MUNICIPAL ELECTION.

Grey River Argus, 27 April 1910, Page 5

MUNICIPAL EL ECTION.

MR. RUSSELL'S ADDRESS.

i^Here :w^||^jiadkedliall at the Town H^U r last e^3ii^g, ; wlien; Mr Alfred vßus--6e^. a . v %ri" . the Mayoralty, adjf^essed the; Electors. In the unavoidable ; absence of Hon Mr Guinness. M^Xames l£err occupied the chair, and : briefly introduced the' : ajej keY. >;|;i ''-. THE FIREBELL. / Mjr Russell in opening his speech stated|'ihat a friend had placed in- his hqilfls a letter stating that the fire- ; beilEwould be rung between 'eight ;md -niiie' o'clock to break up his meeting. He. had acquainted the . police so that ■:,-■ the schemes of the clique would mott probably he 'defeaitedi: - ' : ; ' ' ; ; JBiB OPPONENT/ His opponent, Mr Coates, had repeated'y stated Ythafc he had no intention of contesting^he election, but at a Afeeting at Giesek ing's Hotel he was forced to. He stated tire* Mr J. D. Lynch was at the, bottom of the whole matter. (Applause);- .; -" Mr ' ; Coates wanted to , r 4peak at' his meeting .but the catidldatesiated that Mr Coates' clique wgs*';up to all sorts of tricks and might do'l as was done when his opponent jutfaped ihto another man's shoes. (Applstjise). ■•>'■' . '% A COUNTER ATTRACTIONS. r JM wag a well known 'fact that . his ' opponent was a partner of the picture' shows, and a free show of pi<c■s&? was to. keep , the people; away afr Blaketown. This was a mean and^ contemptible action on the part of^ c Kis opponent:" , ..... MANNER. ". 3© Russell' stated that he had been accy sed b s y Mr Cqateci of . not being i a \ spp ; rt>m refusirigf him the i priviiegefof: liisl platform.'" He said; he would like to ask what sori of a sport Mr Coates vas.-whenr. hje'jnmped into a position that ' wc&,:;renderea vacant by a true sport. ■£„[■ :■•'•": He said Mr Coates, wa.j« brought out by Mr J.T. Lynch. If the coal contract was .shifted Mr Lnych would lose a great deal; • :The public . would not .tolerate Mr J-.D. Lynch, yet he seeked to hide? behind Mr Coates who had f little: backbone. He was right out against, crush {men as. J. D. Lynch, who w-ere .ever ready to get the best of the ratepayers. Thi election really decid- ; ed who sh'otild be i Mayor— Lynch (not Mr Coates)' or Russell. : ■ -V.v .;;;;;}QUESTipNS. • Mr Brown; If elected would you be 3n favour of calling tenders for carting coal i^' the gaqworks? . Mr Russell said it should have been in this -year's schedule but it was not. He /flavoured calling .tenders of, all works. ,'.. '- ! "', .''' ,v "■■'•.'" ■' •• ' :"' .Mr J.} Vile: Are you in favour of getting a weighbridge for the Coun- . oil's use? c . j+t Mr Russell.: Yes. Two years ago ""•there was #^ resolution on the Council's " books: to that eff^dt. . ' '^"^Mr ; Clnirin j If elected' : woiild :you lJjbfev in ;f avourri of, • jßrnpioying i Chiriese . labour in the Council? - 'Mr Russell,; i I shouJd say not, and have never /employed Chinese yeti Mr: Brou^j- Are you in favour if "retur|ied>. of iising your influence to , get a- railway, Riding' at the gasworks? .- / - Mr Rufrfsel:, It would be a great say. ing to, th^town. At the present time no one knew, what amount of coal came to, the {gasworks. The manager himself did riot, know what weight of coal came;, in favour of it. Mr; Skoglvtrid : Are you in favour- of the present loan, proposals? Mr ;Russeii ■:- No, -Not in their pre■.&W|t * fophlvi;; : '■■'■, ' Mr }Bro^;n; >Are you in favour of employing oiily native born _ men on the Council. : ' Mr RusSell: I prefer getting the beet men. : '/• "*;■■■; .;^:V ; ■,■-••--/ • -• ■ Mr Ashtoh rf If • returned would : you }^ in ;fayourf:pf clearing the bush on the Recreation "Ground? Mr Russ>U-S It was simply a ques- • tion of mbije^ ; Mr Gittbs : -if returned will you be in favour of collecting iaJl outstanding 'rates?'/ ■.-.'■ '■';■■■■■':..', ' ■' \ . ■"■';■■ Mr Rustbll ; Yes ! And; start on tne Councillors first. „ M#^GEO: sWeETMAN. Mr Gjeorge :m addressing the large^audience said; ]ie dec - ed to itaM^ solely ;ih tlie interests of the raitepayerr., :He had no axe to • grind, ahd ; was out to do his duty. If -elected .the ratepayers wou 7 d have no reason,. to regret. their choice. He asked them all to record their vote in his favour. MR CORTES AT BLAKETGWNThe BlakiEstown Schoolhouse was packed to ths , 'doors last night when Mr Coates delivered- a fhort address. He eaid that having, to meet Mr Massey, the Leader of the Opposition, it had been impossible to fix ah earlier ; hour. After briefly touching on general matters Mr Coates s'ajd the question of Native .Reserves w^t : of far greater importance to tlieinahd their children than, they thought, end Mas to be placed- before gas. works loans or^ any-, thing else. To-night Mr Massey had told Him that he felt sure that one of the first question.' 1 which. would be conBi'dered by Parliament would be that of the;. Native - Reserves. Other parts of New Zealand were in a ( somewhat, eimilar-^pli^ifc to Greymouth. He quoted a case as an illustration, Last.'.tv'-epk -a, le^seVliad fallen in nf . a nmaU' vs6^tioin '.of gr'oiind' in .Mack^y St. Grigiitklly : £7 rent; was paid for . A this up tiit*a"'--montii ; ;.'-g\go' and notice jiist^ Se^' iservedw tliat for the next 21 yearS'-reftfc{"wii ;be ;£2l. ' : If native ;reiits ; ' are^- put np, the V( rough/ratesialso gr> :iip ;go ;that ' J\e 1 vr-i den «vei>tualil^ Jails on 'tlie, tenant pr ; d finally" the • consumer .^it! -'.wfir/ .therpfore a, vital^.question iiyith everyone in. the pkce> vi^e. -Want : ihe: Goverrtnieiit I to gell the ' Native reserves to theK«"ir ough ajid th»B... Borough- to 'lease j lie ground to' the people. ' 'Several gentlemen ,whom : the peopTe; .-,of •-.■Greyinouth" thought: would btfef' their services -as Mayor Rand here h^might'fii'y ."^fa.ti •:!*■ . iwas rfo; sinecure of a . .p^sitign)/ had : not responded and; "when* it! was known jfchey woifldi 1 not 6tand, several gentle' j

