THE MAYORALTY

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIX, Issue 20098, 3 May 1935, Page 10

THE MAYORALTY

CANDIDATES MEET ELECTORS MAYOR AT SOUTH END Continuing his campaign for the Mayoralty, the retiring Mayor (Mr T. W. Satterthwaite) addressed a meeting of 24 electors at the South School last night, Mr A. H. Wyatt presided. Mr Satterthwaite said he was going to give an account of his stewardship during the last two years when he was Mayor. He was always pleased to come to the South End, which was a very progressive end of the borough. He congratulated the residents on their resuscitation of the South End Ratepayers’ Association. He was pleased to see that they had appointed a chairman who had been, at one time, chairman of the Council’s works committee and who was a live wire. Mr Satterthwaite said he hoped the Association would go from strength to strength, for not only were they doing good work for themselves but for the borough as a whole. “When I come to the South End I have pleasant memories of two worthy pouncillors who have now gone to their reward and who served Timaru for almost record periods. They are the late Mr George Sealy and the late Mr Thomas Hawkey,” said the Mayor. “I am an old colleague of theirs and their memory is always fresh in my mind when I come to this end of the borough. The late Mr Hawkey has a son on the present Council, Mr Fred Hawkey, and he is offering his services again. The names of Hawkey and the South End seem always to go together.” Draining Otipua Lagoon The Mayor then spoke on similar lines to the address given by him the previous night. Referring to the draining of the Otipua Lagoon, Mr Satterthwaite said that the scheme had been talked about for a long time, and he w’as pleased that the work had been undertaken during his term. “Although some people say that it has not been a success, to my mind it has served its purpose." said the Mayor, who added that during a recent flood, had there not been an outlet to the lagoon, some of the houses of Redruth would have been surrounded by water. Dealing with the water supply, Mr Satterthwaite said that citizens had probably seen a report published in the newspapers. He wanted them to know, however, that samples had been taken from the race while the water was not emptying into the reservoir as it was too dirty. They had been taken during the heat of summer and also when there was a fresh in the river. Samples also had been taken from the taps in the borough and they had not differed greatly from those taken two years previously. "Personally I do not think there is much wrong with our water. He thought that if they could narrow the race and so keep the water flowing the supply would be all right. The matter would be dealt with by the incoming Council, but if the Council decided to do something he would, if returned as Mayor, insist on another report being made, for before they spent £IO,OOO the matter would have to be given earnest consideration. “I believe that if that money is to be spent, it would be very much better spent on the race in inverting—but that is only my opinion.” Unemployment Expenditure. After discussing the question of unemployment, Mr Satterthwaite said that during his four years’ term as Mayor the Council had spent the following sums on unemployment: 193132, £5007; 1932-33, £6212; 1933-34. £3113; 1934-35, £l6ol—a total of £15,933. In addition, grants to the Boys’ Welfare League and the Central Relief Society had totalled £2168, making a grand total of nearly £IB,OOO and when that sum was taken out of the revenue of the Council it reflected to their credit and no one could say that they had not helped the unemployed to the best of their ability. Lighting of Redruth. Mr A. Hay inquired why the street lights for Redruth, which had been authorised by the Council, had not been installed. The Mayor said he knew that the lights had been authorised by the Council, but was unaware that the work had not been put in hand. He promised to consult the borough engineer on the matter immediately. The lighting was done by arrangement with the Power Board. The Board erected the lights but the Council paid for them, and the Power Board also collected the revenue from the house lighting. Mr F. Chittock asked was there no chance of the Council gaining complete control of the Redruth lighting as the area was now in the borough.

Mr Satterthwaite replied that the Council had made efforts to bring that about for some time, and would continue to do so. Mr W. Stevens asked if the Mayor was in favour of the formation of a Reserve Committee. He contended that the curator had no supervision, only that of the chairman of the Works Committee, Cr. W. H. Hall, who was. a builder and knew nothing about gardens or trees.

