LABOUR CANDIDATES

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIX, Issue 20099, 4 May 1935, Page 18

LABOUR CANDIDATES

MEETING AT WEST END The Labour candidates who are contesting seats on the various local bodies continued their campaign last night, when they addressed an attendance of 14 at the West School. The chair was occupied by Mr J. E. Chiles, chairman of the West End Ratepayers’ Association. who introduced the speakers. The candidates were Mr G. T. Koller, who is standing for the Mayoralty, the Council, the Hospital Board and the Power Board; Mrs P. A. Hilton, who is standing for the Hospital Board, and Messrs F. A. Hilton and P. H. Wild, who are standing for the Council. The first speaker was Mr Koller, who touched on the surplus which was revealed at the close of the Borough Council’s financial year. He said that it was not an undesirable thing to have a surplus, but apart from that portion of the surplus of £2680, which was a windfall, namely, the extra amount of unpaid rates collected which were not expected, the money had come from the pockets of the people, andt they had received no return for it. Their policy was to budget so as to live within their income. Mr Koller went on to refer to the Council’s loan conversion proposals, stating that too much credit could not be taken for them, because, while the indebtedness of the borough by way of interest on loans had been reduced, he maintained that it could have been reduced still further. This was borne out by the fact that outsid? local bodies had converted their loans at lower than the 41 per cent, at which the Timaru Borough converted. Speaking in regard to Otipua Lagoon, Mr Koller said that it was regrettable that people had been forced to go and live in such a locality, while there were more beautiful and much healthier areas in the town. They were not there from choice, but because they were too poor to live elsewhere. The speaker condemned the Council for having spent the amount of money it had on the outlet to the lagoon. He contended that even if the lagoon was dry, it was not worth the money spent on it, when there was much better land offering elsewhere. The area had been spoken of as a likely place for an airport, but to make it suitable for such a purpose would cost twice as much as a site near the racecourse. It seemed to him to be a wrong policy to select what would only be a secondary airport in preference to what would be a first class one simply because the less desirable site was in closer proximity to the town. Referring to the milk supply of the borough, Mr Koller said that some of the candidates for municipal honours had said that they could see nothing wrong with the system, but if they went about with their eyes open, they must have seen many undesirable features. If they had not, then’ they must be easily pleased. While the Labour candidates commended the proposed Milk Council Bill, that was not what they were aiming at. They were aiming at a municipal milk supply, and strangely milk vendors he had conversed with were in agreement with this.

Asserting that the cheapest way of financing was "pay as you go,” Mr Koller referred to criticism that had been made that the Labour candidates had not shown frankness in dealing with the financial plank of their platform. He contended that the criticism had been written before the meeting held the previous evening, because three of the speakers had made it perfectly clear that they w;ere well aware that there was no source from which money could be obtained excepting from the rates, whatever profits were made from trading concerns and from whatever was collected by way of license fees. They did not pretend to be able to produce money out of the air. If they borrowed they would have to repay, as well as interest, and the only source from which they could secure the money was from the pockets of the ratepayers. They did not pretend to be able to do things without money, nor did they contend that they could create money, and they admitted quite freely that the only

way they could do it was in the way he had indicated. Mr Hilton, in the course of his remarks, said that at a recent meeting of the School Committees’ Association it was suggested that the baths should be thrown open to primary school children between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. free of charge. The Labour Party discussed the matter at one of its meetings, and decided to support the proposal, and if they were elected, they would do their best to see that the proposal was put into effect. They were also in favour of converting one of the baths into tepid baths, provided they could be assured that the proposal could be satisfactorily financed. Mr Wild spoke in favour of greater publicity of Council business, equality for Council employees in the matter of holidays, and restoration of the wage cuts. Mr Koller and Mrs Hilton spoke as candidates for the Hospital Board, stating that they considered that the institution should be available for all who desired to use it. whether rich or poor. Present facilities were totally inadequate, and they were generally in favour of improvements being made. Questions Asked A questioner said that Mr Hilton had suggested that by paying 57extra, the ratepayers could give 75 men an extra 3/4 for three days a week for 50 weeks, and he asked how the other 400 were to be provided for. Mr Hilton said that on a job like the scenic road, men suitable for the work should be picked, and they should be paid decent wages. If they put 150 men on, they could be paid the extra 3/4 for 25 weeks. It was the duty of the Unemployment Board to find sufficient for the rest to live on. Mr Koller was asked if he could explain how price-cutting commenced among the milkmen. Mr Koller said that he could not answer the question, nor was he very much concerned. He was not responsible for it, and he did not see that he should be asked to interfere in the quarrels of the milkmen. Mr Wild was asked if he was in favour of retaining the services of the borough engineer. Mr Wild: That is rather an awkward question. The first thing I would ascertain would be whether the services he gave warranted the money he re-. ceived, and if not, I would be prepared to get one for less money. On the motion of Mr B. Barclay, seconded by Mr C. Auty, the speakers were accorded a hearty vote of thanks. A vote of thanks was also accorded the chairman.