THE MAYORALTY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 160, 31 March 1908, Page 8

THE MAYORALTY.

MR; HISLOP AT ISLAND BAY. ' . A REPLY TO CRITICISM. : •Tile Hon. T. W. Hislop addressed a meeting of his supporters for-tho Mayoralty at tho Island Bay Town Hall last night. Mrs. Hislop was amongst those present. Mi\ Hislop, iii opening the proceedings, [ said that there had been introduced into the I contest-.by "his opponent, and that gentlemen's; immediate friends, a system of-carry-ing on an election which; fortunately,, was I'ory rare'.'indeed.. However, the more the matters ,that had been brought up wero probed' into.at the present stage,the sooner would they , bo ablo to settle down .-to tho real question at'issue.' Ho did not know whothor the meeting desired ..that:' tHo. proceedings should bo open -to tiio Press. Ho noticed tliat there was ono-reporter present, .and if it were not for certain.circumstances ho - would have something to say about- the most disgraceful and; discreditable matter that had appeared in ono of the; papers that morning. .It was the sort of'thing which was Jitely to bring our public life into absolute contempt.- (Hear, hear.) If his friends thought .it was worth while, ■ lie would have something to say with regard to the suggestions made,.in that paper on that morning in another place altogether/

Mr.. B. Ayres,. having beeni elected chairman, said that . his' coming*'forward, -publicly was duo wholly and solely to tho unfair attacks, that! had been made on Mr. Hislop. He believe.d in : British-fair play. ' The question whether the reporter should be .allowed'-, to .'remain was .then'put to, the meeting and decided in the affirmative by a largo majority. : ; THE MAYOR ON MR. . FISHER. \ ;- Mr. Hislop again addressed the meeting, and dealt . with' tlie matter' of the ' sinking funds to the samo effect as already reported. Mi". Fisher-had been looking..up this thing for tho -past; 10 -months, but wnenhe (the Mayor), ostentatiously brought forward tho balance-shcet in. tho. Finarico Committee," when Mr. r Fisher . was present,. its adoption' was duly proposed, seconded; and carried, and Mr. Fisher never ./objected.' What 'did they think of_ a 1 man 1 who could sit there harbouring these ideas,-and thinking of 'bringing , forward soiho accusation- a® some future tiino, ■ and yet allowing, tlie accounts to bo., adopted,, and. pretending .to approy'o. iWhat sbrt- of a-.cl^ap-was that too -sit-, on a public body with? . - .' "THE DOMINION " AGAIN.

