THE MAYORALTY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 178, 23 April 1908, Page 8

THE MAYORALTY.

y; : v; 3; .r.^ ——• '■ - V NOMINATIONS RECEIVED. - MR. AITIvEN AND''•MR. HISLOPNOMINATED. ' . [ ; Tho period for tho receipt of nominatic for : tho Mayoralties pf Wellington and number of other places closed at noon y .-. i terday. .■ -■ • 1 ' Tho. Wellington nominations provided ■;■•<■■■■>;. surprises, Mr. J. G. W. Aitken, M.P., a • the Hon. T. W. Hislop (tho present Mayc ■ boing .the only, candidates, oitFering.,, ,$t . Aitken's nomiiiatibn paper was. handed in •• Mr. J. Ames, - tho..returning officer,-. at- < ■■:...■■.■ o'clock, and Mr. •Hislop's'.-came.'.iaioiig.-: ; v; . : ; minutes' later. Following are, 'details:-— _ WELLINGTON CITY. JolwCuthrio Wood Aitkan.—Nominated 1 ■ John Gwyther Richards and AJexand ;■ ;•; • Veitch. '■;' ; " .- ' ! ■■ ■■.:■■■ Thomas William Hislop.—Nominated 1 : • .. Clara Hoby, FranciG H. D. Bell, Geori ■ , .Winder, M.v C. Gibbons; R. J. Hard Shaw, and Richard Ayres. . • ' PETONE-. : . John M'Ewan. —Nominated by Messrs. Jam. , : Austin, R. J. Southgate, and W. . Udy. (Re-elected.) ' EASTBOURNE. •■■■. Froderlok Coorge Bolton. — Nominated 1 ... ; - . - Herbert "W. ■ Shortt : and David Rober eon. (Re-clccted.) ■ - - • ' v \ ONSLOW.. Barnes C.iHarkness. —Nominated by Corir Grant, R. G. Rounthivaito, Alex. V .-•■ , Newton, and Albert Carver. . (Ri I .■ elected.)- - ' . i. ' , : v.. , ' . ' LOWER HUTT. Tiiornas Alox. Peterkin. — Nominated b ; Messrs. W. H. Russell and Geo. Cudb; . (Re-elected.)' . .*;■ 1 " ■'; ■ r<. ■ Tyro nominations havo been received fc i •, .iho vacant seat on the 1 Council :—Wm. :I • Hughes, nominated'by W.H. Russell an t■■■.■? A. T. Lees; and Arthur Henry Vile, nom: I : nated by George Cudby, Edmund Hayes i - Win. Wright; and W. A. Keay. KARORI. ' . - i Tho - nominations for tho Mayoralty o Karori close at noon to-day. So far Mr. C i ; ... I. Dacent, one of tho oldest and most re • spected. Councillors, is the only nominee There is a .vague probability of another, can . .. didate turning up to-day. ■ MIRAMAR. No -nominations for tho office 1 of Mayo Lad been received up till yesterday, after ;;V: , : noon,. but of the fact ".that'Mr ■.: ■ ■. Charles .Crawford, (Mayor) arid Mr.' Frederic! .Townsend (ox-Mayor) have announced them 6elves, Miran;ar is suro 'of a contest. '■ : ' i.. • ' '■■■'■MR.' HISLOP AT NORTH KILBIRNIE. ( SINKING FUNDS, PUBLIC WORKS, 1 xAND " THE DOMINION." ■ ;■■■■■ ,-The Hon: T. »W. Hislop addressed a meet . . ■ ing in tho. North Kilbirnie . Schoolroom ' lasi . . ■ night. 'Mr. Easson presided over-an attend- ■ ancß of about thirty. v ' : ■ • . ■ Sir. Hislop said ho wished to repeat thi challenge mado by Mr.' Bell that Mr. Aitker ■ 1 'Should' state his position relativdy to tlu , -, charges made by. Mr... Fisher 'against the i; speaker. ; In regard to the Karori loan, Mr. Aitken Had said he'only sighed one cheque for £1000j but, as a matter of fact, he signed i y thrpe—on October 17, November 2, and Dcc- ' ember-18, 1906. Mr. Fisher had- tried, to show that.,there..had beenV-some'-interesfc in ■■ <,- : , ;arrear: on sinking 'fund investments,-.but he ; ■ : .-■"■ (the / Mayor) had a memorandum .of that day's date signed by the City .Treasurer, and showing- tna.t there was not, and had not ■been,, any interest in -arrear.