THE MAYOR AND THE TRAMWAY EMPLOYEES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 180, 25 April 1908, Page 7

THE MAYOR AND THE TRAMWAY EMPLOYEES.

MR. YOUKG AGAIN. I) , '(To THE-EDtTOii.)-' O ■- . Sir,—:Tho , reason I did not give, you a l direct answoivto the querj'i contained-ih the - editolial footndto. to. my letter ; 6f .the 2lst -': ,\Vas.''.nbt': that I-was; in .theyMightest' degree, s d'oncerned' iaboiit ■ disclosing' to the -- public . that „Blr., Hislop. had: addressed tho itrama ways employees (which is common property), 5 but'. because; : ; i \ did .'licit ; deem it - absolutelyt- essontial.to- answer, evbry question jyou might i. ; put .to mo pertaining to >the:business .of, tho J Train ways Uinon./.F'or yovr,behefiti:aild tlib I benefit' of others;, interested, I -have.:no com- . cindidly .■ i that' jMr.Y IJislop. addressed" the ' tramways ■ employees on Good Friday morning on mati; tors , pertaining Ho tho i Mayoral- - election,/ : and tlie offieial: notico of j; the Union • conven- '■ ing. the ;meeting . for' the' day, 'in -.question, K o-a'nd 'which" : -is„ tho;. property of t-ho Union, i. and -which:' was surreptitiously.: extracted' :. from - tho 'Unioii -'-notico case 'at ; .the- Thorn-- . don'.'Tramji'a'ys; OiHce, ,'in respect■;to wliielr :you may, bo ,called upon to aflswdr for ?.t -- a later date, .is true.'and:.correct' in every . detail. , , -Tho. facts, .surrounding' Mr. His/lop. s. .presence at - our meotiiig. were tliCEej l o , Mr.\Hislop's,Newtown Election;Gommit- , -tee - 'endeavoured', to sdfitire the Masonic. Hall for a meeting, on .Good Friday morning = border -that,lio might;, address tho i tram- ., J ajs... employees, l ' but l ' oii . making inquiries -.fromv'the . carotakerr they . learned J that tho ,hall-, was booted bv the Union for < a special '. ■meeting. on;-that dato; the-Unibn-,Executive were ,'then.,, approached by the" : mcnibors '. of ■ tho .committee,- and as a,result-.it was - agreed to pornsit, Mr. Hislop. to say. a .few- words at oiu meeting; tho meeting ivas convened for -10; a.m., . and. at that hour Mr. ."Hislop was , present,vbutiheforo, tho'inieetihg'Awas 'opened for business ictjred from tho hall on my : ;Suggestipn)4,,pn.,,the;-iiihdefstanding;'tliat,-lie-should return-, at 'll.'.aim; • subsequently,- and , -prior..,to, any .business bomg transacted,' at gathered that , Mr. • iHislop - was ttaiting .outside,.; and (in 1 -: view--vof : ithat, jnd. as time, at.;^t:x^^tiiw'^Urtesidarba- ; > 6pme f' him - wa s - I'Mblved' that ho should, address . i tno,iheetinat.prior ! j.fe bminess- be-.- : mg;.takeij ( alß|fisJpp i; 1 ; , and,-, addrosse;dA.th.ci m'odting? foiv.iitWe'ntyTfivo , niiiiute.s,:>faiiriHg,iil, 1 ;ioq!cOHr!;e-.;[ni";.!w.hioh!iinot, - one vsinglo waS rde-'i mands bfthp' : Union, - ftn'd ■as '-'a' mattbr' of oxtrenioly .disapbointed'-witli his' mo.qpsty.';m. that :.resp6cfc-. ■ Afterwardg'.queations were,., put fand diiriiirr--the' courso of whicliihot. a sincle'q'tlory,ipertained, to . the : demands, - it-'- being > recognised- that I tnoßo;; ; wqre-- before thev Electrical yand iiiot Mr. Hislop. f A thanks passed .to, Mr. Hislop for ,his, address,:-which ' -I tliink',even;yo,u will .'admit ; was''dub .'as . a.' . rnatwir ,of : coui , tesy 3 y. : tiiid aft-er '• retUrnirie ; thai)ks b|,:retired from tho-hall:' Subsequent', upon -that .the niotipn';of;confidbnce.;arid sup- : p -°j ; ,election was'-unanimously; car-' r Tiedy ainl-the business of. the mcetiiig (which • iVas. the_ Union', e'xecutive'sVfurthor' progress; ftport of ,theicpnferencoS-'W'ith' the-Eleptrical ;; '' ; Engliieet i tti th^'dema ; ilds of fth'o Union)' was -' ' iriemberf:of' ; tho •UAira'word:' ' aw ?ro.' ibf, !'tliQ,,,na 'of ;Vt)ieren'ort of ; .the...executive (When-.Mr..';Hislop' - addressed- • | .m-;m6tion;- i 6f,/6ubDort: was can.ried;, and ,in : .yiew of that; and' tho' ititoTrect . statemeiits -appdarihg; in your'-leader of- ' ■yoiiri.issue-of to-day,; you':sljtfiild beWust 'as - :-'.efFortato"scdufA;-:all 'tlib : .tadts, sUrroundiiig tho mattor as Vdu 'were ill ' •wroiltat)Dnsly..,o^inin2-'. ; 'poßs^^oh.v;of:,'.i---domment that don't belong to you, : .such, as i°?,°' lrt - yp«r paper: this* 1 morn- ', 18 tt ' property of tho Tramway Employees . Union,- and I 'WoUld rospectfully . ■th e ,publi c to note the' tac•tics, you ;rosort .to ; m .your oxti'otaely, Weak' offorte»to:.'fnrther. 