- He : was'not going' to :bother .to say: anything about - the contemptiblo set 'of . questions which' the Editor of The' Dominion had had', tli'e effrontery to; put':'in his; paper : that. 'mo'rning;-,; : ';Unrßss some intermediate courso was :.take?i;ho ■ would, deal with'' iliose .questions ■ in. quite a" different, way ; , Before leaving the. question of,.the sinking. fu'ijds,- Mr.'. Hislop said 'that'notwithstanding that the sum. of "£16,500' (had!'been, invested ' on' very fitio .■ security-, ait:. .dpor " cent.,. tli'o sinking filnds''w:er.e .producing '.'this ■ year £800 more than would .liayo .been the caso'.if they had remairiod." under _ the'''old system;, and they ■jv'ould 'be able ■ in.''thirty years to. pay .off $100,000. out *■ 6f ■.tho..additional v interest; When a man had.sacrificed his; own business ,'orily 'to"., a ; "slight' to; [help bring l ' aboiif- that result,.was '• he pntitlea : ;'tp.' . receive , for . ..that' ' the sort of innuendo'.which:V.newspai)er .that -wassetup. a littlp. while ago to lead- mtbTtlio paths of. .truth had - levelled'. him? .(App!anso;).!':'All 'applications- for loans from, the ; sinking, funds'-lfere: treated alike..They went to- the Valuer, and werei tested bV the Government., valuation. Then " they "wont 1 back to tho Committee,. and,, if any of the. Committee objected, t)io business could not proceed. A good many applications, from his partners' had- to be withdrawn for, this'reason. The transactions referred to had cost the. city.;riot' a /'halfpenny;! .'The fecuritie's—;' wl?ich, : had ; lat-ely , been .re-examined--werc absolutely'.good. ' Not" a ■ penny', of. interest was, or: ever .had been, in. arreaiy and tho investment : was .absolutely sound. , What, all tho noise about? t INCREASING THE RATES. • . ..Mr. Hislop went on' to say that 1 when ho came into /office he found, that ,tlie 'Council ! liad. : spent .£12,000-more .than, their -revenue: Yot Mr. Aitken said that lie did not ihprcaso the rates. Of course, tlioro'was iio need to do so, if he-'looked on a bank v ovei - draft 'a's a' proper source of -'revenue. ' Mr." Aitken had :«aid that; the.'Nowtown library, was built' out ,of-revenuo ■ during;, his : term .-'of ''office,:- and ,'s'o' it was, if- the overdraft v was' reveftue. ' In 1901, "tho revenue from''rates was £72,000, and .wheta; Mr.: : Aitken ' left .office, it.was -£95,000; - If ho had . raised all that was required; .it- would- ha'vo been £107,000;; ■ That is ! to. say.'tho" rates should have increased by £35,000 in four years.'. Taking. £107,000 as the;., figure .when - he: (Mr.; Hi-slop)assumed office', 1 the rates had increased by' '£28,000,' the 'amount beirfg. £135;000 ■ during. liis last year, but in-that l amount: there had to be raised £5000: for \ an. erfra 'levy. for.the Charitable Aid jßoard, and £6000 for water . rates,; tho being" spont rtot in the same area, but for extra, and supplies'.ThusJ taking off £11,00.0,' the increase of rates during his terjm-'of-'' ofhco compared very.;favourably 'in--deed, with his' predecessor's record. .'. -.Yet there had been' a much greater extension 'of building. diiring'-the 'last' four years than in : the ;previp'us four, and 1 £15,000 moro'per annum had been spent on the 'streets.' He would show. in'-, a future- addressthat- tjio public ,works wero.now being:done on a moro thorough, system, .and were yielding better , value for. tho. money, than in, Mr.' Aitkcn's time. The Council had been'spending'over £5000 a year : on--tho-., private' streets whicli it''had , taken 1 over,- btit- that work ; was 'nearly . done, and some of the money could be' diverted soon to other necessary works. >

MR. AITKEN AS COMMISSIONER. " Referring' to_- : a' statement by Mr." Aitken that " the Sinking-, Fund' Commissioners had became- -nonentities .during tho .present Mayoralty, vand that a:letter of! ,his expressing . doubts -as• to the .'legality of tho .transaction regarding -the.. : Hunter Street block had', been ignored, Mr/ Hislop stated that all .was dono in. proper order, and if Mr. Aitken; had looked through' !tho papers sent him,, at tho time as a Commissioner, ho .would have found tho solicitor's opinion for which, he asked.- On the matter of tho alleged ignoring of a letterfrom Mr. Aitken on -this. matter by him, he had written •to Mr. Aitken, and recSh'ed a reply -that he had been /misrepor'ted; -.That report was supplied to The' Dominion by 1 Mr., Aitken's own secretary.': Mr. "Aitken . also wroto" to him that he' would communicate with the paper to: correct "the _ error; : but he' (Mr. Hislop)' had searched in ' vain' for ' any correction. Ho wanted \to . know whether Mr. Aitken or the Dominion was at fault. It appeared : that .' when Mr.'. Aitken , questioned. the logality of the' transaction' referred" to, lie had not the • courtesy . ,to do so by letter, but sent a verbal .message: In , regard to the loan, to -Kardri, ;which' Mr.; Aitken thought was negotiated during his absence at-Home, his. memory. was at 'fault, for' his signature appeared in the matter. Mr. Aitken would havo;played 'a..more manly, part if lie had owned up that he had seen nothing wrong with'the matter,,and had'signed tho cheque:'!