-;, Mr. Aitkon's ••v unanswered.letter'ab'out the'duties of .Sinldng . Fund Commissioners ' ivaS' received, and ho ■ . supposed that Mr. Aitken'; had ; .:talked ; the ■ matter [over ' with his' fellow-Commissioners i. and satisfied himself as to his Mr. Hislop again accused The DoitiNioN of. misrepresenting liim, '■ and found fault with certain, directors of the company-who were also ■; members ,of ■_Mr. Aitken!s committee, 1 ■ using - , his (Mr. Hislop's) r ahd other money'to assist Mr. Aitken's candidature.'ln - regard to -Mr.'. Aitken's .• comments on the . ( ? Hiiutor; Street; block • transaction; ; Mf.::Hislop ridiculed . the idea that . to invest money • in :;: v i c valuable block of city land could; dissipate ..... !;he.funds. In,Mt. 'Aitken's own time' there ivere.other loaiis of the same character.. He lenied Mr. Aatken's charge ,tl\at too.much of ■ ■ : the .Corporation's business was, done by com- ; '. ■■ ■;■' mittees, ; and .defended himself against-the - , , allegations. of, delay in • carrying out oertain . improvements, and in taking steps to acquire tho gas works. .- . .Answering questions after his-address, Mr. , ■ Hislop said ho was not responsible for tho : t absence of, a footpath' through the'Kilbirnie , . Tunnel. : - - -. - - - ■ ■' -■ ■ ■■ , ■ Mr" Hislop .received a vote of- thanks and • .'jonlidence. * .' ' . . MR. AITKEN AT KELBURNE. . REPLIES : TO JIR. HISLOP. ■Mr. J. G. W. M.P., addressed a v ■ meeting ,of Kelbu'rne residents: in' the- Anglican Church Room, last, evening. ■ The v at-.'. t 'tendance was 'not large, but the 'place of o ;-.' .'meetirig had been altered smce the morning." . ' Mr. J.-P. Campbell; was in the-chair/ :< ' lii the-course of liis address,, which, except . for references to local matters,. was. largely '. ■ on the lines-of that given .by him the previous evening in-the Municipal Concert Hall, Mr. Aitken-sard lib' was astonished; to,.see that Mr. Hislop, speakingv'the night before . 'at -Brooklyn, had said that he.'hadthe .; appointment of/Mr. Morton as / City Engineer.' There was nothing further from the- facts' than that statement. ''.ApplicatioriS ■ for the position were received from all parts ' of- New Zealand, and many paints pf. Aus- : tralia. 1 Speaking' from ■ memory, I '..the applications; were reduced. to. sis. and these six' -names .were submitted'to tho Council as a :whole. . The method of. procedure .wasthat tho Councillors voted . by ballot, - reducing tho number of candidates Vat' each ballot by one.', He voted for .Mr. Morton on each ' .occasion, up .to and; including, tho final 'vbto .which gave him the;appointment. ' He wished' to say'that,- on 'looking th'rouglr the: whole' .. of the applications,., lie found-two applicants, . either of ; whom, he "thought. wouH serve 'the city-well-,"Mr.-.'Morton.-beirig one. of the two. He deprecated .the' dragging ';in of ' the 'name of one of. the Council's -officers in r tin's fashion. -, ' . ' Mr. Aitken also, said he had noticed that Mr. Hislop had stated that when he (Mr. Aitken) was Mayor lie had' desired : to enclose the Reserve at Kent Terrace so that ; no one i could, walk over it. .. He would like .7, to draw Mr. Hislop's attention to : the. fact : ;..; : that .the suggestion of tlie' City Council at tho. time when he presided over it was prac-' tically what had been' .done in. part' of the' • Reserve,' but,that the fence around it was ■ to have been'a better one than the present fence, . and ' that the seats for pedestrians wero to have been better, placed. ■■• - Mr. Aitken reiterated his'; opinion that -the..- timo ' had ■" come r when arrangements should be made for the city to take' over the Kelburno tramway, and" work it as. a : part'-of -the city tramway system. • ■On tho motion of Mr. Crichton Smith, a ■ hearty vote of' thanks and confidence was passed to Mr.