CROWDED MEETING

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 119, 15 February 1944, Page 6

CROWDED MEETING

Mr. Appleton’s Candidature For Mayoralty COMMITTEES SET UP All seats and available standing room in the Chamber of Commerce Hall, Wellington, were occupied last night, while the overflow had to use the hallway, lor a preliminary meeting of citizens wishing to further the candidature of Mr. Will Appleton for the mayoralty. The deputy mayor, Mr. Martin Luckie, who presided, said it was the largest gatherin'- he had known for a preliminary meeting in either the municipal or Parliamentary electoral field. The attendance in the hall itself was 150, three-quarters being men. The meeting, on the motion of Mr. F. Whiteacre and Mr. S. E. Lambert, pledged iteelf to support Mr. Appleton, and all present formed themselves into a campaign committee. Cr. R. A. Wright advised them on the work of such a committee. Mr. Luckie said that the attendance, coming after the meeting of more than 100 which, asked Mr. Appleton to stnnJ, was most gratifying. He asked electors to compare the number with that which had waited on another candidate. It showed that the people wanted a change. It was neither right nor proper that the highest civic office should be the appanage of one man for as' long as he chose. The office was one to which every councillor of long service had the right to look forward. (Applause.) That pros-pect-—and he said thiB with the voice of at least 10 of the councillors —had been barred by the present mayor for at least seven or eight years. They were warned about changing horses crossing the stream, but if it were claimed that only one man could cross the stream it was a'poor compliment to the citizens’ selection of councillors, many of whom had served the city for years. Mr. Appleton had the time, ability, vision and experience required for the office of mayor in the important period which faced the city, and it was the opinion of a majority of the councillors that among them Mr. Appleton was the man best fitted for the mayoralty, Mr. Appleton said that the attendance and the enthusiasm told their own story of the general desire for a change. The mayoralty was an office which should rotate. In Mr. Luckie they had a councillor who had served for more than 30 years. Thej’ all knew what Mr. Luckie had done (applause) and he should have had the opportunity of the mayoralty. For Mrs. Appleton and himself he thanked those present 'for their reception of the tributes paid him by Mr. Luckie. If elected, he promised to take nd part in national politics because the position was one in which the occupier should be absolutely neutral. To abandon the political field in which he had long cherished ambitions would be q wrench but, if elected, he would gladly do it. It was, in fact, a matter for regret that national politics were so often introduced into municipal affairs. Broad Policy Outline. Mr. Appleton visualized the development of a greater Wellington, embracing up to Plimmerton and Kaitoke. Plans were, in trail), in leo-operation -.with the Government, to provide a water supply adequate to this expansion; fhe State scheme of thousands of houses in the Hutt Valley and Johnsonville-Porirua areas could, not eventuate without water* and drainage facilities.

He had closely studied transport abroad and advocated the gradual introduction of trolley buses with a, better petrol or Diesel bus service in the outer areas. He wanted, and had long sought, transfer tickets available on both buses and trams so that those living ‘off tram routes should not be penalized. Oneway traffic in the city’s heart, notably Willis and Cuba Streets, was the oniy feasible way to end the present congestion. This had been done in Sydney with George and Pitt Streets. On housing, he stood for co-operation with the Government plus the extension of the council’s scheme for intending private owners and small builders; he wanted to restore the small builder to his right place. He wanted Te Aro Flat and Adelaide Road cleared to make way for communal flats at lbw rentals for the use of elfferly people and the unmarried of both sexes. He had seen this done overseas and it could be done here. There was no question about it, being a good financial proposition. They must have homes as a first essential to family life. down planning must be speeded iip. to meet- post-war developments. A biueprint was badly needed for Wellington’s needs up to 50 or 100. years ahead. On the civic centre question an open competition of architects and town planners throughout Australia and New Zealand and, if need be, farther afield in the Empire, would produce the best ideas of today s leading designers. He stood lor tepid baths on the Clyde Quay area, with slipper baths and the amenities of modern bathing centres. Open spaces must be preserved and more open spaces provided for the. youth of the city. Street, footpaths and tram track maintenance had slipped badly. This was not the fault of the council or its officers, but ,the job must be tackled. As works committee chairman he had advocated reserve funds to overtake arrears of work when labour and materials were- available. This committee had been starved for funds, increased costs for other council activities having been found at its expense. His four sons were in the forces and his wife had played her part in war activity. (Applause.) He felt that, wilh/her, they were the right people to lead the city in development that was important to'the men now away, those who had returned, and the whole community. These committees were then set up to further Mr. Appleton’s candidature:— Campaign committee, all present; finance, Messrs. W. McLay, E. A. Allen, H. R. Searle. S. E. Lambert, G. Sutton, D. Woodfield, W, J. Rodger; publicity, Messrs. V. M. Simpson, P. Partridge, E. A. Clark, H. Scott. E. Whiteacre; women. Mesdames J. Martin. A. McVicar, J. Hendren. W. S. Murray, P. Mills. E. J. Maynard, J. Thornley. J. Henderson, H. Sclineideman, A. T. Ward, J. Wilson, M, Scaihmell, Misses B. Cable, L. Hayes, and Joyce.'