STRATFORD MAYORALTY

Taranaki Daily News, 2 May 1933, Page 8

STRATFORD MAYORALTY

MR. THOMSON’S ADDRESS REPLY TO MR. J. W. McMILLAN. GENERAL POLICY OUTLINED. An address justifying his past policy as Mayor of Stratford, dealing with the criticism of his opponent, Mr. J. W. McMillan, and outlining his aims for the future should he be returned, was given in the Town Hall, Stratford, last night by Mr. Percy Thomson. Mr. N. B. Fletcher, deputy-Mayor, presided over 100 burgesses. Mr. Campbell Jackson had stated, said Mr. Thomson, that Mr. McMillan had received authority to spend up to £129,000 of loans for street improvements. The streets had been improved and the bridge in Broadway was an example of some of the fine work done, but the mdney had been conserved and a large amount was still available. “Yes,” the Mayor added, “there is a balance of authorised moneys amounting to £83,980, and if this is to be raised and spent on streets, unproductive except indirectly, then may Providence help the ratepayers.” Mr. McMillan’s views, expressed to the deputation, were, firstly: “I have considered ever since I left the council that overhead expenses should be cut down, and if I stand that will be my main plank.” “What an extraordinary admission to make,” Mr. Thomson said. “Mr. McMillan was Mayor. Then why did not he do his duty to the ratepayers instead of leaving the pruning to his successor?” Mr. McMillan’s second point was: “Ratepayers are looking for a reduction in rates and they are entitled to it.” “What an impertinence,” the speaker remarked. “That is exactly the attitude taken up by the leaders of the Ratepayers’ Association in their outpourings, an absolute ignoring of the reductions made by the council in rates during my occupancy of the chair.” Rates were divided into two classes, general, and separate and special, continued Mr. Thomson. The separate special rates were required for the payment of interest on loan moneys, and apart from any compulsory reduction by the Government in the rate of interest payable no lowering of those rates was possible. It was from the general rates, assisted by any surplus profit that might be transferred from the electric light department, that the cost of administration and general maintenance and street construction work was derived.

COMPARATIVE FIGURES. The Mayor then quoted some comparative figures: Apart from water rates and arrears on other rates in 1916-17, Mr. J. W. Boon’s last year, general rate was £2614, separate and special, £1200; total, £3814. In 1917, Mr. McMillan’s first year, the, general was £3060, separate and special £764, and total £3824. There was a gradual rise to 1928-29, when the general was £6397, separate and special £4398, and total £10,795. “I assumed office in January, 1930,” Mr. Thomson continued, “and in 1931-32 the general rates were £4310, separate and special £4216, and total £8526. In 1932-33 the general rate was £2915, separate and special £4398, and total £7313. The total rates (apart from water rate) were thus reduced from £10,795 in Mr. McMillan’s last year to £7313, a reduction of £3482 per annum or from 6jd in the £ in 1929-30 to 4 5-8 d in 1932-33—a total reduction of 2 l-Bd. In addition concessions were made to electricity consumers of £4OO to £5OO per annum. The reduction was made possible by a reduction in salaries and wages of £BOO. A reduction in the cost of electricity of £B5O and a reduction in interest charges of £6OO were made. By a special arrangement fire insurance premiums were reduced to half. Telephone charges were heavily reduced by the cemetery water headworks and other ’phones being put on to party lines. The poundkeeper’s services were dispensed with and the services added to the ranger’s duties. The rubbish collecting staff was reduced from two to one and the cost of the sanitation staff was reduced,' as was the permanent street staff. Those reductions in rates were effected in spite of the fact that on the contrary side big reductions were made in the rents charged for municipal shops, etc. A surplus of revenue of £lOOO at 31/3/32 was also used to reduce the rates for 1932-33, but similar surpluses -were used in Mr. McMillan’s time for similar purposes. Such a surplus would not be available this year but the statutory reduction in interest charges payable by the borough would enable the council to maintain the rate struck for 1932-33 and there should be no need to increase it. The New Plymouth Harbour rate was not included in the above figures. For 1932-33 it was 7-8 d in the £. For 193334 it would be increased by 25 per cent., an additional £350. It might be possible ' to offset this. Now what does Mr. McMillan claim he is going to do? He is “going to bring about a reduction of rates by reducing , expenses—by which he means reducing the salaries of the higher paid officers or even going to the length of curtailing the staff.” STATEMENTS CORRECTED. To settle some of the incorrect state- , ments being circulated about the town J Mr. Thomson submitted the following details of the salaries of the higher paid officers: Town clerk, £462 10s, borough , engineer, £370; electrical engineer, £324; borough inspector and health officer, £301; ■ a total of £1457 ■ 10s. The Mayor’s honorarium wvs £75. That at Eltham was £lOO, and aS Hawera £l5O. The above stated salaries were the nett amounts after the 1931-32 cuts of 7j per cent. Personally he did not find the £75 covered his monetary outlay pertaining to the office. If Mr. McMillan made a further cut of 10 per cent, he would save £145, but to make a reduction in rates of Id in the £ required approximately £l6OO, so that a further 10 per cent, cut would not amount to l-10d in the £. Mr. McMillan in his election appeal of April 28 said, “My aim is to give some relief and not, as has been stated, merely a small fraction of a penny. What then? They could get nothing definite from Mr. McMillan. He would have to dispose of the whole of the executive officers to save Id in the £. The Ratepayers’ Association, of which Mr. McMillan was a member, proposed, he understood, to save £l6OO by discharging the borough engineer (£370), the electrical engineer (£324), and the assistant inspector, ranger and poundkeeper (£217), making a total saving of £9ll, and the balance by a cut in salaries and wages on the remainder of the staff. The association asked its members to vote for Mr. McMillan, and would reduce Stratford to the stage of Midhirst or Normanby. Continuing, Mr. Thomson said that Mr. McMillan proposed to drastically reduce

