BENEFIT TO SUBURBS

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 488, 18 October 1928, Page 13

BENEFIT TO SUBURBS

SIR J. GUNSON FAVOURS TRANSPORT BOARD RELIEVING UNEMPLOYMENT The transport board, if set up as proposed, would greatly improve present conditions in the suburbs, said Sir James Gunson, Reform candidate for Auckland Suburbs, when speaking at Avondale South last evening. Mr. H. Tiarks presided over an attendance of 200 electors. Sir James said that the proposed, transport board would be in an exceedingly strong financial position as in addition to the large city sinking funds it would take over the benefit of much permanent work done by the CityCouncil out of revenue. Unemployment, he said, was due to a variety of causes, among others being reduced national and municipal expenditure, immigration. reduced building activity, and the curtailment of State Advances made necessary by the Government’s 1925 pledge to reduceborrowing and expenditure. It coule not be entirely overcome by any Government. In New South Wales and Queensland, under Labour, the position had been just as bad as in New Zealand, but remedial measures he advocated were a greater measure of intensive land cultivation, to which he had devoted especial study in Denmark and Holland during his trip abroad, greater encouragement of local industries, and the vigorous pushing forward of necee - ! sary public works by the Government and the municipalities, one of die most urgent among these being the I Morningside railway deviation. In answer to questions. Sir James said he would support Bible-readirg |in schools, and unemployment insurance. He believed the Labour Party was sincere in its policy, as he was in his. In moving a vote of thanks and confidence, Mr. J. W. Kealy mentioned the work Sir James had accomplished in making Arapuni possible, by the establishment of the Power Board, as also his courageous stand to protect the people’s interests at the time of the influenza epidemic in 1918, in the face of strong opposition from the then Minister of Public Health. If the electors wished for good government, j they should elect men of the calibre ; of Sir James Gunson.