MR. BOLTON AT NEWTOWN.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 81, 6 April 1909, Page 4

MR. BOLTON AT NEWTOWN.

Mr. F. G. BnlLon addressed a meeting of citizens at St. Thomas's Hall, Newtown, last night. There was an attendance of between forty and fifty. Mr, Reuben Morrish look the chair. Mr. Bolton asked his hearers to remember that in casting their votes it was their duty to consider not who was most flippant on tho platform, not who could crack the finest joke, but who could best administer the affairs of the city. An attempt had been made to belittle his past performances, but he desired to say that in all his previous contests for public positions he had been defeated only once. That was in the case of the Wellington North electorate, and in that he put up a strong fight and got into the second ballot. He asked the audi.7 ence' to remember nis services on various local bodies, and' -the 'fact that he had made a success of his own business. After (ji'iticibing Councillor Fisher's position as n member of the Finance Committee which brought down the loan proposals recently rejected at a latepayers' poll, Mr. Bolton asked how could Councillor Fisher assert, as he did now, that the city could get along without loans ? He was on the horns of v dilemma. As to Dr. Newman, that gentleman claimed to have been studying municipal polities fur the many yeai& since he was last iv the council. Thu sole result, as disclosed by his speech, was a pldn to plant ticca and shmbs on Mount Victoria and to provide mechanical street sweepers for Wellington — which the city already possessed, as the Evening Post of Monday had shown.

Mr. Bolton elaborated his constructive policy as outlined in last Saturday's report of his opening speech. It seemed to him that too much had been paid for the tramways, seeing that some of the construction had proved to be faulty. The electric light purchase was another undertaking that was bought too dearly. He understood that of five engines purchased there were two which, proved so costly to work that they had been put on one side, previously, practically as scrap or possibly to be sold to some unwary borough. The allowance of 2| per cent, for depreciation on the tramways was absurdly small ; it should be 5 per cent., or even 7jr per cent. If that were allowed there would be an annual deficit. A proper system to cope with the traffic and to collect the revenue wherever it was available would make the tramways self-supporting and obviate any need for retrenchment. H« had nothing against the present employees, but an expert manager was required. He put to bis audience that this suggestion was his own. If any of his opponents adopted it the case would be one of ""imitation and flattery." He was in favour of establishing municipal markets as soon as possible, but he would be averse to lotting any of the stalls in them to an Asiatic. Municipal markets should be for white men only. He was of opinion thai the Town Hall, as the property of the citizens, should not be used on Sunday for the purposes of making money. The 'entertainments sßould be for charitable purposes only. He favoured the acquirement of the Hutt Park for the benefit of Wellington city and suburban sportsmen, and he believed it could be done with advantage to the- sports bodies that would use it, the controlling bodies of the park, and Wellington city. (Applause.) The sinking funds of the city were inadequate. Wellington city owed nearly two millions of pounds, but there were £246,324 of the loans not covered by sinking funds. That meant, probably, that posterity would have to pay. If elected, he would make it his business to see that for every loan there was adequate provision made for future repayment. A vote of thanks and confidence was accorded the candidate.