the town clerk’s salary from £462 10s. The speaker had sought the opinion of Mr. Alley, the Government Auditor, as to Mr. Skoglund’s salary, and he stated that Mr. Skoglund was underpaid. What Mr. Skoglund was thought of outside was evidenced by his continued election to the position of president of the Town Clerks’ Association of New Zealand, and the manner in which his advice was sought in municipal government. The council's turnover was between £30,000 and £40,000. Last year it was £39,000. The Ratepayers’ Association, went on the Mayor, would dismiss this officer, and use one of the street staff as a working foreman. He took it that the engineering work carried out by Mr. Davis would be supplied free by the Ratepayers’ Association, also the surveying work, the architectural work, the preparation of plans and specifications and estimates, and the building inspection work. The Ratepayers’ Association suggested that the electrical engineer be dismissed and a linesman placed in charge—that is, he presumed, the present linesman—so that the staff might hot be increased. The ratepayers had £50,000 worth of plant at stake. The Association might be prepared to take the risk, but the Government was not, as a certificated man is required by the regulations. The inspector’s salary was to be drastically cut from £3Ol. The person holding the position occupied by Mr. Sayers must hold the Diploma of the Royal Sanitary Institute. He was also a member of the New Zealand Sanitary Inspectors’ Association. His duties consisted of the enforcement of the Stratford borough bylaws, the Health Act, the Motor Vehicles Act, the Heavy Traffic Regulations, the Dangerous Goods Acts, the Noxious Weeds Acts, the Motor Transport Acts, and the carrying out of the multifarious duties devolving upon him under these Statutes and Regulations. He must be prepared to be on duty at any time in the 24 hours, and his work involved from 12 to 14 hours work a day. Did he not earn his salary? The association would also dispense with the ranger as being unnecessary. His salary was £217. Who, then, was to clean out the municipal buildings, offices and town hall? Mr. S. Macalister, president of the association, interjected and denied that the association had ever proposed the dismissal of the officers.

“My platform is,” said Mr. Thomson in conclusion, (1) the keeping down of rates and the continued exercise of economies, consistent with continued efficiency of borough essential services; (2) the bituminising of streets and footpaths, when formed, as far as might safely be done out of revenue; (3) consideration of a scheme for the improvement of the borough water supply, a report having already been prepared by the engineer; (4) consideration of assistance to the local establishment of aviation facilities for the town and district (it may be the council could provide the means of access to a site); (5) continued endeavours to , turn the local town hall from an annual burden on the ratepayers to at least a paying proposition; (6) the improvement of Stratford as a shopping centre by the establishment of community lighting in Broadway; (7) a decrease of a further Id per unit in the household electricity lighting charges (790 consumers); (8) the re-forming and re-metalling of Brecon Road and at the same time the filling in of Hamlet Street central by the help of relief labour; and (9) the completion of the establishment, of boiling down works at the municipal abattoirs which had already been brought to a certain point. Mr. Macallster asked if the new water scheme provided for a system of filtering. The Mayor pointed out that the whole matter was one of cost. Only to put in a new nine-inch pipe would cost upwards x>f £7009 and that was what the engineer rec®mmended. Tests of the water showed that it was perfectly pure and, while he was in Dunedin he had to drink water not nearly as good as that of Stratford. A voice: How was the beer?

