OTAHUHU.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 6, Issue 268, 20 April 1917, Page 4

OTAHUHU.

[The Otabuhu Agent for "Tb« Times" is Mr Bathe, fiom whom copies of the paper may bo obtained. Mr liathe is also authorised to receive ndvts. and printing orders on our behalf. | OTAHUHU BOROUGH AFFAIRS TTOTHE EDITOR.' Sir,—Tho Otalmliu Ratepayers' Association candidates for the Borough election, state in their circular that if returned they will impose a tax on all stock passing through the Borough ; and Mr McDonald, in answer to a question at a public meeting, said he thought it would be a good tiling to impose a tax of one shilling or more per head. Now, Sir, if such a thing was . done the price of fat stock would go up, and consequently the butchers would be forced to raise tho price of meat and so there would be another drain on the pocket of the breadwinner who is so hard hit at the present time.—Yours &c, ..- THOS E. ROTHWELL. [TO THE EDITOR.] Dear Sir,—ln reply to the letter in your last issue over the name of Mr fl. E. Wilson I beg to say that such gross misrepresentations to my mind is calculated to do the Borough an injury and caue a great amount of harm.

The posith n, to put it hri« fly, is as follows : The total capital value of the Boiough is nearly half a million pounds. The total indebtedness £27,000. The total liabilities at' March 31st, 1917, including Link overdraft, am muted to £3331 63 7d. The total value of assets at this date £20,389 18d 10,1. When the Borough was formed in September, 1912, the debit balance in the General Account was £1319 10s 9d. The General Account debit balance at March 31st, 1917, stands at £2988 178, 5d being £1669 Gs 8d more than in September, 1912, nearly five years ago when tho Borough was formed.

In reference to the letter from Mr H E. Wilson which appeared in our last issue on the subject of the Borough Council's financial position the Mayor (Mr J. Atkinson) sends us the following statement for publication viz. : " When the Borough Council came in f o office two years ago the Bank overdraft was £2llß 8s 5d There were outstanding overdue accounts £3OO and commitments Saloyards Eoad £425 and water meters £llsO, total £4593 8s sd. At the present time the Bank overdraft is £3303 15s Id, while there are no "outstanding accounts or commitments, showing that the Borough is in a better financial position by £1289 13s 4d now than two years ago."— Yours &c , ALBERT IT SS. .

I TO THE EDITOR] Sir,—To those who have known Mr Albert Ross as Town Clerk, Councillor and Mayoral aspirant in Ctahuhu it is really funny to find him complaining in your columns of some " select few " seeking mnclue benefit in the water question and of some rival perpetrating '' a snare and delusion obviously made to catch votes." It is funnier still to find Mr Ross promising to reduce the rates at this juncture. But the funniest thing of all is his undertaking that, if elected, he and those associated with him are in favour " as soon as the certificated balancesheet is received from Wellington of {•lacing the hnancial position of the Borough before the ratepayer* at a public meeting etc, "—[N.B. —After the election is over.] If Mr Ros? is sincere in what ho says, then why has he not already attempted to introduce these reforms or supported them when proposed ''. Why did he advocate the increase of rites last year if ho can now undertake to reduce them when the financial position is far worse and the conte'mplated works (at the present time so eagerly advocated by Mr Ross) much heavier than they were a year ago ': Why did Mr R 1 ss not scizo the opportunity when a largo moeting of ratepayers unanimously asked that their complaints relative to finance should be publicly answered 'i And why did he refrain from offering evidence when an enquiry was started (but not completed) concerning alleged improper expendiure of the Borough funds ?—T.am, etc, FEEDK R FIELD. Otahuhu, April 10th, 1917, THE MAYORAL ELECTION. MR M<DONAL T )'S CANDIDATUHE. Mr A. McDonald, one of the candidates for the Mayoralty, addressed a public meeting hist Wednesiay evening, in the Public Hall Mi A. Sturgess oicupicd the chair and Inn ilv ltitmdtlced the speaker. On commencing his address, Mr MeDonall remarked that before coming to Otahuhu li" had resided in Epsom fur 22 years and had been .1 men,her of [he Ep-on Hal Board for the period of olcvin years. H" was managing director of the linn of Mo.-.-rs Bennett and McDonald, nur.'eiymi n, and was rot ignoiani in business <•)' borough ur.itti rn 11" lived in tin- heart of O aliuhu, w l.eiv hinh ra'e< svei'H [isiil uiid nothing wus-'ono II ning I. 00 ;i|.p...i, h d 1 V the RatlMi.'iVi 1 's A.-scci itillll ;: n-i by oth rs outsidc'tlm A--'H'i.f :■.;• lie had, alter giving- tli" m • 11.-j long and careful 1 oiisiderati ui, di. i !c ! to offer himself for clecti-.n \l\ v.. tend"d to go to the po'l with a li.-e hand, mid li- had not b on ii-k,..| |\. r a pledge by the Ratepayer'.- \<m><\ ~ tion. 11 i Icc'cd evi-iythiiig Wnuld be done in a e'ean nud s'laiejn i<>vward maimer. I > abng w i'h the Boiough's position, Mi M-D-ma d consideied ilia' the lir-t thine to be .-ill iii d V. lIS I! 'ilium ,' lb' b U e\ I'd L'oiiiu iii rs -li. aid !••■ a- cu-dnl \\: h I hi ugh money ;i-. it' it w .s t' u» own. Jl ■ did '1 o- rhink 1 ii-.l <);■■, si ouhl I .'.in iv. i"27,H't<i ind i, 1! iv c ive the v ibi" 11 , lc 11 in ' 1 pi ■- sent there was m>di'ng f).<>:\ in return I'm hi"!.- y borrowe I. ! he draii ago -\ stem w a; n ■ > ■ <n plete, tho \satcl' system was md lini In d.

