NON-PARTY BASIS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20547, 6 May 1941, Page 6

NON-PARTY BASIS

MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS CANDIDATE’S PLEDGE OPPONENT CRITICISED MR- N. H. BULLS ADDRESS A pledge that he would conduct the affairs of the borough without reference (o party politics, giving every issue unbiassed consideration and every man’s views a reasonable hearing was offered by Mr. N. 11. Bull, Citizens’ Association candidate for the Gisborne Mayoralty, in an address in the City Hall last night, which opened his campaign for election. The attendance was fair, despite the unpvopitious weather, and Mr. Bull’s remarks centred mainly upon such issues as the provision of a secure wa'er-supply for Gisborne and the need for thoroughly business-like supervision of finance. He criticised his opponent, Mr. D. W. Coleman, M.P.. for his alleged failure in both respects, and also took up other matters in which he claimed the sitting Mayor had failed the electors. Presiding, Mr. M. -J. White stated that he had not expected a large attendance, since he agreed that it-was hardly the time for the holding of local body elections. There was too much at stake in the Empire ,for people to give their full attention to such small matters. However, the powers-that-be had ordered that an election should be held, and it was his duty to introduce the candidate of the Citizens’ Association for the Mayoralty, Mr. N. H. Bull. Gisborne-born Candidate The chairman also spoke briefly upon the objectives of the Citizens' Association, which stood for non-party control of -civic affairs, and a continuing interest in civic affairs between election periods. Speaking of the candidate, Mr. White referred to his having been born in Gisborne, and added that it was satisfactory to have a Gisborne man as a candidate for the Mayoralty, and especially satisfactory to have a candidate of the calibre of Mr. Bull. (Applause.)

Opening his address, Mr. Bull expressed satisfaction with the attendance. and noted with pleasure that his political opponents were represented among the audience. He was conducting his second campaign for the Mayoralty, and he recalled his earlier campaign with much pleasure. He had been beaten, and had taken the defeat, he thought, as a.candidate should. On. this occasion he would have to meet criticism and would do so: he would also have to offer some criticism of his opponent, and Mr. Coleman would have to accept that criticism and answer it.

“Parish-Pump” Politics Deplored

It was regrettable at this time, when the nation was fighting for its existence, that attention must be claimed for “parish pump” politics. If the Government of New Zealand had followed the lead given by the Prime Minister of Great Britain, Mr. Winston Churchill, and had formed a truly National Government, there would have been no need for general or local elections. However, the authorities had directed that local body elections should take place, and it was the duty of its critics to contest that election.

He had been astonished to learn that Mr. Coleman did not propose to take the public platform for this Mayoral election, said Mr. Bull. He had thought it obligatory on the part of the holder of any elective position of such dignity to give an, account of his stewardship at the close of his term. He ventured to believe that Mr. Coleman would yet take the platform to answer the criticism that he must level at him. No Party Pledges Given The speaker appealed to the citizens of Gisborne to value at its right weight the privilege of the franchise, and to go to the poll and register their votes. He strongly deprecated the intrusion, of party politics into local affairs. The public did not want party politics, which obliged a man to sink his own opinions and become a marionette worked by the strings of party. There was no party taint in the organisation of the Citizens’ Association, he claimed, its one function being to bring together all who wished to work for the benefit of the town as a whole.

He personally was pledged to no political party, and to no man or group of men, said Mr. Bull vvith emphasis. He did not believe it a function of any civic body to admit anything savouring of politics, and he would resist any such incursion. (Applause.)

