PARTY FEELING CONDEMNED

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21727, 9 March 1936, Page 12

PARTY FEELING CONDEMNED

WORK ON THE CITY COUNCIL

VIEWS AND PROPOSALS BY CANDIDATES

j for some time the City Council had I been getting to a stage where party I feeding was obliterated. The votes taken were often not party votes but votes on the merits of the questions, said Mr J. W. Beanland, the Citizens’ Association mayoral candidate, speaking at St. Matthew’s schoolroom on Saturday evening. He referred to his chairmanship of the works committee of the council during Labour control, end said that it was generally felt that this step was justified. The Citizens’ Association platform to-day was the same as it was 10 months ago, he said. The aim was to keep the rates down. So far it had not been possible to do this, but the rates had not been raised. In the loan conversion the ratepayers had been saved £7OOO last year, and this vear, when the full benefit had been felt, about £17,000 would be saved. The Citizens’ Association did not claim the full credit for the measure. It had been carried through by the whole council.

Mr Beanland also referred to the consolidation of the loans, and the elf arts made by the council to keep the payment for drainage schemes as low as possible. Referring to the proposed municipal aerodrome, Mr Beanland said that it was often asked why the council aimed at a new aerodrome, instead of using the Wigram aerodrome. But the Government had intimated that the Jailer could he used for civil purposes only for short lime longer, as it would be required entirely as a military aerodrome. Negotiations about the" cost of the new aerodrome to the city had been going on for some time and it was possible that the Government would 4° the levelling work. The cost to the city would be between £SOOO and £OOOO, and there would be expenses to be met in succeeding years, but it was a cost that must be faced.

The Library anti Museum

The proposal to place the museum and public library under the control of the City Council and to raise a loan of £35,000, £25,000 tor the museum and £IO.OOO for the library, was next discussed bv Mr Beanland. He hoped that the council would view the matter in a very different light. The Canterbury College Coijncil had felt that there should be a special rate tor the support of the two institutions, as there was in other cities, but if such a loan was raised it would involve an increase of Jd in the unimproved rate. ■The annual cost would be about £6OOO, with interest, sinking fund, and maintenance. It would be a mistake to amalgamate the suburban libraries with the public library and take them out of the control of voluntary workers as at present. The taking over of street lighting by the Municipal Electricity Department was strongly advocated by Mr Beanland. Other Candidates’ Views Mr T. J. Maling, City Council candidate, criticised Mr Archer’s statement that the election was a social, economic, and religious fight. Actually it was a simple election of those who could best do the work on the council. Three years ago Mr Archer had said that a public man should be paid only for one job. Mr Archer received £2OO a year as chairman of the Tramway Board and would receive £4OO as Mayor. Whether he was elected or not he would be a winner, as he would receive his fee as sinking fund commissioner if not elected, a position' which as Mayor he could not hold. Mr Archer had referred to the splitting of Labour votes in the recent municipal elections by independent candidates, but actually the Citizens’ Association candidates had received some 6000 more votes than the Labour and Independent candidates combined. Mr Maling said that the present contract for the bulk supply of electricity to Christchurch would terminate this year, and he felt that his experience jn Timaru in the installation of the present power system would be of value to the council when a new contract had to be made. Sir Hugh Acland spoke of the need for keeping politics and parties out of city affairs, and referred to his knowledge of health matters, which I would be of value to the city. He j said that he had formerly stood for 1 the mayoralty to stir up interest in | city affairs, but he was now glad to support Mr Beanland, as he felt that the burden "should fall on an experienced man. Mr James Carter spoke of Mr Beanland’s record for attendance at committee meetings, which was 50 per cent, better than that of his opponent. He also referred to his own engineering experience and its potential use to the council. Mr W. Thomson presided over an attendance of about 70. A motion of thanks and confidence, spoken to by Messrs Henry Holland and A. H. Hobbs, was carried.