. OTHER-'OPPONENTS. Referring to ;.the proposed' gas purchase! Mr. Hislop . remarked that . Mr. ,• David Nathan's manager and;the secretary of the Gas. Company and others connected with '.it were members of Mr. Aitken's committee or.' with the deputation that; asked him to stand. That, snowed the real cause of t'he attitude that had been taken up with[ regard to himself. Mr. Duthie might have some other motive, but it .- was one that ' was not connected with politics. The public would be wise enough to decide that the man who could bring the'New'Zealand Electrical Syndicate to. its bearings and take: over the works , in the' face of great difficulties was more likely'to be successful in .regard to the ,gas works than 1 ono who 1 never carried any oi his great schemes-through, but' left other's "to carry ; them'through' afterwards. (Applause.) .. , .. Mr.'ll. Ayres was elected Chairman of the Island .Bay Committer, Mr, . Eyros vico-chair- »&», and Mr.Lineard secretary. Ovo^.

40 or those present wore enrolled as raembors'or the committee, and about.2o othors, wllile -declining active membership, declared their intention, of supporting Mr. Hislop. ; MR. AITKEN'S CANDIDATURE. . Strong committees to support the candidature of Mr. J. G. AY. Aitken were,formed ai e .Y°| lln 6 at Newtown . and Roseneath: Mr.; Aitken visited each place..and spoke briefly. Ho explained that his object was to establish committees, and that he . would deliver public addresses at these centres at a later date; Newtown (St. Thomas's. Schoolro.om), Hales was clected chairman. . Mr. Aitken, m a few brief remarks, referred to the previous -terms during which ho had held office, and to his consequent knowledge of what was required of the man-who occupied tuc position of Mayor. The works that had beer, carried out by the Council during thoso terms of ofiico were, ho -thought, worthy of jbomg recalled. As to the future, a good deal yet remained to bo done. The tramways wont into almost all the suburbs, and:wero availed of extensively. One of tho matters -yet requiring attention was the extension .of the Constable Street \tram lino to connect with, the line, at Ivilbirnie. This was necessary because a'large percentage of the population of tho city lived on the Newtown side or the ]3asin Reserve, and it was almost an absolute ■ .necessity tliat this connection ; ,,a - de - returned' lie 'would' make 't. Ins business to have this- matter'.put through. The 'number' of- people who. would use the liii'o -was, steadily increasing. The amount of 'money required .should ' not be very great, andthe system was incomplete! without the, linking up. A great'deal-also' required to bo done' to put footpaths -in order. In the main thoroughfare atV Newtown the footpaths,worn very good, but many * , other ' streets had them only half Tornied. rhoro sliould.be full3'-forroed paths right through tho city. He would bo in favour of obtaining money to do, this work, lho .rates at, the present/time, .continued Mr. Aitken, were 'as-'high'' as they ought to be, and 'if the Government, in any fresh valuations, raised the values or- properties within the city,- a corresponding'.reduction should bo made in ,thc rate, per pound, so that in the total the sum- to be' collected should not'be any greater than that now collected; '

I -it ??, 6 n ,S f° rrn a committee -to assist Mr. Aitken's return will be held in the Sydn®y Street Schoolroom .to-morrow night at' 8 0 clock. At 8.30 '6'clock - on tho same evening a meeting for the same object will be held in tho, AYadostowir School.\ . MR. HISLOP. : Sir,-Ever since, your existence,' and until lately; yoii have,, whonever diesirous of'inforr mation which I . could ,give .you,- sont.;.a repwrter .to liie, aiid" you have , received "it. Had you cohtinu«l your ■ former, c'ourso,, ypuha'd"'all infpfmation 'respecting sinking funds-01;• anything else'.',. Are 1 you really in".earnest in : tho series of ;,quest'iqiis ' you' do .to ■ hjo? Do you rpally "wisli mo t-o answer' qucstions so "'.suiting, thiit; even' you are.'ashamed iqf 0110 of. them, and 'haye to apologise for.' it/iii-a P" I .deny myself the pleasure;' '*?», howwer,' you : want" any:, inforniatioii, and' you send' to nio one . of,' your reporters, whom'it is ■ always' a pleasure to;nieet,. 1 will : givo' him all the informatidii I can,' - as I. dm quite .sure, that hp. .will ■ asl? for .it- in ! such ia way as not to. bo olfensivd. .',-

