THE MAYORALTY

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIX, Issue 20097, 2 May 1935, Page 10

THE MAYORALTY

MR SATTERTHWAITE’S CAMPAIGN POLICY ADDRESS The Mayor (Mr T. W. Satterthwaite) opened his Mayoral campaign last night when he addressed a gathering of 42 electors at the Waimataitai School. Mr F. H. Ward presided. At the beginning of his address the Mayor referred to the borough treasurer’s statement of receipts and payments, and said it would be noticed that the Council concluded the year ended March 31 with a credit balance of £2680. That had been brought about by the receipts being £3031 more than was estimated and the expenditure being £351 more than was budgeted for, leaving a cash surplus of £2680. The most prominent increase in the receipts for the year was £1691 more rate receipts than was estimated; all other items of general revenue showing an increase, which was a sign of better times ahead. The balance of rates outstanding at March 31 was £5721, in comparison with the total of £8296 when the present Council took office. He thought the outgoing Council should be congratulated on the excellent result of the two years’ work. B|Jefly dealing with the financial position of the borough. Mr Satterthwaite said that when he first assumed office in 1931 the total indebtedness of the borough was £470,580, and the accrued sinking fund in hand resulted in a nett indebtedness of £371.092. March 31, 1935, at the end of his second term as Mayor, the public nett indebtedness had been reduced to £293,925. This showed a total reduction of £77,167, brought about by redemption of loans at maturity and adequate provision for sinking funds, the result of careful administration by the past two Councils. During his term as Mayor all work had been done out of revenue and no loans had been raised. Question of Rates. After dealing with the conversion of the borough loans, the Mayor said the revenue for the year ended March 31 was £75,285 derived from rates, water charges, license fees, etc. On-account of the revaluation of the borough, the incoming Council would have to give the question of income from rates earnest consideration. The old valuation of the borough for rating purposes totalled £1,783.000, whereas the new valuation totalled only £1.643,970, showing a reduction of £139,000, which might still further be increased after the sitting of the assessment Court. The rate struck last year on the old valuation was estimated to produce £54,000, whereas the same rate on the new valuation would only produce £50,800. That approximate difference of £3200 was a matter for the future Council’s due consideration, for it must be realised that the Council must have revenue to carry out its programme and give service. Out of tjie rates •last year the sum of £6991 had been paid to other local bodies. The payment to the Harbour Board * was £1356, Hospital Board £4385 and Fire Board £1250. He expected this total amount would be increased this year, as the Harbour Board had already decided to increase Its amount. During the last two years the Council had maintained all the reserves of the borough in the best possible manner and during the past year had completed the purchase of land from the Harbour Board and other owners for the purpose of making a scenic reserve which, when completed and planted, would add considerably to the beauty of our town, continued the Mayor. The main park had been considerably improved by the erection of new gates recently opened by the Duke of Gloucester. Croquet lawns and .other improvements had been made to West End and Ashbury Parks. Thanks to the hearty co-operation of the Caroline Bay Association, improvements to the Bay still continued to go on apace and the past year had seen the completion of the enlargement to the Caroline Bay Hall. The Council was authoritatively informed that Timaru had the best library in the Dominion with regard to the size of the town. The nett cost, about £2500 a year, was barely more than a burden of a third of a penny on the rate. Capital Works Apart from the ordinary maintenance work of the borough an average of more than £4OOO a year had been spent out of revenue on capital works, about 150 chains of street sealing and 110 chains of new asphalt paths having been done annually, while last year 62 chains of kerbing and channelling were made. The Mayor also referred to the Council’s street widening operations and the drainage schemes carried out in the Luxmore Hoad area and the Otipua reserve. Mr Satterthwaite said that the water supply could be both conserved and improved by further concreting the race, thus reducing it to its proper width and so restoring the velocity of flow to the water. About £SOO a year had been spent out of revenue on this work, and the amount had been increased lately, and he was of opinion that still more work of that nature should be undertaken. The purity of the water was being still further assured by a completion of the fencing and a further reconditioning of the existing fences, thus ensuring that all stock was kept away from the race. Dealing with unemployment, the speaker stated that as far as the Council was concerned its function was to provide relief works for the unemployed, the allocation being provided by the Unemployment Board; but he was prepared to recommend the incoming Council that a sum be placed on the estimates for the purpose of providing extra -work in the winter months at standard rates for especially necessitious cases. After emphasising the necessity olj there being an A grade airport at Timaru, Mr Satterthwaite reviewed the finances of the Electricity Department, which showed a trading profit for the year of £5994, but after expenditure on capital works, etc.. £2998, transfer to general account £ISOO, and contribution £IOOO regarding the removal of the Grant’s Hill substation, the actual net result was a credit of £490 As a result to a great extent of utilising the saving amounting to £3106 in interest and sinking fund payments, the Council had already for the ensuing y<?ar made a reduction in electricity charges to the extent of £4700, and he was pleased to say that during his four years term of office, reductions totalling approximately £10.400 had been made to consumers. The Omnibus Department was being operated at a loss which approximated the amount of the special rate of £1620. In the future, as the result of the Council’s loan policy, the special rate should eventually disappear. In the meantime the Department was performing a very necessary service. Questions Answered At the conclusion of his address, the Mayor answered several questions. Mr R. Chute said that relief workers were allocated two days work, and if they did not fulfil those two days and were fortunate enough to obtain work on the wharf, they were penalised. He asked whether the Mayor was aware that that was going on and if so, what steps he had taken to counteract it. The Mayor said he was not aware

that such was the case, but he knew that the certifying officer was doing his best for the unemployed. If a man got work he was not penalised. The Unemployment Committee had been assured that the new regulations were elastic, and that no man was penalised.

Mr Chute said the Mayor had been misinformed. He had seen men who were drawing sustenance make as much as 22/6 on the wharf and then have to stand down next week and get no sustenance. He said he could supply the names of 20 or 30 men who had had that experience. Mr Satterthwaite: “You bring those names along to me and I will prove you are wrong.” At the outset a man was allowed to earn 25/-, but now he was permitted to earn more. He invited Mr Chute to go with him to see the officer in charge of the Labour Bureau, when he would prove that the statement was wrong. Mr Chute agreed to do that.

Mr Chute then asked the Mayor, if, in a case a young man of 21 was ill and unable to report to the bureau for his pay and his father reported with a doctor’s certificate, he was in favour of the pay being given. The Mayor said the question was a difficult one as special circumstances entered into it. The man might be a member of a lodge, and he was not sure what the procedure would be. He said he would look into the matter.

In reply to another question, Mr Satterthwaite agreed that it was absurd for men drawing sustenance to have to report twice to the bureau and once to the Post Office during the week. The Unemployment Committee had gone into the question fully, and had decided to suggest to the Board that once a week was all that was necessary.

On the motion of Mr H. Lomas, seconded by Mr S. Home, the Mayor was accorded a vote of thanks.