THE HUTT CONTEST.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 799, 23 April 1910, Page 6

THE HUTT CONTEST.

SPEECH BY MR., RUSSELL. Mr. W. H. Russell, candidate for the Lower ' Hutt Mayoralty, replied last evening to the remark's of his opponent in the contest, Mr. E. ; P. Bunny, made at a. previous meeting. Mr. T. H. Wil;son was ohairman, and a large number, of ratepayers were present. Mr. Russoll said that Mr. Bunny,' in.his address, had ."baulked at some of, tho jumps." He had evaded several points on .wKich he had been criticised, and, in regard to tho oonsulting engineers and their bill of costs for the £52,000' loan inquiry, he had refused to answer questions put.to him at the meeting. Those questions, said Mr. Russell, ought to have been answered. In liis endeavour to obtain/-..support, Mr Bunny had attacked the speaker's figures ehowing the financial position of ■the borough. His' opponent had '■, said that his own figures, taken from the x balance-sheet, were the only correct ones, but ie (the speaker) had obtained the figures laid before the council on February 23, which were almost as complete, and quite ae accurate. Mr. Russell went into a detailed criticism of the administration of the borough affairs during the past twelve months, with Sir. Bunny as Mayor. He said that, if elected, he would go ■ carefully into the matter of the,gas supply. He* felt that the ratepayers were not getting the full benefit of the reduction in price granted by Petone.' It would be his endeavour to bring about increased consumption, and reduce the retail price. Mr. Bunny had practically admitted that the rates had gone up, and the speaker charged him with having increased them. There was certain expenditure that had to bo made from time to time in order to avoid trouble, and ultimately to bring down the rates. The present council had not followed out that policy—for example, they had "starved" the streets. Mr. Bunny had not replied to questions about the £53,000 loan, and why? Because there was another loan, the recent £10,000 loan, voted for. the purpose of completing the drainage works, and, ratepayers would certainly have asked about that. Mr. Russell said that, if elected, that £10,000 would probably not be required until about September, whence would call the ratepayers together. The candidate deprecated the engagement of consulting engineers in regard to the works of the borough, and expressed the opinion that payment of the fee of the consulting engineer, together with the wages of his foreman of works ; would result in a debit, in spite of the fact that £150 was being saved on the engineer's salary. Mr. Bunny had stated that the total amount of the consulting engineers' account was £78 12s. Cd., whereas the speaker had given the amount as £205. Mr. Bunny had not" included the sum of £105 odd, paid for plans for the eastern drainage scheme. It had been one of Mr. Bunny's most cheerful statements that the councillors and he had had a year free from any disruption. The reason had been that councillors had felt that they could not take sides one way or tho other. At the close the candidate answered a number of questions on borough matters. -.;■■