, If you- posgcfjs tho desiro fair, claimed by: you, may I ask whor© is" your .correction' of tho- report of Mr. Aitken'a remarks furnfshed. by; liis own -secretary? . The :'report, was-' that Mr. > Aitke,n. v had" "lyritten : 'a letter about; a: loaji of £16;500;.;and ;that.\l'; ha'd' nbyor answered it. Whcnon'Saturday moriimg I tackled' Mr. ■ Aitkon and' liirn I 'for b,-copy',/ ho iy r 9to that- ho iiad- been ; misrepresented, arid had ' corrected ' or-' would" cor- 1 recfc i tho ■ statement. The-report . was ' corrected, in thov" Evening .Post,"-!-'."/but; no -word of tho correction is,in your columns.■.'■'WKoso fault- is '. it—yours or Mr. Aitken'sMr!: Aitken's statement, ho' says, - -u-asthat lio askcd;tho messenger- ( 11) for information 1 as to' whether theioa-n was within- tho law. -'My reply is that the .opinion of: the .'solicitor: to' tho Council had ■ been obtained, -ancl; was attached to tho i papers' presented with : the cheque,. together : with' a- certificato; from' tho \solicitor that -.the security whs completed. In this, as well as : in regard to tho Karori wan, .Mr.-. Aitken's memory is sadly wanting.'I personally "never, sign a cheguoi unless ac-, oompnnied: by , tho. 'papers, including tho solicitor!s. certificate. .;I presume Mr. Aitkon act-3 similarly.—Yours,:, etc., ' T. TV. HISLOP. P.S.-I shall be in'.tho JMavor's room from .4.30,.this afternoon:—T:W.H.- •

' [Mr. Hislop s\. complaint regarding certain .questions ; submitted - through our columns yesterday; is referred • to; -elsewhere. A- representative of The-Dominion waited-upon Mr. Hislop ■ on 1 the';subject 1 at '4.3o'o(dock : yester- , day. afternoon, but ■ Mr. Hislop declined to make any statement 1 based , upon the' questions. _ • IJo stated \lns willingness to answer, anything, it must rcforenco to tlio., question's:. which appeared'.: in' Tiie Dominion.;'' ' later, in'-,tlie.evening,' Mr. ;Hislop was Yagain/sceii by "'.a; representative, of the paper, . but 1 'declined-to. go; into'the ;niat; tor.' . With reference 'to'our riiaking no correction of. the\ : report', of -Mr. ; Aitkeii's' remarks; -\t'o :us by . his 'committee, we-haye ; rdceived' no : correction ;to 'publish'.: Wo .believo'a.'correction was made, but it has not' been sent to'the'office of this papeh]

THE CITY'S SiNKING FUNDS; . Sir'r-In, to-day's . issue . yo.il' propound '.'/ a series' of'- leading; questions •'relative''" to.' the investment of; sinking funds, of .which' t-iohs. at ( least* two contain very; offensivo innuendoes.'. .Lest any false construction should be :;put".upon 'an attit'udo» of ;.silent which,. ,in my opinion,' 'is the prope.r,weatmcnt'; for'^those' ill-balanced minds who seo nothing iii'. virtue, . but .' vice .-in' a. ,mask, .1 beg ; to state that /my arrangements relativo ;to- sinking fund' inye'stmehts'T were made with .tho view, of avoiding tho' possw, bility.oi any, weltfounded charge,.'direct or indirect,: against'my /partner, Mr. Hislop, of .malversation .of office.—l am, etc.,: .; . A. DE B. BRANDON. '- Wellington, March 30,: 1903. [This matter is referred, to in otir-leading columns.] • .... , °