The Waipukurau Press. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. TUESDAY, MARCH 21, 1933. THE MAYORAL CHAIR

Waipukurau Press, Volume XXVIII, Issue 74, 21 March 1933, Page 4

The Waipukurau Press. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. TUESDAY, MARCH 21, 1933. THE MAYORAL CHAIR

There will be much interest attaching to the confirmation by the Mayor (Mr. R. McLean) of the announcement made by the "Press” recently that he does not intend to seek reelection to the office he has held with credit to himself and the borough, for the past six years. As the successor to the late Mr. E. A. Goodger, mayor for a period of eight years (1819-27), Mr. McLean had a high reputation for civic initiative to emulate, but a number of important undertakings have been carried out during his term of service, notably the completion of the enlarged water supply scheme (authorised during the last year of Mr. Goodger's closing term), and the street improvement works in the form of concrete paving and channelling, also bitunienisation of several miles of main highways. The earthquake emergency found Mr. McLean to be the right man in the right place, and in various other directions he has "made good.” The retiring mayor has faithfully served the ratepayers and electors generally, ever since becoming a member of the Council in 1919, therefore has more than played his due part in the civic sphere. It is reported that there will be several aspirants for the chair at the municipal elections to be held in May, but it is early yet to indulge in comment as to the merits of the likely candidates or speculate as to their polling prospects.

HALF-HOLI DAY CON TROVERSY Once again the people of Waipukurau Borough are to be called upon to face a battle at the polls on that contentious subject, the half-holiday question, a petition in favour of such having found the required support (from upwards of 10 per cent, of the electors). At the .193.1 special municipal affirmed by a large majority (175 affirmed by a large majority (115 votes) viz. 613 to 4 38, but nothing daunted, the advocates of Saturday closing are evidently hopeful of “turning the tables’’ on this occasion.

SOMETHING HELPFUL “If there is a crumb of comfort to the taxpayer who contributes so heavily to unemployment relief, it is to be found in such permanent works or improvements as have been carried out with these relief funds,’’ opines the “Christchurch Star 1 ,” in recent editorial comment. “The tourist, for instance, motoring out to Lake Rotoiti, finds himself on beautifully graded and surfaced roads which were in part constructed by relief workers who received fourteen shillings a day under Sir Joseph Ward’s generous schedule of wages, before unemployment became so tragically acute. And works of this description raise the question whether it is too late even now to undertake what was proposed very early in the piece, namely, a great highway from Auckland to the Bluff, financed, if* necessary, by a loan on the security of the Unemployment Tax, and giving employment on a distinctly reproductive work of the first magnitude. Public opinion will .always lo,ok, with favour on any proposal’ such as is now brought forward to

undertake important public works of permanent value, and if the Government can make loan money available to supplement the ordinary expenditure it is possible that a more rational programme of useful and permanent works is in sight. And this forward move might be made the starting point for closer co-operation . between the Unemployment Board and the local bodies in the planning of local works of a permanent nature.” TAXATION BURDEN Taxation is piling up largely as the result of the increase in exchange, the “New Zealand Financial Times” points out.* “The Treasury, to cover the £10,000,000 deficit, has to search the ' pockets of every citizen. The Sales Tax, Petrol Tax, Tobacco Tax, Bachelors’ Tax are all the concomitants of’the exchange illusion, and the ednversion of Government Stock is another part of it. It is small wonder that an acute feeling of unrest and depression pervades the whole dominion. Incomes are sharply affected, business is consequently sliirihifeg and the position of the ’ivri’dle trading community is thoroughly unediilf or table.”