-Aitken; unanimously, and with •ipplause. - - ; ■ ' OTHER BOROUGHS. . V Vby: lEX.tCIIAPn—SPECIAT, :CORItESPONDENIJ , - Palmorston North, April 22. - Richard Essex, Henry, Haydon, and V / James A. Nash , were nominated to-day for ; the Mayoralty. : ' 1 . ■ ' Chrlstchurch, April 22. The-annual, nominations for the office ..of Mayor, in connection with the city and ad-, joining boroughs, took place to-day. ]i'or tho City of Christchurch, tho present Mayor' (Mr. Geo. Payling) and Councillor Charles Allison were nominated. For tho Borough of Woolston, Mr. John' Puichardson, the retiring Mayor, was the only candidate nominated, -and ho do-< . - clared; duly- elected. [

Mr. S. R. AV.ebb (tho present Mayor) and Mr. Colin Cook,';; a momber of tho Borough Council, havo been nominated for tho office of Mayor of Lyttelton. ' • Mr. P. H. Blackwoll has been elccted Mayor of Kaiapoi unopposed. Councillor Bell is tho only nomination for '■ tho Rangiora Mayoralty. : ■ . .-.iiDunedln, April 22. Councillor M'Donald is personally popular, wis an.l will poll well for tho Duncdin Mayoralty, a but .Councillor- Walker is supposed to have es _ tho strongest backing. (by telegraph.—riiEss association'.) no Timaru, April 22. ,nd. -Two candidate's, have, been nominated for 3r ) tho Mayoralty, namely;. Messrs. J. Craigio J,., arid T. Hawkey. > The.,former is'tho present Mayor, and the, latter "has been a member of the Borough Council' for fourteen years. : . Auckland, April* 22. Mr. A. M. Myers has been elected Mayor of Auckland, for tho fotirth term, unopposed. . •' ■ • Christchurch, April 22. by .Mr. George Payling, -the present Mayor. i<3r . and Councillor Allison, have been nominated ' 'for tho Mayoralty of tho city. Masterton, April 22. • For Mayor, the following have been nominated Messrs. P.* L. Hollings, and J. M. Coradino. : -i . Dunedini April 22. • ; Councillors M'Donald and Walker were tho Q -. s only candidates nominated for tho city of Dunedin Mayoralty. v. , ' ■ • i.. Oaraaru, April 22. '. Mr. R.,,Mil)igan, was. elected Mayor, unopposed, for the. fourth consecutive term of £ office. . _ "■" ,-Mr.-Nicholson,was, returned unopposed for Hampden. .. . . ... Wanganui, April 22. ' la r - 'P-.'®:' Mackaywas re-elected unop\r., posed as Mayor of ' Wanganui. • .. .. 1: „, Dannevirke, April 22. >' Pastor Piies was tlib only candidate nomi : nated for the. Mayoralty. • nr" '- -. Hokilika, April 22.. y, Mr. H. L. Michel has been re-electei Mayor..unopposed. ;, ' '. , >r . ; , . / Eltham, April 22. 3. The-nominations of Messrs. G. W. Tayle: d and T. C. ■ Staimers have been received; fo; the.mayoralty.:. Mr.'Tayler is- tho present Mayor. -i - ■' • •' , r 1 ' : ' Inglewood, April 22. ■ • Mr. H. B. Curtis has been ro-olceted (unopposed).' Mayor , of-.lnglewood for a seconc f term. ■ ... ". £ : THE POLLING BOOTHS. i- ' The following" arb tho polling booths ar ranged for next Wednesday's election:— Mr. - Janes'.s shop, Wadestown Road. , The . Church Schoolroom, Tinakori Road. r St.,, Paul's. Schoolroom, Sydnoy'Street. ■ !- TurnbuH's..auction room,' Panama Street. '• Harcourtls auction-room, . Panama Street, s Town Hall Concert Room, Cuba, Street. - Rechabito Hall, Manners Street. ' St. 'Peter's. :Schoolroom, Ghuznco Street. Alexandra Hall, 'Abel Smith Street. 