Page 7 Advertisements Column 5

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 287, 2 December 1911, Page 7

POLITICAL. mo THE ELECTORS OF AUCKLAND f J- EAST. V Ladles and Gentlemen,— My worthy opponent, Mr Arthur Withy, to has Issued a manifesto, which I trust you : v\ have all read, in which, In reply to my v challenge to anyone to prove that I have I w ever allowed my private Interests to over- I ride my public responsibilities, he asks mc m three questions, as follows:— fa (1) Why did I, as Mayor, oppose the pro- w posal that the Auckland City Council should N placard Auckland, as the Borough Council I of Woolwich placarded Woolwich, with a, tc big poster calling the attention of the people j V to the dangers of alcoholism as exposed by i cc a Committee of the British House of Com- j ninons? "' (2) What was my position in regard to B handing the Auckland Electric Tramways R undertaking over to a Private Monopolist | Company, when it ought to be owned aud iSi controlled by the Municipality, in the in- s< •terests of the people as a whole? *- (3) Why do I support the iniquitous three- a: fifths majority handicap against No-License ! n and National Prohibition? ! ° In reply to (1), I would ask Mt Withy (a) j L Why did the* promoters of this proposal I 8 never bring it forward until a brewer was , LMayor, so that it could be utilised as a ■ means of personally insulting him? (b) Why : ™ did the City Council, which numbered ' j'; several Prohibitionists among Its members, I '. refuse by a unanimous vote to entertain •J----the proposal? (c) Why has the present City j " Council, with which 1 have no connection, ! also refused a similar application? To ask | * the Council to erect such a poster is to ask i " them to enter on controversies which are a quite out of their sphere. | '' As to (2), my position In the matter was - * that of a private citizen—the transaction , » referred to took place long before 1 was j A 'Mayor. This in itself disposes of the ques- j * tion as an answer to my challenge; but 1 , have nothing to conceal. The question at j v that time was not between municipal and j * privately owned trains, but between prl- • - vately owned trams and no trams at all. ' J However wise people may be now. after the » event, the state of opinion then, both in the ! c Council aud among the ratepayers, was each . <" that there was no hope of securing a mv- . nicipal tram service; and 1, therefore, con- i sltler that In helping to provide an electric i - tram system on the only lines that were j " then feasible, I was rendering a service 10 i t the community. Mr Withy's long absence]' from Auckland Is some excuse for his Ignor- [ anee on this point, but before he publishes ; » slanderous insinuations of this kind be , ■ ought to take the trouble to find out | £ whether they are justified. In reply to (31, I support the three-fifths | ( majority because I am convinced that it la j,_ in the best Interests of the public, that be- | fore making such a drastic change in the habits and customs of the people, it should _ be supported by a substantial public opinion. ( a conviction which I may point out is shared, among others (unless he has chang- » ed his mind within the last few years), by Sir T. P. Whittaker, the leader of the J Temperance party in England—except that { what he advocated was not three-fifths but _ two-thirds. i Mr Withy says he has not a word to say against mc personally; bnt if his questions, with the insinuations they imply, and the , whole tone of his attacks upon mc, are not • personal, then there ls no meaning In words. If Mr Withy thinks that in saying that if 1 am "elected I shall be sure to [ abuse the confidence of my constituents, I and sacrifice their interests for my own prii vale gain, he is not attacking my personal | honour, then his standard of political hoai our must be a deplorably low one. I If Mr Withy or any of his supporters can ! prove that on any occasion, during my four 1 years' Mayoralty or since I have been a i member of Parliament, I have railed to ' place the public Interests first, irrespective * of my own, I will withdraw from the ; contest without the slightest hesitation. j I have the honour to be, Ladles and Gentlemen, , FalthfuUy yours, 631 ARTHUR M. MYERS. ( ] < I l I piTY pENTRAL. ' m* J. c. g™" 1 Will Speak-next week nt the following placeß: — mUESDAY JLJVENTNG, IJ gQ P.M. CORNER SALES-ST. AND ADELAIDEST. mUESDAY J7VBNING, 7.30 PM CORNER HAKDING-ST. AND YIC-. TORIA-OT. TyEDNESDAY TWENTNG, AT 8. ___ QBBAT MONSTER MEETING WiH be held at the ' p BEY gTATUE--591 AUCKLAND T^TEBT. 0. H. P° OEE Will ADDRESS MEETINGS at the Following Places: — TUESDAY, December WINDSOR RINK, THREE LAMPS. ■WEDNESDAY, December OPEN AIR. POOLE IS FIGHTING FOR THE PEOPLE < A UCKLAND WEST jJLBCTION. M R J. H. B RADXET Will Address the Electors as follows:— '' MONDAY, December 4— the SCHOOL PLAYGROUND. RICHMOND-ROAD SCHOOL. BROWN-ST_, when Mr. Bradncy will "reply to misrepresentations. TUESDAY, December CORNER OF WELLINGTON AND HEPBURN STS. WEDNESDAY, December O—EVE OF THE ELECTION, at tbe WINDSOR RINK, Three Lamps. Chair will be taken each evening at 8 -p.m. ■. Ladles Specially Invited. _HOS. L. THOMPSON, Organising Secretary. A UCKLAND YOT EST. ir A SPECIAL MEETING OF _, MR BRADNHY'S COMMITTEE Will bo held In Committee Boom, Three j Lamps TO-MORROW ('SATURDAY) NTGUT _'. at 8.30 o'clock. Business most important THOS. L. THOMPSON, ,4 aw -■-■>"*