CHRISTCHURCH NEWS

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 October 1928, Page 4

CHRISTCHURCH NEWS

CITY COUNCIL VACANCY.

(Special to "Star.") CHRISTCHURCH, October 1. Mr R. B. Owen, who has been prominently connected with river improvement activities in Christchurch for a number of years, stated this morning that he was seriously considering the question of offering his services as an independent candidate for the vacancy on the City Council, caused by the resignation of Mr G. R. Hunter. “Several requests have -been made , to me to stand for the Council. While it seems scarcely worth while contesting the seat for six months only, I feel there are many matters of great importance to the city under consideration at the present time, and my services may be of some use, although if elected, I would keep quite independent in party politics,” said Mr Owen. “What I feel to-day,” he added, “is that the city needs men who will look ahead for the city’s future requirements, and advance progressive • ideas.”

Among the matters in which he is keenly interested are the riverside boulevard scheme, town planning, improvement of reserves, and reading scheme. These are all matters calling for the closest consideration, as they have an important bearing on the future of the city. In the past, said Mr 'Owen, he had steered clear of both parties on the Council, as he felt that the work and service which he could render to the city demanded that he should keep clear of party and go right out for the progress and betterment of the city. He rather deprecated the Mayor’s references to Independents. The statement that, “so-called Independents are men who 'haven’t got the moral courage to declare their opinions, or else they want to run with the hares and hunt with the hounds,” was, said Mr Owen, a remarkable one for the Mayor to make. “I take it,” he added, “a man who will not dance to the tune of any party or move at the crack of the whip, is not deficient in moral courage. My feeling Is that I can be of some service to this city. A very large number of electors are tired of [party politics, and I believe the city is ready for some progressive movement.”

Mr Owen was an unsuccessful candidate for the City Council at the Municipal elections in 1923, which were held under the proportional representation system of voting. FISHING SEASON OPENED. Midnight last night saw the opening of the river fishing season in Canterbury. At the Selwyn there was a crowd with rods, but the success generally was slight. The best bag recorded was one of five fish, but they were not of any great size. One angler states that he has never before seen so many rods put on the opening day. The Waimakariri was also visited by an unusually large number of fishermen, but there also was little success, the best bag being four, fish, averaging two pounds. The Waimakariri is reported to be full of fish this season, so everything points to a good year. The smaller streams, which are mainly fished with fly, were 1 not so crowded, and the bags were small. So far as conditions went, last night was almost ideal.

CR. HUNTER’S RESIGNATION.

CHRISTCHURCH, October 1.

The City Council to-night accepted with regret the resignation of Councillor Geo. Hunter. In the letter of resignation, Mr Hunter made no. reference to the question of coal, but the Mayor, Rev. J. K. Archer, in a statement a few days ago, explained that the city had been using coal supplied by Mr Hunter and his partner, Mr P. C. Webb, who represent a party of co-operative miners at Point Elizabeth, but that this coal had been sold to the City Council through a third party, Mr Mayo, who, in turn, had bought from Messrs Hunter and Webb. The Mayor also stated that Mr Mayo, having' no bank account, had used Messrs Hunter and Webb’s account for banking facilities. The non-Labour Councillors pressed for an enquiry into the circumstances of the coal contracts. They were outvoted by the Labour majority by ten votes to five. It. was stated, however, in the course of the report of an officer of the City Engineers’ Department, that the Point Elizabeth coal had been obtained by the Council for 11/- per ton cheaper than the coal the Council had previously used.