7 ■ Druids' 1 Hall, Taranaki, Street. New Century Hall, Kent Terrace. St. Mark's Schoolroom; Susses Square. . . Victoria'. Hall]'. Adelaide: Road. • ; St.Thomas's Schoolroom, Riddiford Streot. Churchroom, Palm Grove. . The Public Schoolroom, Island Bay. t . O'Donnell's Hall, Kilbirnio. . Churchroom; Moxham Avenue, Kilbirnie: The Public Schoolroomj'Roseneath.. j Ohm'ch'room; Aro Street. i Hall,- Cleveland Street, Brooldyii. 3 Churchroom, Washington Avenue, Brooklyn. } Churchroom,/Upland Road, Kelburne. j Churchroom, Primitive Methodist, Northland. ) ; I THE TRAMWAY EMPLOYEES AND MR. HISLOP. ■ .[to the ,editor.] i , Sir,—lf there is one thing iai your paper ; worthy of- note moro than another it is oer- ; t-ainly the. inconsistency of the editorial arguments adduced, in.respect to municipal i' .'politics and the -of, tho Tramways ; Employees' Union. - During the. whole of tne , .Mayoral campaign, you have not lost' one ; .single opportunity:t-o;adversely criticise the ; Hon; T.- vVi Hislop for alleaedly taking personal credit foK the municipal acquisition of, . ;the electric lighting of the city,. tramways . extensions, carrying out of - other f municipal undertakings-; during his term-of, .office, and you'have argued it is, not; . Mr. Hislop that 'is entitled to'any credit ■ that may be attaching to those undertakings, but .tjie : City- Coitncir -as a whol-oj .for uiq reason that the Mayor.: as such has no power to'undertake ssuch works ,without\the oonsent of a.majority of-the councillors; yet almost in the same breath,' and in your issue of ■Monday last, you denounce Mr. Hislop for allegedly conceding the -whole of the. claims of the Tramways 'Union,. and' you 'desire 'to know—i.e., (1).-'Why*.do the tramway- men support Mr. Hislop P ,(2) For whom should the public vote if they do not desire to seo .tho: city'.despoiled* 'by an excessive increase of the pay. of the tramways employees ? My answer to No. 1 question isThe Tramways .Union'-, 1 supports Mr. ' Hislop for the reason that, its members are sufficiently; intelligent •to realise that he,'has done more'gobil for -theicity as'.a. whole'.than over Mr. Aitken could ; or would be logical and consistent with your- arguments, my answer to question' No. 2 is:—The public should vote for Mr. Hislop for the^reason'th'at he cannot despoil t-lie city by an''exccssivo increase of the pay of the tramways employees without the oonsent of a majority of the city couniCillorsvido above public undertakings. ... •It ; would.,'be well'; if you made yourself thoroughly conversant ..with all the details surroundiug a subject, prior to. publicly com- . menting upon.it. The claims of the Trainways Union were . forwarded to the City Council on November 19 last, , and not at the juncture ol the Mayoral election, as , stated by'yoii,,.therefore, .the',.Union did not supply a pointed'iUiistratipn, of,one,of the evils of allowing municipal employees to exercise an influence in municipal'elections. If lam not crnnniitting a breach of .'etiquette, I may say' that the representatives'of the Union have conferred, with the Tramways Committee on 'tho, claims referred to on. two different occasions; tat-those conferences very slight in-creases-"involving about fifteen men in the ■ service agreed- to; sinoo then,'and'acting upon tho suggestion of Mr. Hislop,;.which was. agreed to by the members of, the committee,-'the'represontatives of the ' .JJnion .have been ,in'conference on the claims with the Electrical Engineer, and the Assistant Electrical Engineer, who are ' not , contesting the' Mayoral election, and. as a result we have settled with those two officers the matter of wages and