THE MAYORALTY.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 82, 8 April 1910, Page 3

THE MAYORALTY.

♦ MR. WILFORD'S CANDIDATURE. HIS OPENING ADDRESS. PLATFORM OUTLINED. Mr. T. M. Wilford opened his campaign for the city Mayoralty by addrecsing a meeting of electors at Fullford's Hall. Brooklyn I.M night. Mr. Bates presided, and theie were over a niiudred persons present, including a number of women. Mr. Wilford, who met with a cordial reception, Kaid he made no apology as a ratepayer of Wellington for trying to get the greatest gift that the ratepayer* could confer upon him. He regrettei the absence of Mrs. Wilford from Wellington, he said, and then went on to remark that this was the fifth time ho had endcavouicd to win the position he now sought. • Though always beaten, lie had iicwr been disgraced. (Applauxe.) Wellington now was in the process of full development. It had made a big start, end awaited the further touch which would complete its "development. H« was not going to let this bo a political fight, and if he became Mayor no political "pnll" would weigh with nim. Each sido must be represented fairly and honestly, and his supporters would ree to it with him that this was not made a political contest.' (Applause! 11 1 8 PLATFORM. After n reference to the apathy »o fiwjnently displayed by the rat?payers of Wellington, th« candidate said' he proposed to read his pl.itfoim, which was an follows :—: — (11 Advancing on pafe lines, having ie gara to the immediate interests and obligations already incuired. (2) Safeguarding the ratepayers by watching their every inteiest. (3) Giving an opportunity to tne ratepayers to decide whether the Fire Biigadß should be under the controt of the council or under the care of a board. In the latter case, a saving to the ratepayers of, approximately, £4200 per annum would take place, and, in my opinion, with just as efficient a biigade. (4) The setting aside yearly of such rums as may bo available in oi'de*- to repay these loans already incurred which have no sinking funds provided. (5) To provide" that all future tiam■way extensions be constructed on thp sleeper system, thus effecting an annual saving in the life of the rails. To invest yearly «t proportion of the depreciation fund of the tramways in a liquid arset, in order to provide the cash necessary for the renewal of track in Lambtonquav, Willis-street, and Manners-street. (7) To carry out the obligation* of the snburbs, and especially tne obligation incurred by the city in its loon proposals of the 11th October, 1907, in respect to providing drainage connections on the deferred payment system. (8) Th» completion of the nigh level pumping scheme for Roseneath, Newtown Park, and Wadestown. (9) The introduction of a permanent system charging the t tarn way returns with a part of the cost of the City Engineer a MipervisSon. (10) The expenditure of the gum of £59,000 at present in hand and unex- j pended out of the drainage vote author- ! »sed in 1907. Finally, the careful supervision of all i civic expenditure, so that when the re- I valuation of city leases falls in at the be- ! ginning of 1914* a reduction of rates may readily be granted without decreasing ] the annual amount available for expenditure on necessary vroiks. (Applause.) ! This wai. not lhr> time, in hi.', opinion, for expending huge sum* of money on tree-planting, but when they considered the nb.«ence of beauty spots he would tell them how to make one of the best. Charlotte-Mreet had to be widened. Let them open the old Government House Ground*, widen the paths, and light them at night, and they would have one of the most beautiful gardens that could be imagined. All they % »reded to do would i»e to remove iho old tin fence, and that would be a practical start in the beautifying of the city. (Applause. ) WATER SUPPLY AND DRAINAGE. Turning to the subject- of water supply and drainage, he *aid that a clean and healthy cftv whk an object of interest to them all. At present a new ieservoir was being constructed &\> Wainui-o-mata, at a cost of about £46,000. The chief point of the engineerr in recommending the class of dam now being const ruotod was that a less quantity of material was used, and there was, therefore, a lessening of the cost of transport. When completed, it would provide a- storage capacity of 120,000,000 gallons, which would make, with the present supply, a storage capacity for the city nl Wainui and Karori of 248.000,000 gallons. The trouble at the present time won that the thicknes* of tho waterpines had decreased, and that trouble could only be faced by tho duplica.tion of the mains. As the city grew the capacity of tlie pipes would be tested to their utmost ; at present the safe draw-off from Wainui wah only four and a quarter million gallons a day. Service reservoirs were being constructed in the suburbs, and in various outlying portions of the city, and there was no reason why, when the duplication of the mam was finished, they should not havo a supply which would be buffkietvt for the city for many years to come. As to the co-t of the duplication, he said they would prohably find that the estimate of £120,000 wai altogether extravagant. DRAINAGE. On the subject of drainage, he ga*e ] every praiae to the City Engineci (Mr. Morton), but he (Mr. Wilford) wanted to know whether tho connect ioim Lad been made on the deferred payment system, for which tho loan of £100,000 for the drainage of the snburbs was rai«*d. Ho ah>o wanted to know whether the deferred payment system had ever been refused. As to Drooklvn, the Lity Engineer informed him thal'Brooklyn would be connected nn m about six weeks, and the wholo of the work as far as Melrose was concerned would be completed by next summer. i LIGHTING. Regarding the Ga» Company, be asked what stopped the city from getting the electric light into more houseß than n< present? The difficulty was the initial j cont of installation, although the I light wab cheap when the installation was complete. He suggested that the wiring should be made on the deferred payment system, or the cost of the wiring added over n number of years to the cost per unit. (Applause.) THE TRAMWAYS. Dealing with other matters, Mr.. Wilford ppoke of the truniwavs, and uij<ed that quick facilities and" easy liaimit should be the dominant note of the council's polity. It seemed to him that we would soon lequiro v wholesale icnirangemeiit of the fares. He had tried to find what the revemu* wus for the Lyall B;iy extension, mi as to caititlute whether it was paying or not, but he had been unable to discover the amount. He thought that they ought to so keep their books that such an enquiry could be answered at any given moment. Up to this year, he went on to say, the depreciation fund of the tramways had been expended in increased capital construction, and he would look closely into thit vein's baUnc«-»h<«t to »«• if anj. thing had b«»n ipent in rinawaii, Th«y required to plact on oae tide a imall

sum yearly, t>o as to be available for j lenewul of track in Willie street, Man-ners-street, and Lambton-quay. Unless thtt was done they would bo in a very awkward position when that work became necessary. He fonnd that a good deal of the profit of the tramways was derived from the salo of electrical energy, and he thought it would be a good thing to keep that as a separate account, leaving a plain line between the earnings of the power-house and the earnings of the tramways. (Applause.) THE RATES. Was it possible, he asked, that by careful administration the rates . ould he reduced? One of the grcat^l assets of the city was the reclaimed land leases. The rent was fixed a long while ago, but some of tho leases were falling in shortly, and 'it was not an extravagant idea to suppose tlr.it the present rent of £6000 a year would be increased, on revaluation! to £26,000. That would be about a fourth of the general rate, and he urged, therefore, that, if they went along on careful lines, the ratepayers would have a light to ask fot n l eduction of rates when the lentr, from leases had mci eased to such an extent as he hnd suggested. (Applause.) CHAIRMANSHIP OF COMMITTEES. In conclusion, he said he did not thing be had 100 much to do — ha did not think he had nearly enough — but if he became Mayor he would resign his position as Chairman of Committees of the House of Representatives. He hnd never let his private work interfere with his public duties, nnd he would not do so in fctin-p. (Applause.) At the conclusion of his address the candidate was by acclamation accorded a vote of thanks and confidence.