'the X'andidatiiro'.of' MV ; , Aitken, who is. a, niember of . the -Board .of .Directors -of your journal, and ''which - is' .something superior, so far f ,s .influential holder conc ®^ne^ , ■ au , an ordiiary- share--merits of a, munictDal' can'didate addressing tho- trannvays employees I fe 'for: yp,,?-4I e ii. tion) that a- trade umcii, -such a:i t-ho Tram- " waysvUmon, -is; a : priva;to^Corporation owing n°:. allegiance• whatever to the- public, »nd - as l:?S a %.,antl -morally-entitfed to-' .. pernnt i any person or. persons;to be: present - at its. meetings,.-whenever^^ 'it: chob'seg,-; and , ■at, any,.placo;.it cho.oscs, without the inter--your..editorial- pcn',"or' any .dther. ,-lt is; to,- bo; regretted- that'!you'.;'afo ';'just •, • n . n ®,* e ' l ' n f?'.':/j'9!V'..^ l thiii your literary;,egg-' -, sheH;tp-.s^denly' i clisdoverrthat.,a municipal candidate has : the ..audacity to ; commit i 'tflfi;. serious .crime.-,of :addressing an' 1 intelli- i gent;body of municipal employees;iiad your political ,eyes _ beeh thoroughly' opeii Vou would .-be cognisant t of the faqt that' at tho i municipal elections of 1907 Mr. Hislop ' Mr ' Baylis, myselfi ■andv. othor candidates ' ad- ' dressed tho/ tramway employees: -regarding the. election, and ;I bolieve ]\lr. Barber did so on, o. previous;! occasion; but 'it 'in ohlv now. when, you aro up to' your neck in fight- ' "ig a hopeless'%ht oii behalf of a candidate 1 that has maliidmiiiistered" the affairs of .the C! F^o, e ; v^l lo - con ier.;,that' cost -the • city. £13,000; the, Kent. Terrace 'culvert ' bimglo^that,cost;,another:£7()o; -tho inferior original cars-that were imported, from Britam ;-the-oar ; that was specially obtained from America at a cost of £1400 for the conveyance .of the Mayo^and Councillors, , r„ n fL W 10 f ablio ■ J orl:s Department 1 refused to .for traffic, to say nothing of many other important matters I- could ; mention, that ; you suddenly discover thatit is next; door_to a' contravention •of th 6 ] Constitution of New Zoaland 'for a Corporation employee ,to; bo permitted to exercise '< a voice in tho best government of the' city, t and the manufacture of its lnws -and -bylawvthat ultimately be called, upon t a! V 0 ' n R 1 -V' i-c gr etta bl o day for this fair and young Dominion when ( your way of thinking is given offeit to by' ( tho Legislature.—l am, etc., (

W. 'J'. 1 YOUNG, • Secretary Tramways Employees Union. April 24, 1908. - ' • ;■ . ■ . ' Mh -iXprag's hurst of "candour" comos a little Into.. Now that his efforts to ovado disclosure nf tho fact that Mr. Hi<-,lo„ addressed a .private:.infecting of tho 'framwaysLmployccs.Union,,prior to tho. Union deciding to support his candidature, havo failed, ho . candidly, to use his own term, admits tho fact. But why did ho hide it un whai wo previously pressed him on tho'point? If he did not thmk;tho publio had the richt to Know,.then AVhy has ho "no compunction" in telling us; now? -If it,was common ■ property on Wednesday last, why did our question on the-.subject .'then ? What had tho Union and Mr. Hislop to' fear from exposure? His rambling statement-of how tho situation aroso has 110 bearing on tho principle involved, and is absurdly at variance with tho form of the notice convening