oyertimo for practically the whole of the trim ways employees. In that settlement the' wages of motormen and conductors have not been increased, the rates ' being left identically the same as they -were prior to the Union-presenting its claims 'on November 19 last, therefore it will be eeen that Mr. Hislop has had' littlo or nothing to do with , deciding the question of wages and overtime or anything else, he and the members of the Tramways Committee being solely'..guided..by their .responsible officers, who havo given (I.think)',more than due consideration to tlie_,revonuo of the service, consequently the Tramways Union does not support Mr. Hislop because he has agreed to an excessive increase in the pay, seeing that to' all practical intents and purposes there has been no increase worth talking .about conceded. Whqu you assort that because a man is a tramways employeo he; should be entirely prohibited from exercising a voice in municipal politico, you express a long-established Conservative view, which may be in keeping : with the views of^tho Board of Director of your journal, but I venturo to say not in keeping with the views of the largo majority of the intelligent "persons constituting tho . community of this country; in short, they believe that if a' man is required to obey a law he should have a say in its manufacture. —I am, otc., . W. T..YOUNG, . . Tramways Employees' . . Union. April 21, 1903. ' : Mr. 'W. T. Young evidently is' not a very accurate reader. Had he read our comments with any care,.ho would not have committed the absurd error.,of stating that wo "denounce Mr. Hislop for'allegedly conceding the whole of -the claims of the Tramways Union." If-this is not a wilful mis-state-ment, we; shall bo, obliged to our correspondent if ho will point out whero we uttered. "to -.our * allege^

inconsistency, Mr. W. T. Young wilfully or otherwise ignores tho fact that' in summing up the position in tho article to which he rofprs wo wero careful to avoid tho very thing ho accuses us of. Wo did not judge Mr. Hislop's position from our own point of viow, but from the point of view adopted by Mr. Hislop himself towards Mr. Aitken in connection with the Gas Company. Here aro our, exact words: — Lot the public apply tho methods of Mr. Hislop and tho ' Evening l'ost,' and ask themselves(l) Why do tho tramway'men support Mr. Hislop? (2) For whom should the public vote if thoy do net desiro to see the city despoiled by ail oxcessivo incrcaso of tho pay of tho tramways employees? " Mr. W. T. Young should bo mora careful of his facts. I-lis statement that the demands of tho Union wero forwarded on November 19 last is certainly in his favour if oorrcct, but it does not in any way affect tho principlo of c-ur contention that tho Tramway Employees' Union, or any other body of workers in tho Corporation employ, should not bo permitted to tako an activo part in an ejection campaign for tho Mayoralty. Our contention- was, and is, that tho .tramway omployoes should bo placctl in tlife samo position in which civil servants are placed in connection with Parliamentary elections. Let th' Sin vote, but tlioy should not tako any activo part in municipal politics. Mr. W. T. Young is. getting on to dangerous ground when ho attempts to givo reasons for his Union's support of Mr. Hislop. We should liko to know whether it is correct that Mr. Hislop addressed a private meoting of tho Union on Friday last, prior to its coming to a decision that it was desirablo to support him in preferenco to Mr. Aitken..