TAKAPUNA ELECTIONS

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 3, 25 March 1927, Page 6

TAKAPUNA ELECTIONS

RATEPAYERS’ ASSOCIATION ACTS CANDIDATES SELECTED (From Our Own Correspondent.) A meeting of the Takapuna Ratepayers’ Association was held at the Masonic Hall last evening, Mr. Jas. Wallace presiding. In addition to the executive, about 80 members were present. The secretary announced the selection of seven of the nine candiwhich the association intended to support at the forthcoming municipal election. The names were as follows:—Mrs. J. C. Blomfield, Messrs. Close, J. Davis, M. E. Thompson, G. McFlynn, J. Guineven and G. Malcolm. The remaining two will be selected at the close of the nominations. In a manifesto read by the secretary the candidates stated they did not wish to delude the ratepayers with extravagant promises, nor to gain control of local government for selfish or parochial purposes. It would be necessary to put an end to wasteful expenditure and mischievous schemes which have characterised local government in Takapuna during the past two years. Although it was necessary to await the report of the Royal Commission, before adopting any water supply scheme, they could in the meantime expedite, as far as possible, completion of reticulation, to meet demands of fire-fighting and drainage purposes. The sewage scheme, costing over £200,000 was useless without an adequate water supply. Drainage work must be completed, and every property connected where practical and necessary. A strict application of economical and business methods was necessary to avoid costly duplication and waste. They were in favour of linking-up uncompleted portions of concrete roads -—Walter’s Hill, King Edward Avenue and Northcote Road to Sheriff’s Hill. Side roads were at present a disgrace to the borough, the money usually spent on them having been diverted to other less desirable activities. All maintenance money liberated from main road expenditure should be used to place footpaths and side streets in decent order. They believed in the “open road”

and opposed municipal ownership of transport service. The North Shore Borough would have to amalgamate, or act in concert in many of the larger questions of the day, including transport. In the meantime, transport could well be left to private enterprise, and the council’s duties would be to regulate fares and time-tables and safeguard the people. It would be necessary to investigate in order to ascertain the financial position as regards huge loans for roading, drainage and water mains. Large sums had been spent and nothing finished.