HUTT MAYORALTY MR. BALDWIN'S INITIAL ADDRESS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 74, 28 March 1914, Page 9

HUTT MAYORALTY MR. BALDWIN'S INITIAL ADDRESS

NECESSARY WORKS FIRST. ' About 25 persons gathered at St. James's Hall, Lower Hutt, last evening to hear th« first address of Mr. H. Baldwin, who is contesting the Hutt Mayoralty at the coming election. Mr. F <le .7. Clare occupied the chair. In opening his address, Mr. Baldwin made* it plain that he was not. going to promise any great . things in order to get votes. Lower Hutt was hot in ( a position to carry out extravagant workP. Referring to finances, th« candidate stated' that, in looking over the last balancesheet, he found that the total revenue was £10,000. Taking' the actual 'pxpendit'ua *or the necessary works ir> the' borough, he had found them to be £7000, which, it would be seen, only left £30pd to come and go on. Mr. Baldwin next touched upon the contribution to the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, and iilso mentioned that the borough would be called upon to bear, a portion of the cost of tbe Hutt-road. They could not expect any great works in the borough, he continued, unless they were able to cut down the expenditure on necessary ■works. One of the'first things that neeiJwl consideration, in order to do that, ■was the cost of administration. Wlnui the present Mayor (Mr. E. P. Buiiny) took office five years ago there was a. great cry about the cost of administration, and tha council at that time was letting money go- as through a sieve. H* thought it was the duty of the councii to see that the cost of administration should be cut down by at least £300. Continuing, Mr. Baldwin &aid that all houses should be connected up with the sanitary scheme. Referring to Toads, bf said 'that the roads in most other districts were much better jfchan those in Lower Hutt, which were not fit for ImckbJockfi. In 1909, Mr> M'Donald (then Mayor) had promised than roadways like billiard tables, but, personally, Jhe had not "seen them yet. The foofc•paths, too, were very bad, and he tbjOUght -the 'council would do veiy well by taking a leaf out of the school rommittee's book by laying down proper asphalt. In regard to' the gas supply, the speaker traversed the negotiations between the Petone and Hutt Councils, ' and mentioned how the former had been frightened by the threats of the Hutt Council to procure its own • gasometer unless the price were reduced. They had secured a reduction, but the price was still too high. He also criticised the cost of the administration of gas, which, he said, was too great, and required looking into. The candidate next referred to Dr. Purdy's criticism of' the action of the Hospital Board in purchasing ten acres of land in the Knight estate for the proposed hospital. "That transaction," remarked the speaker, "must not be laid at the door of the present board, as that body was in no way responsible for it." The present board, he added, had only been in office for four years,. and the transaction was made some ten years ago. As to contributions, they could not expect these to be other, than high, when they took into consideration the vast improvements carried out at the hospital, and also the tremendous increase in the number of patients. • The speaker said he was in favour of a motor-bus service, but was averse to interfering .if private enterprise proved satisfactory. Mr. Baldwin strongly advocated the erection of council chambers, and concluded his address by referring to the widening of Victoria-street. Something, he, contended, should be done at this part of the borough as soon as possible. At the conclusion of his remarks, Mr. Baldwin was accorded a vole of thanks.