the meeting. l - 'As Mr. - Young's 'labbn'red story may confuse, tho-issuo, wo reproduce the notice' convening tho meeting, and ask -Our readers to decido for. themselves whether or not Mr. Hislop's address wa* tho unimportant • part of tho meeting Mr. Young would try and niako lis believo. read as follows: — ; y WELLINGTON TRAMWAYS EMPLOYEES' ' TJXIOX. '' ' ■■■■' , ,) SPECIAL MEETING < A SPECIAL. .EXTRAORDINARY MEET-.. ING of members of tlib Ti-ainfrays Union will be held at tho MASONIC HALL, Daniel Street, Nowtown, on GOOD FRIDAY mornuig at 10.o'clock sharp. •■ ' . ' . BUSINESS. (1) To receive further' progress report" of tho - Union Executive in regard to'conference respecting tho demands of the: Union. (2) -The Hon. Mr. T:, W. Hislop','Mayor,.will address members in regard, to ' the MAYORAL ELECTION; NOTE.—The Mayoral Election takes place on ;,■ AVEDNESDAY, April 29th. - All mom-- . bers of the Union should ondevour ,to plice.thcir : names on.the roll., . • ■ Every -member-,of .tho Union'whose'. V namo « on the roll should not forget to, ; " exerciso. his VOTE oil'polling' day. ■, , . ; Tho election of a Mayor effects the vital interests of eVcry man-in the trani- . '. ways: scrvico. . : . . .On behalf of- tho Executive, ■'• ;;V; v V :. W. Ti.YOUNG,' • (Common Seal,) • Secretary.

Why , all < this emphasis : on the Mayoral Election) and "the vital interests" in the , election of every man in the tramway.' service? .' . [ ' '[• But Mr. Young is merely '.trying'' ,tb smother-thojssup with irrolevancies. . His reference to oursurreptitiously obtaining possesion of the notice oonveiiirig '. the .meeting of the Union is.so much, nonsense, and is made the more ridiculous "by the' assciV . tioii ■or i-Mr.' Hislop that tile, matter Vivas ■ quite public/ The notico' camo into our handsin' a perfectly, proper way, arid Mr. Young's efforts to' cover up the disquieting exposure it Hag enabled us to mftkei. merfily ; ser.vQs. show, the weakness of his pcifeitibii'/--The"-plain facts, on ; Mr. Young's own- admission,'are (1) that Mr. Hislop, ill InV . anxiety to- win. th<j "Mayoral.'Election, endeavoured, ito . ' the ,votes of a,-Union ■ employees ' by .addressing a private meeting of'tlie 'members of that Union; (2);.. that that "Union pf' municipal employees, after hearing/.Mr. Hislop, decided; to siip- , port;him, and to actively assist,his'candidal ture. Mr. Y.oung, as secretary of tho Tram- . way, .Employees' Union, htay think tliid i& in- tfo/ intpreSts of his Unioii,; but'lie can ;hardly expect the citizen's as a'.whole jo believe, .that. it .is iu their interests. Wo have'already pointed; out the impropriety. of municipal .employees■"■'taking' an activo aiid organised. part in the' election 'nf the chief official of the official .wliosb first duty is to the city as a whole, and wh«,. if ho is to 1 d 6; that,duty, faithfully ;'arid 'witlu a, single eye to. the './interests' of the ; whole community, should be untrataiiriellcd by obligations to aiiy .SOTtion ■ of-interested persons.. Wo have' also expressed oiir astynishmbnt iat tho,action of ithe Maydi' which lays, him- open ,to the censure of all right-think-ing people. Wo' are firihly of opinion that not 6iilywill ,citizens generally resent the introduction of theso methods' into our pubhe life, bijt that'|ho great bulk oi.tho Labour, . Unions will', be ' equally Te's'oiitful' of the" conduct of -tiidir ft;llG\W^pianists;; oc't' WHICH TO CHOOSE. ' ' Y (To'.THR I'jDtTOE.) : ' V Or 'if two feasts\whereat. there's nought t<j 11 Fall on the srilf-Samo day-^-. ■ The:.-anxioUs.-sits^:rx*ach".invitation viq\Vs, , And V poiiders- whioh ■ to;,. take .and ' which -! y -;v,v fll ,T mh'nancy: stair; '. April 24, 1908. . , ;' . .... , , MAYOR AMD MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES. I, f . -.{T<j . tiib, EoxtobJ) "v, VC - ■ ! :was :yerjvinrfigriant"pn. taking lip,' 'my; paper-'this : mprnirig . to,; read, 1 , that, the tTramway'/;.Employees',■■ - % JJlu'oh-'".-waßbare-' facedly. supporting' 1 the'-.present -Mayor.' in-.his candidaturethat the secretary of the 'Union' i'was 'openly -.defending this joutvageoiis position; '.and that Mr.. Hislop 'did not seo tho gross impropriety of, accepting .art. invitation from' the Unioni to'address itsmembers ;'!' : iti regard t'o. the' Mayoral election."; In thy opinion,,,it is a scandal that the man: dlectcd ■to the highest,'position; ih; tlie..gift"of, the : •.citizens . should*'".u6o -: iMayor * to'Jdcfea^liis' dpbohbuts'Hy''ondd& r^Atiz'- 111 •-ing' to' induco tli'fi" 'the .tittrgeßsek'' ;to;;voto'-'.'in. liis-'(the•■■Mftyi()'f , B)rfat'oiir.