THE MAYORALTY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 179, 24 April 1908, Page 8

THE MAYORALTY.

' MR. HISLOP'S CANDIDATURE. ' TWO ADDRESSES. . Mr.. N Hislop addressed two meetings last 1 ovening. -Thero was a largo'mmrbor present 1 'nt the corner of Sydney.and Charlotte Streets, ■' , and Mr. J. Brcon was-voted , to'the chair. •! i?V;,'. • Mr. Hislop criticised Mr. Aitkcn'S' romarks it:>v.Vv.'.'on ; .Iho'-TObjeot/'df tho rates, and said' that it i' . was.:absurd to think that the Wainui-p-mata, main could bo duplicated (probably .it > - ould a ''; . - cost- £100,000) without adding to. the rates. ... Perhaps Mr. Aitken intonded drawing on the . bank —a method that was easy but not phident. Mr. Aitkcn's' remarks on tho Kent ■ Terraco roservo also camo in for some' critir. • cism, Mr. Hislop saying that, lie carried out'.j ■ his own plan,' not his opponent's.With re-t. 'forenco to Mr. Aitkeii's signing a cheque for : : :V £1000 and stating that: at the tim 9 lie . (Mr. . V iAitken) ,thought he : was 1 .in 'Scotland, tho pv' speaker said . that not only had Mr. Aitken ' signed a cheque in'Soptemher, one in Oc- : tooor, and ono in December in addition, but 1 -: in;ilarch'.he tlie balance-sheet, which, i-, r tho speaker had said, Mr. Aitken was rcsponeiblo for. With regard to the Gas ; Company,'ilr. Hislop said that the same, skill'as .he had /.exhibited when dealing .with..the electrical . 1 6yndicato would bo usea again. The question .' 1 orithe Gas Company woula be orio of the first things to-boi dealt with, -but'ias -to; tho Bill .mentioned ;in The Dojiinion, he. might as well.leave tho maiter alono.as' take up) as it; would be. inoperative;, as .the amount lixcd by tlio assessors would be prohibitive. The; speaker briefly" referred .tb . the milk, supply and the-question of. markets, and ~ ■>•'. proceeded:to- say that a. site had. been pro- , . cured for tho abattoirs; tho plans were ready, • and tlioy- were-only waiting..for ; the.bank to. eomo:forward with the money; that, depen--ded on whethbr tho. bank • thought the time ■' opportune for Raising it. Ho was amused at being characterised:as a high' Tory, and,.he pointed-out_'th'at'ho was''a r member.of tho, j- ; : ■ ■ Alinistry which't was . tho first to? restrict'tho. ■ amount of land a person could-purchase. He ■ . ■ ■ quoted instances- of measures, lie; had ihtro- - duced to contradict tho assertion.. . / In reply to 'a ,Mr'.'. : Hislop ; stated that ho. had-: received a report in connection ; • .with, a fire : brigado -.'station, fori. Thorndon from Superintendent Hugo which,Tvould have. : to be considered. It had been unfortunate, /ic said, tlrat .wheii tho Council 'wanted to . . purchase land, the price'went up. ■ ,■ . Mr.-Hislop'.theri' proceeded;'to -Tinakori iloa'd, where he addressed another meetings' . ; Mr. C.-_: CL ■ Crump being:.elected chairman. ' Ho 1 criticised the financial management dur-' ■ , ■ ing ' his .predecessor's term ': of office.'' - Re- : ... ■ forring to what 110 called tho Adelaide Road , fiasco, Sir. Hislop complained that there had ] :been.-too'much' dallying' over'it. In regard' ~ '. to tho tramways,. ho held - that'' additions < . .-Bliould boVmade out of revenue, and, from j timo ; to time . a mile or two could bo added, j V. increasing - the . earning.' power, . without in-'; , . creasing the : debt.'; He ; took exception to . Mr. •' Aitkon's 'reference in his Town Hall :,- i speech..to.■ the. 1 speaker's in coniicc- , tioii with :the' work, being' commenced 'at' ._ V.:;' : j',-Oriental Bay.. suggestion was,-that , the,' ~ k-V'.l). work', wiia'- started as the election was .'near;vr.i'; but',':as,'a, matter. of fact,' all the work .that "■ i :./( ha(l to'be : _dono cbuld not be put in hand at .1 any 0110.time,, as it would'mean that a lot; 1 . of. ; labour. :wo;Ud' be .required for a ,-ihort' i '' r - period-arid then for. the "rest of the year .no i : , work; would be available: . Mr.' Fisher :then> ■ . came in for some'strong criticism.