Evening Post TUESDAY, APRIL 5, 1910. THE MAYORAL CONTEST.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 79, 5 April 1910, Page 6

Evening Post TUESDAY, APRIL 5, 1910. THE MAYORAL CONTEST.

"It would be no advantage to the citizens to have the city made, in the smallest degree, a political engine," said Mr. C. B. Morison, chairman of Mr. C. J. Crawford's meeting last night ; and that is one of the chief reasons why we hope to «c« the elimination of the threatening political element in this Mayoral election. Mr. Morison went further, and set himself on ground which was not so easily tenable. "He would like to affirm the principle," he declared, "that no person in active politics should have the guidance of the municipal j-hip." We have no evidence that there is any necessity to affirm such a principle in New Zealand just yet. Local Koveriinient Ihmc ha* not the binnd of general party politiis n* in America, wlirro the iiiiuii* ipnl elections bip u«ually a fight for Miprema<y between RepubliiAt>» and Dfmorrats. Men h*v» their •idfii in nulional politic** wd *r» itiil

able to take part in municipal affairs without displaying party bias. Mr. Crawford, following the custom of candidates in their opening addresses, ranged over a wide area of municipal territory, and even made an excursion into the harbour. Hit speech may bo divided, roughly, into two sections : (1) Approval of projects already practically adopted by tho council ; (2) opinions on controversial issues. Under the first division, Mr. Crawford had praise for tho municipal milk improvement scheme, which has been cmi bodied in a Bill (referred to a committee of the House of Representatives last session). He also favoured the general principle of duplication of the Wainui main, a work of which tho necessity has been recognised for several years. He was not in favour of the city's acquisition of the gasworks, but it may be mentioned that thii question, by last year's agreement, has been put aside for some years. On the controversial side, he discussed tramways and recreation grounds. Very much of his doctrine about tho need of greater energy in the improvement of tho city's surroundings can be heartily praised, but we cannot see justi1 fication for his proposal that athletic bodies should have facilities for borrowing money from the Government 'to furnish themselves with playing fields. At present the Government has no loan funds for such 'so-called "luxuries" as public tramways, and can hardly be expected to lend a favourable ear to petitions for loans on behalf of .playgrounds. Mr. Crawford's remarks about the city's trams were likely to please the average user. He said that after allowing fully for interest, sinking fund, depreciation, and so on, any margin of profit should be given back to tho citizens in the shape of reduced fares. "Any margin of profit" is a vague term. The tramway finances were not in a buoyant condition, several councillors indicated, a few months ago, and though an improvement has come with the summer, it ia the duty of the management to be prudently beware of further concessions for somo time to come. Wo cannot quite follow Mr. Crawford in his statement about reclamation. Ho seems to believe that necessity did not demand the material alteration of a once pretty foreshore between Joint Jerningham and Petone, and it will be interesting to have more specific argument from him on this matter. His speech agreeably showed that ho had studied city affairs, and that he wished to bracket progress with prudence, but he has still to satisfy some curiosity about various policy matters which he broached. For example, his most specific utterance last night dealt with street maintenance and works, and he said he thought an improvement could be mado by m policy which would appreciably extend the woodblocking, and thereby reduce the charges for repairs, dust-laying, and so on. As an alternative, or as a supplement to a measure of wood-blocking, some system of tarring or oiling might bo adopted. On these and other heads, which are not all new to the public, it will be necessary for Mr. Crawford to get some figures. Naturally, he could not be expected to go into all manner of details in a comprehensive opening speech. The points which he mentioned will be sure to make tho public interested in a fuller exposition of Mr. Crawford's views on particular municipal subjects.