Voice of Suburbia

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 650, 30 April 1929, Page 10

Voice of Suburbia

Side Issues at May Day Polls

MAY DAY i —to-morrow —will produce many changes in Auckland’s suburban administrators. Each district has its own civic problem to solve and the test of public feeling will be registered largely upon these counts.

TN all, nearly 400 people are offering their services at the polls to be held to-morrow in and around Auckland. Unusual interest is shown in the civic management of the suburbs and the Mayoralty will be contested in seven of the 10 outer boroughs. Newmarket, the pocket borough sandwiched in the centre of the busy city and the storm centre of municipal controversy during the past year, springs the surprise of the May Day polls. After ail the insults, calls for police assistance and invocations to the Supreme Court to run Newmarket prudently and peacefully, the Mayor, Mx-. J. Donaldson, has been re-elected unopposed, and the leaders of the “opposition” on the council do not appear in the nominations. The people of New Lynn are able for the first time to choose by ballot their civic head. The district has now to maintain the prestige of a borough, and the most is being made of the poll. Four potential Mayors are in the field and 11 men seek the six seats at the council. Hitherto the people elected their town board and the board chose its owe. chairman. NORTH SHORE OUTLOOK On the North Shore the prospects of a harbour bridge fill the immediate perspective of the electors. Takapuna, Northcote and Birkenhead unanimously favour the bridging of the Waitemata, for the immense tracts of undeveloped land in these boroughs and further north must benefit when the harbour span provides more convenient access. In Devonport, however, there is still a lively difference of opinion as to the merits of the bridge as a benefit to Devonport, and an election side-issue is being made of the dispute. Only once has a Takapuna Mayor been sent back for a second term. That was in 1921, when Mr. A. M. Gould was returned. But he lasted for only half of his second period, resigning on account of a difference with his council. The present Mayor, Mr. J. W. Williamson, is again offering his services. At the present time civic affairs on the North Shore are singularly quiescent. Birkenhead, on account of the departure for England of Mr. E. G.

Skeats, will he asked to choose a new Mayor from three nominees. Unpleasant history has been revived in Mount Albert, where the dismissal of the borough engineer over a year ago caused a Dominion-wide stir. The sitting Mayor, Mr. L. E. Rhodes, is being reminded of this by his opponent, Mr. R. E. N. Matthews, in contrast to this, however, the extraordinary street developmental work in catching up with rapid settlement, is quoted as an illustration of a progressive administration. Both here and in Mount Eden vast changes have been effected in the appearance of streets serving newlysettled subdivisions, and the expenditure of the £750,000 streets loan in Mount Albert is strikingly shown. LOANS AND RATING POLLS Mount Eden electors are also giving much thought to a proposal to rate the borough upon the system of unimproved value, upon which a poll will he held next week. The re-election unopposed of the Mayor, Mr. E. H. Potter, is accepted as a tribute for his services to the district and the outer suburbs generally. A potential Mayor of Onehunga will, he says, eliminate loan proposals from the future municipal life of Onehunga and have all work executed from revenue. A loan of about £40,000. suggested for drainage of a special area, has been hanging fire for some time, and Its fate probably will be decided after the people’s vote to-mor-row. The area which is to be drained was acquired from the district of the One Tree Hill Road Board. In several boroughs loan proposals for various works are contemplated and the attitude of prospective councillors and Mayors to them is being carefully watched, while candidates in most districts are being asked their intentions toward the formation of a Metropolitan Board to govern Auckland. Most of the town board elections are held in September bi-ennially and take no part in the May Day polls. County councils, the Hospital Board and Harbour Board, and Waitemata Power Board elections are to be held to-morrow, coincident with the City Council and borough council polls.