THE MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS

Evening Post, Volume LXI, Issue 85, 12 April 1901, Page 2

THE MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS

MR. DAVENPORT. AT THORNDON. Mr. R. , H. Davenport, a candidate f or » seat in the City Council, addressed the electors in the Primitive Mefchodist Schoolroom, Sydney-street, last night. Mr. T. Carmichael was in the chair. There was only a moderate' attendance. The candidate claimed that he possessed the intelligence, energy,' and busi,4fls» knowledge which would "enable him ttojfo good work' if elected to the Council. He. did not think that the city finances were in a satisfaotory state. The fact that there were outstanding rates to the amount of £13,000 was. much to be regretted. Those people who owed rates and had not paid them should be compelled to pay up if they were in a position to do so. " He held that it was a mistake to ask the ratepayers to vote for loans every now and then. The Council should find out what was required, and ask the ratepayers to vote for loans every now and then. The Council should find out what was . required, and ask the ratepayers to give it authority to borrow all the money at the one time. He advocated the improvement of the water supply. He did not think tho City Council should un-' dertake to carry the tramway out to Island Bay unless it secured a quid pro quo from the Melrose Borough. Before, the Council began to- lay down an electric -tramway it must engage an- engineer with speqial training, otherwise the system might not prove a success. He would approve the purchase of Miramar if the cost of making it suitable for ocoupation was not too high. A Town Hall was wanted, and it would pay us to have a good one. Be was satisfied that £48,000 would not cover the cost of widening Adelaide-road. A mistake had been made in not widening Fraser'sImio before the recent erection of houses there. He was certain that if the crown of tho roadway in Willis and Manners streets were altered the gas and other pipes would be rendered much more liable to accident than at present. Reorganisation of the Corporation staff, w,as imperative. The Publio Library could be made much more useful if a lot of Tubbish now' in it were replaced by .works of a better class. ' If elected he would do his best to get the Council to beautify the city. - • On the motion of Mr. ' Blackwood, seconded ; by Mr. Clark, a vote of confidence in Mr. Davenport was passed unanimously. In Jiis address at the Victoria, Hall last night Mr. Allan Orr, a candidate for a seat in the City Council, laid stress on tho importance of making the Botanical Gardens more attractive to the public. He promised that if elected he would not rest until he had induced the Council lo make the Gardens a thoroughly popular resbrfc. He strongly advocated the adoption of the rating on unimproved values. A vote of confidence was agreed to. In another' column Mr. Edwin Arnold informs those ratepayers who asked Inm to contest a seat in the City Council '.hat he cannot at present spare, the time to accede to their request. He hopes to place himself at their service later on.