Mr. Bull produced a copy of a leaflet setting out the policy of the Labour Party’s nominees at the 1938 municipal elections. The greater part of the promises, he said, were those which any civic body would have to give attention to. The only real'issues raised in the leaflet were those of the water-supply and the promise of a women’s rest-room. He said that he would deal later with the water question. For the meantime, he would draw attention to the fact that the women of Gisborne would have their rest room, but by the generosity of a private benefactor and not by the action of the Gisborne Borough Council, and not through the action of Mr. Coleman.—(Applause and laughter). Water Supply the Main. Issue Mr. Bull then outlined his own policy with regard to civic affairs, and pledged himself that all men in the council's employ would receive a ; fair deal whether they supported him ior not. He recognised that there was jone great issue on which money must 1 be spent, that being the water supply, j Nevertheless, the rating burden had i almost reached the high-water mark, and it was necessary to scan closely I any proposed expenditure of public funds. One thing he was sure of, he was that the public should have [the fullest information on all proposed developments. He had endeavoured to follow that principle when he was last ■on the council, though he had often [been in a minority.

"We must admit that for a time Gisborne went on a wonderful loanmoney ‘drunk,’ and no doubt it was necessary to raise loans to get started with civic amenities,” continued Mr. Bull, “The trouble is that the sink-ing-fund arrangements were entirely inadequate, and it will take a further 25 to 30 years to pay off loans raised

to pay for assets which are already exhausted.”

Opponent’s Mayoral Record

The town still had to pay for new amenities, too, and he had been called a Jeremiah for saying so. Sound economic administration was called for and he regarded it as one of the strong points in his platform.

The candidate turned then to a discussion of his opponent’s record in the Gisborne Mayoralty. Since 1927, he said. Mr. Coleman had received £2500 by way of honorarium from the people of Gisborne. What had he done, in return for the money? asked Mr. Bull, who supplied a reply that very little had been done. The one outstanding issue during the 10 years Mr. Coleman had held the Mayoralty was the provision of a good water supply. I-low far had the council, under Mr. Coleman’s leadership, got with that issue? In 1935, Mr. Bull said, Mr. Coleman produced his scheme for filtration from the Waipaoa River, which he estimated to cost £2BOO a year. The actual figures showed that it would I cost about £IO,BOO per annum. Then | there was the proposal to establish a , pilot plant to test the scheme, and it was through the activities of the socalled laymen’s water committee that the faults in the scheme were laid before the public. Before the Health Department’s medical officer’ “put the final kibosh” on the scheme, it had cost £IOOO for the experiment, and six years of valuable time, too, had been wasted. Gravitation an Essential Factor His own view on the water question tion, said Mr. Bull, was that filtration was done. He believed that the scheme now advocated by Mr. Clapcott was a sound one, and well worthy of close examination. It was based on gravitation, which was one of the few costless features of public works. The so-called water committee also had supported Mr. Leslie Reynolds’ scheme to impound 60,000,000 gallons of water by dams in the Waingake area. The thing to be done now was to decide which of the gravitational schemes was the better, and to proceed with that which proved, economically as well as from the engineering point of view, most attractive.—(Applause).

The candidate warmly criticised Mr. Coleman's conduct of such public affairs as those of the district patriotic council, the emergency precautions service, and the Home Guard organisation. These organisations were surely worthy of the warmest interest and support of the Mayor, said Mr. Bull, yet he had been conspicuous by his lack of interest and want of that ardent support which might have been expected of him. His record of attendances and other activity on these three issues would fully justify the criticism, Mr. Bull declared. “One Man One Job” Principle

The candidate concluded his address with an analysis of his opponent’s attitude on the Labour principle of "one man one job." Mr. Coleman was not a worker, he said, but a capitalist! He had had a lovel> ride on the back of a loyal party for many years. Now it was time for the electors to “take him for a ride," and they would have the opportunity of doing so on May 17. He closed his address amidst applause, and questions were invited. Only one question was forthcoming, from an inquirer who asked whether any accounts had been published by the council in respect of "the Waipaoa mudhole.” The candidate replied that he had seen no such accounts.

Mr. J. E. Benson proposed a vote of thanks to Mr. Bull, the motion being seconded by Mr. J. Williams, and carried by acclamation. A vote of thanks to the chairman was proposed by Mr. Bull and also was carried unanimously.