MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16508, 28 April 1919, Page 7

MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.

CENTRAL WATJ)

BIESSRS J. A. FLESHER AND C. S. HARPER. The Mayor (Mr H. Holland) presided over a meeting in the Montreal street hnll on Saturday evening, when addresses were given by Messrs J. A. Flesber and C. S. Harper, two of the Citizens' Association candidates for the Central Ward. Mr Flesher, a present member of the Council, said many candidates had rai«ed the question of a proper system nf "election; his views on the subject were fairly well-known. The system revoked was not purely proportional representation, but that of the single transferable vote. His opposition to the system was that the electors' freedom of choice was limited, and to every individual voter every councillor was equally important whether there were six or sixteen to be eiocted. Under the system' revoked an elector could only vote for one candidate. In addition to that an elector was bound to r>ut the candidates in a numerical order which ho did not feel inclined to

elf, 'The objcet of an election was to select persons for government, and the boot men. irrespective nt their political colour, should be chosen for the position. The proper place m his judgment for tho system which was revoked was in connexion with 1 arliamentnrv elections Parliament was essentially a legal body but tho City Council was an administrative one. It was right that all phases of opinion should be represented where laws were made, but in administrative bodies the men best fitted for such duties wore the ones that should be elected. _ Ihe system revoked disregarded the individual merits of candidates and accentuated party feeling; it made the individual a mere party cipher. Dealing with the housing problem, Mr Fiesher said he considered it was a matter more for the Government than municipalities. Regarding tho amalgamation of local bodies he thought the only practical one at tho present time was the incorporation of the functions of the Board in the sewerage area with tho'Christchurch City Council.' All matters pertaining to rural :in4 surface drainage could be left to the local bodies concerned. The financial stability of the electrical undertaking must not be sacrificed for cheap-ness-of supply. The users of this or ■inv other public service had not the right to expect supply at less than cost. The wage 3 paid by the Council in the past four years had nearly doubled. The amount paid in 1915-16 was £29,000, and in 1918-19 £54,500, which showed where the money was going. The position of tho general account had improved during the last two years practically to the extent of £14,000, and the rates levied during the same period were practically the same as when the Council took office. In conclusion, Mr Fiesher referred to the steps the Council had taken to establish a superannuation fund for its

employees. . i Mr Harper snid f the three moßt important questions 'for the incoming Council to consider were housing, eloctrical extension, and sewerago extension. Christchurch lent itself admirably to a housing scheme, as any amount of room was available at a comparatively chean price. He would like to see a modified scheme started immediately, say, the building of 50 houses at contract priccs, without undertaking any elaborate town-planning schome. He would even suggest that some of the Council's reserves, which were suitable, should be used for this purpose, thoreby saving considerable cost. Although the present price of building was abnormally high, this should de cline from now on, and houses suitable for workers could probably be built at a rental of from 15s t'o 20s per week. If the rental should be found excessive, the deficit should be made up by the ratepayers. Ho would favour the tenants or these houses acquiring the freehold, if desired. There seemed to be no question that the extension of the olocfcrical scheme would be beneficial to everybody. Sewerage extension should be pushed on as quickly as possible, and the amalgamation of tho City Council and Drainago Board was desirable for the purpose of saving overhead expense. He did not consider a Town Hall was necossaty at the present time, whon mor<} important works were needed. He considered it was impossible at the present time to dccide definitely whether a canal or improvements to Lyttolton Harbour would provide the most desirable and economical access to the eea. ' There was no doubt that some improvement was necessary to remedy the preaont state of affairs. He understood the Progress League was collecting dnta in regard to both proposals, and when this was available tho question should be more easily decided. Referring to street repair, Mr Harper said he considered some hotter mothod should be used for the main streets. Ho would also like to see an arrangement made between the City Council and the Tramway Board to work in conjunction m laying the main streets. In conclusion, he advocated an overhaul of the Council's traffic by-laws. CANDIDATES AT PHILLIPSTOWN. There was only a small attendance at the .tiiiilipsto wn schoolroom on Saturday evening, when addresses were given by Mr J. J. Dougall, a candidate for Mayoralty of the city, and Messrs W. S. Godfrey and T. S. Dacre, who are

