“FERRY ORATORS”

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 706, 4 July 1929, Page 16

“FERRY ORATORS”

ON DEVONPORT ROAD COSTS A desire to give ratepayers all available information was the attitude of the Devonport Borough Council last evening. By invitation, a former councillor attended the meeting to obtain specific information that he had requested in writing about the expenditure of roading loans. His letter explained that a “ferry boat orator” had asserted that Devonport had expended £132,000 on five and a-half miles of main roads, whereas Mount Albert had formed seven and a-half miles of roads for £67,000

Mr. E. Aldridge explained that a portion of the money was spent on secondary streets. The visitor took the opportunity of censuring the council of 1925-27 for not knowing, as members re-elected in 1927 had publicly admitted, that a sum of £6,000 had been added to the overdraft without the members being fully aware of the fact. The councillors will attend service in the Church of England on Sunday next in thanksgiving for the recovery of health by his Majesty. An application by the Library Committee for permission to take up a street collection was adjourned until after appeals for help for victims of the earthquakes are finished. A request from the Stanley Bay Cricket Club for the use of a building on the park was declined, but an effort will be made to help the club obtain a dressing shed. Tenders for the construction of the Vauxhall seawall were opened and referred to the engineer for consideration. The lowest was £1,788 and the highest £3.835. The engineer’s estimate was £1,900. By-laws for the control of the Devonport Domains; in accordance with the model by-laws of the Crown Law Office, were adopted. A proposal to adopt a scheme of superannuation for the council employees, based on a scheme of the National Provident Office, was held over for the present year. The cost of a partial scheme to the council would be £4OO per annum.