In reply to Mr. Lamason the Mayor said ' it was common practice in New Zealand for a local body with an electricity department to use the profits of that department to ease the burden of rates. TE WERA WOMAN’S DEATH. INQUEST AT STRATFORD. The death of Elizabeth Simmons, wife of Mr. C. H. Simmons, Te Wera, at her home late on Sunday night was the subject of an inquest held at Stratford yesterday by the coroner (Mr. W. L. Kennedy), whose verdict was that cerebral thrombosis was the cause of death. Mrs. Simmons was 51 years of age. Charles Henry Simmons, the husband, said that throughout her life Mrs. Simmons suffered more or less from indigestion, but since her marriage had had no other illness. During the last two or three weeks .she had not been free of indigestion. On the occurrence of the attacks medicine, prescribed by Dr. Steven, was procured. Mrs. Simmons complained to her husband during the bouts of indigestion that her breath became short Mrs. Simmons went to bed at 6.30 p.m. on Sunday and on previous occasions had gone to bed at a similar time. She did not complain about herself to her husband, but made references to one of the boys having a bad cough. When he went to bed Mrs. Simmons made no complaint of feeling ill, and he dropped asleep shortly after going to bed. About 11 p.m. or a little later he was awakened by his wife. She was making a gurgling noise in the throat. He arose and tried to rouse her. She did not speak or move. He did not think that Mrs. Simmons tried to wake or move him before he wakened. Dr. Steven arrived at 1 a.m. Over a year ago Mrs. Simmons was attended by Dr. Steven who said then that her chest and heart were weak. Dr. Steven, who by direction of the coroner made a post mortem examination yesterday, considered the cause of death was cerebral thrombosis. PERSONAL ITEMS. Mr. M. F. Barlow, porter at the Stratford station, left yesterday on transfer to Thomdon. Mr. L. A. Robinson, postmaster at Whangamomona, will leave to-day on annual leave to be spent in the Auckland district. Mr Muller will act as postmaster in the absence of Mr. Robinson. Mr. J. L. Ward, Crown lands ranger, left Stratford yesterday on his annual holiday. Mr. N. P. Green, manager of the Stratford branch of the Bank of New Zealand, accompanied by Mrs. Green and family, will leave for Dannevirke to-day on a six weeks’ holiday. Mr. C. C. Leys will act as manager while Mr. Green is away. GENERAL ITEMS. Look Before You Leap. From the point of view of those who were looking on, an amusing incident occurred as a prelude to the motor-cycle races held at Maugatoki in the week-

end. One enthusiastic competitor, arriving early in the day, and perhaps unable to curb his desire to be doing things, put his machine straight on the track and opened out. The first part of the course was covered in the easy manner of an expert at the game, but the performance was somewhat marred by the fact that at one point a fence crossed the track. When about 15 yards away the rider saw the gate. At 14 yards he realised it was closed, and several.things happened at once. Fortunately no damage was done. Vital Statistics. Vital statistics for the Stratford district for April with he figures for April, 1932, in parentheses, are: Births 15 (22),. deaths 4 (1), marriages 6 (8). Less Rain This April, The rainfall at Stratford in April was substantially less than during the same month last year, when 8.25 inches were recorded. Last month, states Mr. A. W. Burrell, the total was 6.55 inches and the heaviest falls were on the 2nd (1.34 inches) and on the 22nd (1.12 inches). Two Mt. Egmonts. A distortion of view caused no doubt by a combination of cloud and sunlight, aided perhaps by a moisture-laden air, presented to four golfers at Stratford on Sunday afternoon the sight of two peaks on Mt. Egmont The hallucination showed one peak to the left of and lower than the other. Dearth of Building. There was little activity in the building line at Stratford during April. The

Borough Council issued only one permit, which was for a motor garage to cost £4O. Small Fire Suppressed. A pile of papers kept in the basement of the King’s Theatre, Stratford, for lighting the furnace caught fire last

night, dense smoke issuing from the entrance of the theatre. The brigade was called and had no difficulty in extinguishing the fire. No serious damage was done. (