MAYORAL ELECTION

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVII, Issue 124, 23 April 1927, Page 10

MAYORAL ELECTION

iMR GRAHAM AT WEST END.

Jn furtherance of his eleotion campaign, Mr A. J. Graham addressed a meeting at West end last night. Mr C.-H. Whitehead was in the chair, and there was a fair attendance of electors. “I regret very much,” stated _Mr Graham, “that things have been pettifogged into this . campaign ; that 1 should not have had a place in it in an endeavour to poison the minds of the ratepayers and electors ; generally. Many suggestions and insinuations -have - been made that are entirely unworthy'.of notice, but I don’t suggest that there have been’ wilful or intentional mis-statements of fact.” Continuing, Mr Graham said that statements had been made that Were calculated to make the ratepayers believe that , a very parlotis condition of affairs existed in the municipality Wholesale condemnation of the administration, both within and' without, was most unjust and unfair and could only be attributed to a lack of' knowledge of the actual position. After comprehensively reviewing the finances of the borough, the speaker submitted that, the figures he had put before the meeting conclusively showed that there had been no bungling, reckless administration or waste bf the ratepayers’ money. He pointed out that, for many years, the borough had had a very large overdraft year after year, but that, during the last four years, it had finished each period with a credit balance in the bank. _ It. had been stated that he had been entirely responsible for the management of the borough during the last two years, and, if that were so, he thought he had every reason to congratulate himself on the success that had attended his efforts. Credit, however, was not due to one man; it was entirely due to the team work of the council as a whole.

It had been said, Mr Graham continued, that there had ben a lack of vision on his. part in not looking to the future' with regard to the gas undertaking, but he de- • sired to point out that he alono of the members of the gas- committee was the only one to oppose the allocation of portion of each year’s profits to the general account in the reduction of rates. In dealing with the electrical department’s account, he pointed out that this was now a profit-earning concern and able to meet all of its interest charges. In his opinion, the incoming council should charge a certain sum against profits each year and invest it to accumulate at compound interest, and thereby create a renewal fund which could he drawn upon when replacements, of plant, etc, were necesasry. A great deal of misunderstanding existed about the £BO,OOO loan. It had bene contended by some that it had been raised solely for the purpose of tar-sealing the bus routes, but he produced voting papers that this had not -been the case. The total sum of money raised, including ten per cent, on -the £60,000 loan, was £86,000, and it was true that the council had determined as far as possiblo to expend this money on bus routes. In this direction the sum of £54,680 3s 3d had been expended on bus routes, while the expenditure on business' and other streets requiring attention had been £7321 3s 2d. Purchases of roading plant and buildings for the same had cost £13,315 9s Bd, while interest and miscellaneous office charges had amounted to £8509 5s Id, leaving a balance available of £2173 18s 10,d.

In dealing with tho abattoirs, and, in particular, with the pig-killing department, the speaker pointed out that a contract, although not of a binding nature, had been entered into in 1922 with a large firm, and' for some years this had proved very profitable to the council. Owing, howover, to the borough being unable to get from the Railway Department a siding in tho vicinity of the works, tho company concerned had transferred its business to Longburn. The speaker pointed out that a considerable amount of business was still'being done, a five-year contract having been entered into with another firm, with the result' that the revenue from the pig-killing department would more than meet tho interest charges on the money invested in this particular phase of the business. After answering a number of questions, the speaker was accorded a very hearty vote of thanks on the motion of Mr G. Lyne, . seconded by Mr Hyland. _ A vote of thanks to the chairman- concluded the meeting.

MR BENNETT AT HOKOWHITU

Mr A, E. Bennett continued his electioneering campaign last evening when he addressed a large and enthusiastic meetihg in the Hokowhitu Sunday School. Mr A. J. Shailer presided and introduced the candidate, after which an address, similar to those given at other centres, was delivered by Mr Bennett. At the conclusion the chairman intimated ’that Mr Bennett would be pleased to answer any questions put forward by the ratepayers, and the opportunity was taken by several to inquire into the candidate’s views on the question of the Hokowhitu lagoons, and jtp- each a satisfactory reply was given.