^ f v , 'Until'' tlfis.,moment"l ■ Have been quiescent: as'regards thjs contest, but now my mind is- 1 mado up'to vote j agaitist tile man whose son so of fair play is so. deficient, and I call xipon 'fall .' fair-mindqei. 'Votprsto v show, 'thdii* condemnation- of . this indication.- of. ' what ■looks miglity.lika Tamm:'ny : ill the , Empire City by Vdting agaihst tho, lion. • gentleman who can thus act.—l.-ara; etc;/,,': A BURGESS OF TIIE CITY. Anril 2-1, 1909..

:XHE LABOUR TRUST AND THE CITY, r : ELECTION. : ffo tup. Editor.) . Sir,—Tho revelations that havo" como so forcibly to light during this contest for tho Mayoralty of:■ Wellington City and Council •Show clearly the enormous powor wielded- by tlio' -Trades and Labour, ••Trust ovef th<s. city by enabling tljiem alone to say who shall bo ..Mayor or Councillors; -and who shall not. The extension of the. municipal franchise dtrii ing vcceiit yoars to almost everybody iii the city," /together witlnthe .municipal' ownership ,of tramways, electric.lighting, and.presently, ;I suppose, the'gasworks, makes tile: mastery of tlio city by the Labour Trust.' pretty...well ! complete. At any : rftte, the .way things aro developing . under the ' management ot the City Council for the last fely years, tho Votos of tlie'/employecs': will very ' sooil outhtiiriber tlio' ratepayers' vote by two to one. What Sort of a show lias tlio ratepayer, 'or anyone olso gotp-r-Yours, et6»,' ■:.-• - . INDIVIDUALIST. - April 24. . ' ' ' SINKING FUNDS. . (To the Editor.) , : ; Sir,—From the Mayor's letter in your issue of v April .22, replying to mine of. April 20, it is.quite'evident as follows: — I. A cheque for tlio amount stated (£IO,OOO or upwards) was drawn; and presented to Mr. Martinfor his Signature, and that he declined to- 'sign.it.' * , ' 2. That within a short period' thereafter • Mr. Martin was removed from' his commissionership.'• ; . ' ' . ;3. That Mr. Aitkeii was appointed'in; his place.- ■ i : . _4. That this .cheque was presented : to Mr.Aitken, and that ho also-declined to sign it v o. That this ohequo was : signed- by'the Mayor. 6. That this cheque' iva's : for the-purpose Of taking up , the Hunter. Street loan or a portion thereof, and was purely an investment of a portion, of the City's funds in one of its own securities, logally or othorwise. Now, sir, 1 havo only olio further question to submit to Ilia Worship the Mayor, and this is, " Were any expensed incurred by tho City for procuring the monoy for tho Hunter Str.eot loan) and if so what was the amount paid, to whom was it paid, and for what.was' if paid?" . [With, regard to my former question, No. 2, the Mayor in his reply to Mr. Fisher proceeds to account for Mr. Martin's- removal as a commissioner of this sinking fund, and I vorituro to-assort- has,made an cx-parte states ,ment of t-he_ facts of the case, and with-his usual oSclusiveness evaded part of the issuo. Amongst other things I beliovo it is a factnotwithstanding Mr. ' Hislop's assertion, to tho contrary, that Mr. Martin never rofnsed to, act as a commissioner, and'gave very good and cogent reasons for the action he took. • the Mayor's, dubiousness as .to ..my. not. being, connected with Mr. -Fisher, 1 will make a further -demand ,upon; his credulity bv informing him that I: have' had the-privilege of a long.personal acquaintance with Mr. Martin, knowing him intijpatoly, yet ho has never once mentioned to mo or referred to this Hunter Street loan

