyone who had attended his meetings that Up to Friday last he had no more idea of how and what;-rate reductions he was going to effect than the man in' the moon. He had made' what he thought was a. vote-catching pledge and the ways and means of honouring it did not unduly concern him. I do not believe in kicking a man when he is down, but so many of his other promises are so equally valueless that! one cannot help commenting on them. For instance, he has stated at nearly all his meetings that he proposes embarking en grandiose schemes for Otago Central. But at the two meetings which I have attended not one fact or. figure has he been able to produce in support of an enlargement of his vague generalisation. ■.'-' Dealing how with his much-vaunted general rate reduction of cne penny in the pound, I noticed that in the extended report of his North-East Valley meeting he said: "The election contest has crystallised around one issue and that was the question of the general rate. Is it to go up one penny cr is it to go down one penny? Was the general rate to be 2s 3d or was it to be 2s Id? Those who wanted a general rate of 2s 3d would vote for the Citizens' Association candidates and those who preferred a general rate of 2s Id would vote fcr the Labour ticket." Now what does this penny difference, solely upon which,. according to Dr McMillan, the election contest should be determined, really amount to? Here are the figures:— On a dwelling house, capital value £BOO, the very large sum cf 3s .4d per annum; on a dwelling, house, rental value £1 per week, the very large sum of 3s 6d per annum; on a dwelling house, capital value £IOOO, the very large sum of ~4s 2d per annum; on a dwelling house, rental value 25s per week", the very large sum of 4s 4d per annum; on a dwelling house, capital value £1250, the very large sum of 5s 2d per annum; on a dwelling house, rental value 30s per week, the very large sum of 5s 2d per annum; on a dwelling hcuse, rental value 32s 6d per week, the very large sum of 5s 8d per annum. ~ . The difference then on these values will range from the extremely large sum of 3s 4d per annum to 5s 8d petannum. What a blessing to mankind and what a plank upon which to base his platform! Dr McMillan then, if elected to office, would be worth to the majority of the electors of Dunedin something ranging in.value from the princely sum of 3s 4d a year to the sum of 5s 8d a year, and on his own statement should for this reason alone, be preferred to Mr Allen. I think that even taking him on his own valuation the majority of the electors of Dunedin will think he is far too dear.—l am. etc.. „ 0 „„„ Mark Hanan.