men with very t large .^interests in the place requested jiimY jto seek re-elect- -) and he considered that he was quite justified in co^un^iprwiird especially in view of the t: 'fa^tha,t the Native Reserves question v iooihed so largely, in view. He,, that his opponent ;')vas! £(oifc a^ to deal with it7;. : ',^^^ l ii^ader';.;olf'| Opposition ie ?n tq\vh . o^J^J^^e' will be shown^ oveit ; . the .^eas^^id^ill be able to rStu^^.Parliarneri^i.wi^ti a>^ person- . t. 1 khoVT^dge^of Hh^^ siitr'atjoJJ ; •• TNliti-r'^ardrto, expendi£t^e 6h '^orlcs : t 'whSjv^iMcliite^rot; fbr|;ia[^ : ;-mah to prpmi^e^r'^ad^, bridges' '>n3; 'so forth when' : : ; fuMr, not Ja.ya^lable or to do with'lixpe^ce^^a^ iF^kes a pound to pay f^r.'";^i^h'"e s OTe^^ of expansio^Ht'iis.!absur^rf6rJ^nyone to say that watli;';-tha ; sbjme . jrevpnue^ as six years a'go.wei'can^ldpe n^ow roads, bridge:^'|aTid ; ;g^-'exten9ibpsyV,but the •~n r, prorjbsition. 1 V^yvKichi will ' be placed before the ra|epayers,;(if carried, will enable T r i| ~' li y'i>y^ r ks'|fl' be carried out. and.. .will be ur^roduptive. He would try to see tba% no part of the Borbua;h got an .uridue. advahtage over another.' .' t: 1 "? 1 ' - -':;,'' v .-; ■.■-■ Several questions were -asked and satisfactorily answers "g^en, and a vote of confidence was carried.