matter: and knowing him so well, I'have known net-tor .than attempt to obtain from L m alI * v information lie did not choose to oiler. r . ' • ; The. .effect and practical results of the ; yQI X , bc ?t? t6nns ,J and the " highest re?V° *r w . a 3*or professes towards Mr,' Martin seem to mo to-be-such .that,.-.if. I were iVlr. Martin, I should cxclaim, u Oh, save me from such friendship and respect." —I am, etc., CITIZEN. . April 2i, 11903.' . BOROUGH OF MIRAMAR. i . ADDRESS BY THE MAYOR: ] Tho Mayor of Miramar (Mr. C. J. Crawford) addressed a" well-attended- meeting at Uobertshaws Rooms, Mirainar, last evening, Councillor J. Brodie taking tho chair --Mr. Crawford made it quite clear that if he had •occasion to criticise his opponent it . was hot iii any Way personal. • lie noticed tnat ) Mr. - Townsend took great - credit in eolthcction with the adjustment of accounts between the .Hutt County Council and the new .bOro'iigh, but, as a matter of fact, the transaction was- brought.to a successful cori- . elusion'. 1 by-: the .Town' Clerk, Mr. R: E. Bon- ■ 'Tho Hutt County Council put in a Claim- for-- £1500, but instead of this the borough received about £1000.' His opponent spoke of the tramways as being created absolutely by; him, but in addressing the Worser Bay residents in November,'l9o4, lie (the speaker) brought forward a scheme to cost £45,000, but "he did not 'advise that tho ; tramwaj-s should be proceeded'with then, as tho time was inopportune./ Ho handed the figures to. Mr. Townsend, telling him to : go ahead when the time was suitable,' but Mr. Townsend called the .scheme his own. His opponent stated that the tramways cost £43,000, but the actual enst was £sfyooo. He lilSo 'said that he' (Mr. Townsend) got frdm the land syndicates the sum of £22)000, but it was rejilly /£i3,500.; .'His opponent• also took credit ill' regard to the price of tho Seatoiin .tririiiel';beihg rkduded, but what actually happened was that the late Mr. M'Grath was' appointed to deal with' the matter. ' When lie; (the/speaker) became Mayor the finances were in a mudijlled' condition, and great liabilities were.... being'' incurred, ' the Coliiieildepending ' entirely, on the. bWik to: 'float' their,flebentiires :'as it saw fit, but''this was ' iin/.unsjitisfactpryarrangement. : Mr'. '. drawford;, then' proceeded to deal, with the .petal question, and "he explained' the positioiv in -regard to s his brother, Mr. A.. D. Crawford. The speaker stated that ho, mado : over ..tho whole, of- the qnarfying rights .to .his brother, who took over the plant, .etc.,. upon'a valuation, and lie paid the, /speaker* noi\rent at all, but his, brothor accepted-tho obligation of paying tho whole of the rates and taxes on tho lands • which wero held in partnership. The 'arrangement meant /that from whatever contracts his brother obtained, tho speaker got no. pecuniary-benefit,: and ilo money;, passed between them.' The, deeds of the'agreement were in his solicitors' office, and any ratepayer was-at liberty to go andsee . them. (Applause.) Statements were madp that -. Miramar South ..was- receiving roore expenditure of public A. money : th(in Miramar North, but the critics did iidt. think of the amount of money spoiit in the former district ..by... the • spoakcr and : his brother. During' the last. twelve months he. aiid'his • brother had bee.ii /spending large suhis on tho .roads, and 'it was,, said that tho gangs of men employed were -.working for and .paid by/the Council; Ho/did riot think that-this was ii fair sort of attack to make. No public inehev /had/befen spent in, either dig. triot which had not been submitted to the ; -arid.,approved, of. " Regarding -the rates,VsSSBOO. wjis;. collected, at' prosarit', l aiidhe anticipated-that with the new valuations tho rateablo value would be 1 trebled, but •he did not think-that tho/rates should be increased proportionately. / / (BY TEMiGnArn—PRE99 'Abbocutton.J , r _ ~ , , Cambridgo, 'Anril 24.' Mr. Inickland. has been ro-elcctnd Mavop' unopposed, for' the ' fourth. successive torni/ - Mi-.. Joseph .Pqtno has., been re-elected Major of for; ; a second yoar -unas 'his, only, opponent,' .Mr. i James Kerr, withdrew on Tlriirsday liight.