seeking election as representatives of the Liuwood Ward 011 the Couticii. Mr H. Pearce occupied the chair. Mr Dougall. wiio was received with applause, said it wub a good many years since he had addressed a meeting in that schoolroom, but it appeared uow in the same condition that it was in twenty-live or thirty years ago. At Sydenham the other evening Mr Maxwell had referred to the necessity for proper playgrounds for the children, and looking round their grounds, Air Maxwell's words had coire buck ' to him. The playgrounds should be prov~®d with sucn appliances that the children could nmuso themselves in a rational way. Continuing, Mr Dougall said this election waß largely' a question of men rather than measures. A policy measure of his was proportional representation, which he believed to be the fairest and most logical system evei invented. Ho had been twitted with bringing proportional representation forward as an electioneering dodge, but as an answer he outlined the endeavours he had made to try and stoi> the City Council repealing that measure. Christchurch had been hindered for years past through the means of ; Jcces3 to the sea, and in the controversy between the canal and the tunnel they were still talking and talking. He.had propounded the idea of ■ taking a referendum of the people liv-" : mg within a radius of ten miles of the General Post Office. They must act and do something. To Christchurch the canal would be of value, as the distribution of the imports was the trouble. If the people decided for a canal ho would work for it with heart and soul. He dealt with other problems on tho imes of previous speeches, and in conclusion asked their support as ho contended that he was an advocate of a souud policy—a policy of sane administration, sound finance, and genuine Progress. Godfrey, who spoke briefly, said that he was not swallowing the platlorm of the Citizens' Association as a "hole, and ho was not bound to am* society. In the matter of the raising f, say, £25,000 for building homes for workers, he would vote for such an unT 'r r ' s Probably, subject to detail. ! J -[own H a li had been wanted in vnnstchurch for many years, and it ould have to come very soon, but it as a question of finding a suitable site

and the money. Regarding answer he was not prepared to 6 1T ® . till the whole scheme had be P . fore him. He cited the experiences in connexion with the P anama 1 „ r wi * bv Chester canals. He concluded by stating that he was m fa\our P portional representation. _ q In his opening remarks -1 • • Dacre said that he was not « • a member, or a pledged suppo Citizens' Association. He -j straight-out nominee of the Burgesses' Association, which r : t : zens '> little in common with the atizeM ! Association. Personally he . sympathv with many of P- • ideals. *In regard to S™ o™l0™ 1 cipal politics he was an cu -< , supporter of proportional tion. He was sure that "V of the City Council who killed the svs tem knew very little about it. >' . not everv section of the coro ? have its'desires put clearly befoie the .local body by its proper]* elected representatives? One of the fiis ters that should engage the attention of the new Council was the c°mple tion of the sewerage and high-press water systems. The sanitation tion was now the most important o facing the citv. A general sewa? e rate should be struck over the whole city on the unimproved value to mee the cost of the present work and tne new work required. He had always been a strong advocate of rating on unimproved values. Another matter was the multiplicity of local which tended to retard progress. One central body should suffice. Referring to the wages of the City Council workmen, Mr Dacre said they were doing _ work that not one per cent, of the citizens would undertake, and the workmen should be given full wages, with increases from time to time_ to accord with the increased cost of living. The proposal to borrow £150,000 to extend the electrical system was a good business proposition for the city. A city hall was urgently required, and _ would become a payable proposition in the saving of office rental and letting for different events. A fire sub-station in Limvood was an urgent requirement on account of the extension of the district. He denounced the erection of unsightly buildings in city areas, and pointed out directions in which the system of rubbish collected could be_ improved. The chairman apologised for the absence of Mr Joseph Taylor, another candidate for the Limvood Ward, who was away in Wellington. Votes of thanks to the speakers and tlio chairman concluded the meeting.

Mr J. McCombs, M.P., the Labour candidate for the Mayoralty, win address tho electors to-night in the Choral Hull at 8 o'clock. The Rov. J. Iv. Archer, of Sydenham, the selected Labour candidate for Invercargill, will preside. Messrs E. J. Howard and G. Manning, candidates for Central Ward, will also speak. _ . To-morrow night, in St. Saviour s schoolroom, Sydenham, Mr McCombs and the Labour candidates for the Sydenham Ward, will address the electors at 8 o'clock. Councillor F. Burgoyne will preside.

