KEY TO DEVELOPMENT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27541, 8 November 1950, Page 8

KEY TO DEVELOPMENT

Industry In The South CR WRIGHT’S ADVOCACY Despite the impression held in some quarters that the South Island was, at a standstill, he was convinced that the trend of population during the next 20 years would be from the North Island to the South, said Cr Wright. “ I think the key to the South’s development can be found in two words,” he said, “ industry and tourists. We will have to prepare for both. Up to 1949, only 15 per cent, of the tourists coming to this country came to the South Island, but it has the attractions to offer. So far as power is concerned, putting power cables across Cook Strait would be a waste of public money. Industry will have to come to the South.” Dunedin could share in both the

industry and the tourist trade, provided it had the necessary courage and vision to equip itself to prepare for these developments. If elected to the position of Mayor of the city, Cr Wright said, he would endeavour to assist in advancing and developing Dunedin on progressive but sound lines. An increase in population alone should not be the symbol of advancement, though it appeared that this was the yardstick in some other cities. “ Big Business ” It was essential, therefore, for the citizens to elect men with business and council experience and, moreover, men who were prepared to give unstintingly of their time. Many times it had been said that the council's undertakings were big business. That was very true. The \2f men elected were the board of directors and the more commercial or business knowledge and experience they could bring to the council table, the more efficiently would the affairs of the city be run. Dunedin had been well served by the past council. Personally, he had completed three terms as a councillor, and could truthfully say that the 194750 council had been the hardest worked of all. It had been the most conscientious of the three councils on which he had served. In civic administration, councils received both brickbats and bouquets. The latter were accepted gratefully, and the former as part of the day’s work. No one should take on public life unless he was prepared to accept the rough with the smooth. If elected as Mayor his task over the next three years would be made considerably easier by having men of the calibre of the Citizens’ Association candidates to manage the affairs of the city. The amenities and utilities created by the city had been largely built out of loan money raised under guarantee by the ratepayers. Over the years they had never been called upon to do other than back the loan, as councils, by sound trading, had always honoured their loan commitments. In 1934, all outstanding loans, amounting to £2,214,000, were grouped into one conversion loan which would be completely paid off by 1958. Of the original £2,250,000 conversion loan, only £950,000 remained for repayment.'This was a very sound position. Loans raised since 1934 amounted to approximately £2,250,000, repayable over the next 30 years. Of this total, over £1,300,000 was loan money- raised by the Electricity Department. As chairman of this department, Cr Wright said they were building two more stations on Waipori River, at a cost of nearly £750,000. This work had been in progress for almost a year, and should be completed by 1953. This would bring to its maximum development the Waipori scheme started nearly 50 years ago. “ In addition to this excellent hydroelectric asset, we have planted some 6000 acres of trees. These trees during the next 10 or 15 years should add at least £1,000,000 to the income of the Dunedin City Council. “ It has been suggested in some quarters that as Waipori has not been making very good profits during the past few years, we should sell to the Government. I would be happy to go off the council fighting against this proposal,” Cr Wright said. “From a sound business point of view it would be sheer nonsense to sell to the Government or anyone else, as the basis of purchase would be the taking over of our assets and loan liabilities. Many of our assets were created at one-third of present costs. Our afforestation scheme would probably be taken over at cost —something like one-twentieth of the amount we should receive from the sale of timber.” It was correct to say that profits had diminished during the past year or two, but it was also true to say the public was receiving the cheapest power in New Zealand, and it owned Waipori. Several factors had been responsible for the reduction in net earnings, the chief of which were four or five dry seasons, with a resultant shortage of water storage. Works Department The Works Department had done a great amount of work, as the figures would show, and this despite an acute shortage of labour. It required another 100 men. He detailed- the miles of kerbing that had been carried out and the roadways developed or resealed Much work also had been done under contract, including roading at Mornington, Lookout Point, Taieri road, and the Albert street extension was under development. The duplication of the Leith channel as a flood precaution measure was to be carried out by contract. Plans also were approved for the Kaikorai Valley road. The Mount Zion quarry on Mount Cargill had been developed and proposals approved for the establishment of a rhodern crushing and screening plant at a cost of approximately £50,000. In addition, the Dunedin Drainage and Sewerage Board had completed major undertakings, including the laying of some hundreds of sixfeet pipes for the Lawyer's Head sewer.

The Reserves Department, of which Cr Jolly had been chairman, had done •1 tremendous amount of work, but the department had been handicapped by lack of laboffr. The city afforestation areas were all managed by this department. ' , , , The General Committee had opened new rest rooms in the Octagon, and a traffic light signal system was to be set up in the Stock Exchange area. Cr Wright said He did not subscribe to the view that the council should have a general manager. A new town clerk had been appointed and also a deputy town clerk, an entirely new position. This would mean that a great deal of the routine work would not now fall to the lot of the town clerk. It would allow him more time to co-ordinate the work of the various departments. In effect, they now had a general manager. He would like to introduce fortnightly meetings between the departmental heads and the town clerk, the latter acting as chairman and have a report of these meetings circulated to all councillors. This should add to efficiency. While there was co-opera-tion between all concerned, his suggestion would bring about greater coordination. A questioner later challenged Cr Wright’s assertion concerning Dunedin receiving cheaper power than other centres. The latter stated that on the figures supplied to him this was the position. At the conclusion of the meeting a vote of confidence in the Citizens’ Association candidates was carried by acclamation.