whilst a leaky water tower and only two good roads existed in the B trough. The Borough shotild he run like n large company with thoCoun- . Mors ua director-, wlio woald mak* known the true position of aIT-iiis If eheted he would consider that ho represented the whole Borough and not any particular part lie favourel al} money being equally spent over the whole district. Years ago Otahuhu was cinsidered an ideal place to live in, but since the works at Westfield were allowed to deposit their filth alongside the railway line instead of a drain being put in to lead to deep water, the smells had deterred people from residing there. Another cause of absence of progress was the rating on improved value*, which tended to keeping the town back. The charges for the water, he thought; were very unfair a? ratepayers hud to pay Is fid per thousand gallons whilst outsiders were, getting the water fur Isperthous and gallons The first action of the now Council ought to be to alter the charge to Is 2(1 for ratepayers and Is (id to outsiders. Mr McDonald next referred to Mr Ross' letter, which had appeared in the " Times," proposing to reduce the rates. He (Mr McDonald'; was of the opinion that only a genius could do so and that the rates would rather' have to be raised. In conclusion, referring to the way the streets and footpaths were neglected, Mr McDonald stated that in Avenue road the bushes were allowed t< grow across the footpaths to such an extent that thoy were meeting in the centre. They could Dot affard to .starve the outskirts of the Borough, but should have an equitable expenditure and the work made permanent wherever possible, (Applause).

OI'ESTIOXS. On questions being invited, Mr McDonald, when asked whether he was in favour of a driving tax being placed on all tattle driven through the Borough, said that as they derived no revenue from the works at Westfield and a road had been made for the Companies' convenience at the expense of the Borough a tax would be a fair source of revenue.

Seveial other questions were asked in reference to the finances of the Borough but the speaker not being in a position to explain, called upon Mr Kent-Johnson, the Town Clerk, who kindly answered in a very convincing and satisfactory manner. At the conclusion a hearty vote of thanks to Mr McDonald was enthusiastically carried.

THE MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS. THE NOMINATIONS. The following are the candidates nominated for tho mayoral anil Council elections, for which takes place on Wednesday next in the Borough Council Chambers, viz ; For the Mayoralty : Messrs A. M. McDonald aud A. Ross. For the Council: Messrs J. Biady, 11. T. A. G Cook, F. R. Field, IT J. Hall, T. E. M. Haslin, W. B. Lloyd, F. 11. Mathews, H. J Moll'itt, G Nutter, W. 11. Parkin, W. 11. Patterson, 11. V. Stringer, K. Todd, T. Weal, A. J. Wiidman, and E Wyatt. With the exception that Messrs Hall, Nutter and Patterson are standing independently, the candidates form rival parties, Messrs Clements, Lloyd, Mathews, Parkin, Todd and Wildman ranging themselves under Mr Boss' banner, whilst Messrs Brady, Cook, Field, Haslip, Moflitt, Stringer, Weal and Wyatt identify themselves with Mr McDonald and are the nominees of the Ratepayers' Association. The representation on the Council consist of a Mayor and eight Councillors.