The Mayor said that the suggestion was one worthy of consideration, but it was difficult to form a new committee on account of the inconvenience of getting Councillors to attend every night in the week. He thought the Reserves Committee could be joined with the Works Committee. A special committee had been set up to deal with the Scenic Reserve.

Mr F. E. Stewart inquired whether the opinion of the electrical engineer regarding the moving of the substation had been asked for and, if so, what.it had been. Mr Satterthwaite said that he could not say whether the engineer’s opinion had been asked or not. His own opinion was that the moving of the sub-station was a very wise step, and he thought that Mr Watkins now thought that it was in a better position. Mr T. Keen asked whether the Mayor considered it fair to have spent money out of the borough when it could have been spent on other work in the borough. The Mayor reiterated that it had been a wise expenditure, and a step for which the public later on would bless the last Council. On the motion of Mr A. Hay, seconded by Mr J. Rodgers, the speaker was accorded a vote of thanks. AT WAIMATAITAI MR PATERSON’S CAMPAIGN Eighteen electors met Mr A. M. Paterson at the Waimataitai School last night. Mr J. R. Hart was voted to the chair. “We are on the eve of a municipal election of far greater importance to the people of Timaru than any that has hitherto taken place in the history of this town,” said Mr Paterson, who

predicted that in the next three years social changes would be made that, would shake to its foundations every institution in the country unless men of knowledge and experience were elected to fill key positions, both national and municipal. He considered that he was best fitted of any of the candidates to fill the Mayoral chair, as he had made a special study of the position. He outlined his policy in regard to unemployment and said that if elected he would ask the Mayors of other towns to join with him in urging the Government to at once place all unemployed workers on full rates of pay. He mentioned that the health of the people would receive his earnest consideration. Promotion of staff officers and Council employees generally would depend on merit as well as seniority, and if at all possible he would immediately restore all cuts. He would see also that holidays were given to all engaged directly or otherwise in Council work. As in previous addresses he spoke of his desire to maintain a high standard milk supply, and water supply. Referring to the addresses of the retiring Mayor and Mr Benstead, the candidate said that Mr Benstead at his meeting on Monday night had presented a long list of what he had done in the Council during the last 10 years, and the retiring Mayor had given a similar list of what the Council had done during the last two years. Both lists showed nothing more than might have been accomplished without either a Mayor or a Council. The Mayor had said that owing to better times nearly £2OOO more rates had been paid than had been expended and he claimed credit for that. He had also said that the Council’s income would suffer a reduction of £4OOO, and hinted that the rates might be raised on that account. But abstention from such wild-cat schemes as the useless attempt to drain the Saltwater Lagoon would make up for this loss of income. In what the retiring Mayor and Mr Benstead had so far said they had indicated no plan or policy in what they did during the last two years. Mr Paterson considered that he had the best chance of the three candidates opposing the retiring Mayor of winning the election, and he appealed for support. Questions. “I would like to ask the candidate if he thinks he was justified in withdrawing from the Council,” said Mr R. H. Hill. Mr Paterson: Are you a ratepayer? Mr Hill: I am asking you a plain, straightforward question. The chairman: Mr Hill is a resident. Mr Paterson said that it was a Scotsman’s privilege to answer a question by asking another. He enumerated his reasons for resigning from the Council. Questioned further by Mr Hill Mr Paterson said he did not think that the retiring Mayor took any active part in draining the Waimataitai Creek, although he was a member of the Council. He did not know whether or not the work was carried out under standard rates of pay, but considered that in any work which was of definite benefit to the town the men engaged on it should be adequately paid. In this direction it was up to the Government to assist. Mr Hill said he took it that Cr. Benstead was not responsible for the work. Mr Paterson replied that he could not see how Cr. Benstead had anything to do with the draining of the creek. Cr. Benstead was a very hard working councillor, but unfortunately the work he did was nearly all in the wrong direction. He often started a discussion and it was then found that he had been barking up the wrong tree all the time.

On the motion of Messrs P. McLean and R. H. Hill, Mr Paterson was accorded a vote of thanks for his address.