MAYOR DEFENDED

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 167, 11 April 1935, Page 20

MAYOR DEFENDED

Dr, Begg’s Comment on Council Discussion

Reference to the recent discussion in the Lower Hutt Borough Council concerning the honorarium of the Mayor, Mt. 1. W Andrews, was made at a New Zealand Legion meeting in Lower Hutt last night bv Dr R. Campbell Begg. He- said that despite the calumnies and cheap criticism levelled at the Mayor ne knew that the latter’s course had been honourable and, straightforward, and did him the greatest credit . Two months ago Mr. Andrews had told him he was not standing again on account of the expense, interference with business, and physical strain the office involved. On being asked to reconsider that he said he had burned bis boats by raising the question of the mayor’s honorarium, which bad to be passed before the election so that his successor would have better conditions to work under than himself. He (Dr. Begg) had to'd him that in his opinion no decentminded individual would misunderstand his position. Apparently he was wrong, continued Dr. Begg Reluctantly succumbing to pressure, Mt. Andrews’s zeal for local body reform induced liipt to agree to stand in this interest, but lie finallydecided it was better that he should not stand, and suggested other gentlemen who should lie asked. These all refused. and finally a deputation was called at short notice. Dr. Begg said he as a ratepayer was elected as chair-, man and urged the meeting to put a case which would remove some of the difficulties and perhaps induce Mr Andrews to stand after all. There - the position rested . What he said at that deputation was without Mr. Andrews’s prior knowledge or permission, and, indeed. Mi Andrews, deprecated any public reference to his own sacrifices “The suggestion seems tc have been made by a councillor that such positions are prizes for which men should bo prepared to pay ” continued Dr Begg. If, anyone felt their vanity tickled by basking in the rays of these petty offices they were welcome to any satisfaction they could get. In his viw the only candidate worth while was the one who offered himself for a public duty and did not care twopence whether a slogaii-and-propaganda-led democracy elected him or not. Mr Andrews was of that stamp He did not want office, but a large bulk of the citizens wanted him, and in the speaker’s opinion they were z lucky if they got him. He did not believe that Mr Andrews, if lie stood and was elected, would touch one penny of the increased amount of the honorarium. until all salaries and wages had been adjusted to a fait level by the incoming. council though the Local Elections Act might nrevent him from saying. To attempt to deal with that question in the old council was absurd.and savoured of electioneering. The honorarium an the other hand had to be dealt with by the old council If Mr Andrews had a fault it was that be was too sensitive to untrue and baseless calumnies and innuendoes-.-the common fare of public men. If he stood the electors would show in no uncertain "'ay what they thought of ’such criticism and would return him by an overwhelming majority as one of the st?aightest. most zealous and callable men in public life.