ELECTION JOTTINGS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIX, Issue 20096, 1 May 1935, Page 8

ELECTION JOTTINGS

WHAT VOTERS WANT TO KNOW Only one election meeting was held last night, Mr G. Benstead speaking at the West School. Two candidates for the Mayoralty will address meetings to-night, however, while one candidate for the Harbour Board will also be taking the platform. "The question as to what we should do with the profits from the Electricity Department is a vexed one,” said Mr G. Benstead, speaking at the West School last night. “I don’t mean hand them over to Mr Dash. You know where I am over that. I say no. When we were some thousands of pounds down, the Power Board did not want us, but now that we have reached the stage where we are showing a profit, the Power Board say, ‘We want you.’ ” Asked at his meeting at the West School last night if he would take steps to have the wages of relief workers on the scenic road job subsidised, Mr Benstead replied that he would, as he did not consider that the Unemployment Board was doing anything to improve the position. ‘‘l would be a fool, however, to take the money from the rates to subsidise flie workers’ pay,” he said. “We could not do it without raising the rates, and if we went on in that way we would soon be bankrupt.” “The scenic road job will be going for another five years, if they go on at the same rate as they have done for the last 12 months.” —A relief worker at Mr Benstead’s meeting at the West School last night.

Mr Benstead was asked last night if. as the representative of the Council on the Fire Board, he considered the relaying of the water main in Elizabeth Street was necessary work. Mr Benstead: Certainly, in the interests of fire prevention. The questioner: What was the rate the Borough Council paid the men?

Voices: Unemployed labour.^ Mr Benstead: As ordinary councillors, we do not always get hold of these things. That is the first I have heard of it.

The questioner: The work was done two years ago. A relief worker at the West School last night remarked that stone walls had to be erected on the scenic reserve, and he asked Mr Benstead of he was in favour of the work being done by skilled labourers at award rates of pay. Mr Benstead: Are they competent to do it?

A voice: They are competent to do anything. (Laughter.)