- \ v,r: : X). < v pnMR. AITKEN AT TINAKORI ROAD. , : 'Mr,'J. G.' 'W.; Aitken,' ':candidate for .the > ' ■ .City,-Mayoralty; addressed ''a'meeting 'in' St. : . .? PaUl's. Schoolroom, Tinakori Road,-last evening. Mr. M. 0. V. Dimock presided. I : ': / Mr. Aitken: referred to'"correspondence pub- I (ished in-our morning contemporary. by Mr. H. D. Bell, relating-to sinking fund mat- . V ;■■ 'ters.',-; : r Tho'. writer ''stated" You '. (Mr. Fisher)'called,at-jny .office witli Mri'-Aitken, ,: . who introduced yoii ;to v: me/ ,and said; that' / i : : you. had. s'ome\important matters- to \lay,: be-. , : fore ' nie;"*'and! th'at' 'he - "(Mb; "''prerJ ■ . forred not.to':be'present.":..This statement,. ~ ■ proceeded:'Mr.Aitken,; was perfectly, , true. : - Ho .had introduced Mr. Fishor to Mr. Bsll.. ~ . He.then detailed the facts of the incident:" He,had had no .manner of connection, with - Mr. Fisher, or .-the ■ charges lie had laid against- • . . tho present .Mayor.. . Mr.- Fisher;,had called ; v; ■ 'upon him before , (Mr. Aitken) was asked to contest the Mayoralty, 1 lanil at I a ...time when he had 'no intention of-.being, a candidate. He: wished .this point to Ijq clearly v :«iidoistood;';' Mr.' ; Fisher 'Had: told him'the' I . . tiling was troubling him, and that lie would t like to j consult Mr. Bell.' about it, .bunas' .- lie did hot_know.Mr. Bell he would -like Mr.' .. "Aitken'-to introduce him.' ; Mr." Aitken had: ..agreed,-and Mr.i Fisher iras introduced, thero ' and then. Ho had then remarked that Mr." v • V Fisher, had some'. important matters'to'sneak * , about; arid as he (air.' Aitken)'jiad iiothing to : do: with them, and "did, notdesire to F ■ r ■ be present, 110 would leave.' them. . Could ' '.-i',-anyone suggest that" he. wa^'a party to thp' 'J questions raised by-Mr'. .Fisher?; :The -1 at— ter had made 'ccrtain■■ cliarge3,:-and Mr. I 1 Hislop had: answered; them." ;If Mr. : Hislon c / ; had;' done; that: satisfactorily; to - his' own * conscience, what more, could: be reo.uircd? * 8 Why did he want .the speaker..to ?.ive him- • a certificate of character? That'wns' 't v connection he (Mr. Aitken) had'liad between ° '■ one side.-andi.the other;, arid 'there it should' [' remain? as. far as ho'.- was " ,Iri/tlid.conrse : ; .of;fiirtter:''rdinarks''Mr;'.Aitken t dealt'with matters.relating to;Tinakori Road 'b :■••., arid 'that'-locality: . 'Ho :also gave, it as- liis P opinion, that tho; time had now arrived for laying : another ~main from the' W 7 ainui : Tcser-. 0 .. : yoir, : not . only, for \ domestic; - but , also for i' •'. fire prevention purposes. , . ■ f' A. questioner asked if the candidate would n : favour preference to . old hands in now. muni- - Sl cipal works, such as at the destructor and in f ' now undertakings generally. 'Mr. Aitken in-' t: : stanced tho preference given to 'old horse-' ? tram:;employees when the-new system was' : inaugerated. in-his term of office. Those men' had ' received -their'pay- also . while':being ? , trained. .He certainly favoured old employ- ; ; ees, if proficient, being given preference: n A voto of thanks and confidence was he- 81 corded the candidate. The , seconder'of the ■ resolution termed Mi-. .Aitken a suitable re- 5 , preventative of a democratic 1 ' communitj' + All classes would receivo fair treatment from' ? . lnm, and the working, men particularly.'' He + . spoke' w a working man, arid knew that they- • - had always been: treated with absolute fair- }■ ness in the past' when anything concernirig' their welfare had cropped up. . • "