Mr A. D. Hassall will address tho electors this evening at the Rugby street schoolroom, at which place the Rev. Samuel Lawry, a candidate for the Hospital Board, will also speak. The Citizens' Association candidates for the Sydenham Ward will address two meetings this evening. At 7.30 Mr Gordon Hutchison will open at tho Selwyn street Methodist schoolroom, to be followed by Messrs J. Longton and A. C. Maxwell. At 8 o'clock Mr Maxwell will commence at Beckonham Hall, where Messrs Longton and Hutchison will speak lator. At noon to-day all three candidates will bo associated with Mr J. J. Dougall at a midday meeting in Carlyle street, near the railway goods sheds. ' _ _ _ Messrs D. G. Sullivan, H. F. Horbort, and H. Hunter will address the electors of Linwood in the Rofleston street Hall to-night, at 8 p.m. _ Dr. Thacker will address meetings ot the eleotors to-day as follows: —Kaiapoi Factory, Manchester street, noon; Beckenham School, 7.30; Sehvyn street Hall, Addington, 8.30. Mr J. J. Dougall and Messrs E. H. Andrews, J. W. Boanland, and A. Williams will address the electors to-night in the Young Men's Guild Hall, St. Albans. A special meeting of the North Beach and Waimairi Burgesses' Association was held on Friday evening to consider matters in connexion with the New Brighton municipal election. Mr J. P. Whatman explained that owing to a misunderstanding he had missed nomination. It was unanimously decided to support the candidature of Mr Ralph Stringer. APATHY IN WELLINGTON. (SPECIAL TO "THE PRESS.") WELLINGTON April 26. Although we have a plethora of candidates for the local bodies' elections on Wednesday, there has not for some years been an election campaign in which the people generally have taken so little interest. Tho only enthusiastic people are tho Labour Party, and they may on this occasion capture tho Council, * and perhaps the Mayoralty also. The man who carries tho Labour banner in the Mayoral contest is not such an influential man in the party as Messrs Holland, Somple, and others, and he may not poll the full strength of tho Labour vote. If he gets tho undivided support of Labour in the contest he will probably win. In a straightout contest with almost any man ho would be beaten, but with the two opponents he meets he ought to win, if the organisation of tho party is p.s good as it is reported to be. Mr Luke will probably lead Mr Barber at tho poll, but many people will vote for Mr Barber as a protest against Mr Luke's action, which is generally resented, in seeking to hold the office of Mayor for a further term. In the contest for the Council there are so many candidates that the voters are bewildered, and as all the meetings of candidates have been "but poorly attended, the electors have not really learned what the different men stand for. Labour is pretty certain to win some seats on the Council, but it is not certain to get a controlling majority. TO THE EDITOR OF "TIIE PRESS." ! Sir, —Tho enthusiasm of the Bolshevik | element and apathy of tho rest of the community are ecrmbjning to givo Christchurch a Mayor who mixed with disloyalists and who, instead of being a leader in patriotic work, was conspicuous by his absence. One can hardly imagine a soldier or a man or woman who lost a loved one voting for a war-work shirker, but the glib tongue of the alleged democrat and his alleged loro for prohibition may bewilder the unthinking and help to bring on Christchurch that disaster which Sir Holland feared and which he would deplore. During the recent epidemic I saw men an<T women of all shades of political opinion going out assisting stricken humanity "and risking death. Some of these people are seeking municipal honours, ana they deserve consideration. But during all that awful time where | were the professed friends of the people? Was Mr J. MeCombs visiting the slums of Woolston and Lyttelton with aid for the sick and dying, or did ho leave it to others? Was Dr. -Thacker, tho pet of the worker, spending his wealth and his skill among the stricken electors of Christchurch East? —Yours, I •etc., SCOTICUS. to the Enrroß or "Tne press." Sir, —What aro the issues to bo tried ? I name them in the order of their importance : 1. Communication of Christchurch with the sea. 2. Extension of sewerage. 3. Town Hall. Mr Dougall says refer the first to the Harbour Board. The Harbour Board says: There are seven members on the

Board representing the country and four the city. The present arrangements suit the country fairly ■well; if the town wants anything better, let them pay for it. Now, if the town has to pay for it, as I think they certainly should, seeing she gets most of the advantages—then she can do that onlythrough the legally-appointed channel, viz.. the City Council. Therefore, the trial is removed from the Harbour Board to the City Council. Mr Dougall then says: "Have a referendum." The citizens reply: 'That is just what we are going to do on April 30th. The candidates which we elect will indicate our decision.'' Thus the responsibility of promoting the progress of Christch'urch is thrown on the voters. All the candidates for election have their limitations —it will be the duty of the electors to make the selection. Our duty is to urge them to do that and vote early.—Yours, etc., JOSHUA LITTLE. April 26th.