REPLY TO CRITICS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXI, Issue 135, 9 May 1941, Page 4

REPLY TO CRITICS

MAYOR OUTSPOKEN

VIGOROUS DEFENCE

A vigorous reply to criticism was made by Mr A. ii,. Mansion!, tjio sitting candidate lor the Mayoralty, in the course of his speech at tne Opera House last evening. Beiore entering oji this phase of his address, Mr JViansiord said that he held .Cr. W. 13. Tennent, one of the •other two candidates, in tho highest regard and, should Cr. Tennent i>e tlie victor in the contest, Mr Manstord said, he hoped to be tho first to congratulate him and to assure him that, notwithstanding tlie "severe handicap of ten years of ofliee," ho would extend to Mr Tounent the fullest support as a private citizen in doing anything and everything in furthering the interests of the city, of which we were all justly proud. These remarks also applied to -Mr C. R. Murphy, the other candidate, whom the speaker did not knowso well

Mr Mansford said he proposed to conduct tho contest as he had all the others, much as he would a game ol cricket, bowling as weJl as he could and hitting as Hard as he could. '"Tho first criticism 1 want to make is of the published statements made when tho deputation waited on Cr. Tenneiit," said Mr Mansford. Under ordinary circumstances 1 would take no notice of these statements, but they arc so mean, cowardly, and contemptible, that 1 do take strong exception to them. Mr J. A. Grant, one of the speakers, said the position needed a man of ihe highest integrity and ability. Does he suggest that 1 have neither ? The inference is there. Let me tell him, in tho plainest language 1 can, J resent it, and 1 challenge him to prove that in the past ten vcars I have shown neither integrity nor ability. Then Mr Grant said the cry today was for younger men. What a. grutuous insult to such men as Mr w'iuston Churchill. Mr Franklin Roosevelt. General Smuts, and many others 1 could name, men not leading a city, but leading the civilised world. I think Mr Grant must have l>ceu reading Hitler's 'Mein Kampf,' i for in that book Hitler made use of the statement that it was the day of the young man. Anyone would think from Mr Grant's l statement I was an old man, instead of in my prime. Perhaps it is because I have been working tor so many years in the interest of the city, long* before he ever thought of doing anything for it. He therefore suggests I am too old. My interest in working for this city goes- back to 1908, tho first municipal election that I took part in after my arrival and 1 have been in every one since. Let mo tell Mr Grant my interest in the city is not suddenly aroused by a mayoral election

"Mr Grant knows,, or should know. that what ibis city" and the civilised world wants as- leaders is men of proven experience, energy and the understanding of commercial problems, to be sympathetic with the lilc of tho people, men of courage and capable of sacrifice, men to whom desire of property, personal gain, or glory, does not govern their actions and men who are not ashamed to testify to their belief in God. Those are the men wanted to-day, no matter what their ago "Mr Grant further said that, although one went into the position of Mayor full of vim, enthusiasm and ideas, the time came when one became stale. One can only take this as a 'back-handed' slap at me . . .trying to infer that 1 have lost the vim. enthusiasm and ideas that I had. 1 ieel sure Mr Grant's uncharitable lnnuendos will find no sympathy with you.

ATTENDANCE AT MEETINGS. "When replying to the deputation's request, Mr Tennent said the position of Mayor should go round and be made available to those willing to give their services. Let us put this election statement to the acid test. Mr Tennent has

been in the council eight years, but

it is not necessary to go back so tar,

only as far as the outbreak of war

Shortly after this occurred a public meeting was called iji the Council Chambers in connection with the Fighting Services Appeal. Was Cr. Tennent there? No . Did he send an

apology? No. A public meeting was called in the Council Chambers to consider the establishment of a in the city for the soldiers. Was C'r. Tennent, this young man eager to serve the people,' present? No. Was there any apology? No. A public meeting was called to consider the collection of waste metals, etc. Was C'r. Ten-

nent present, this young man bursting with zeal to serve the city? No. For the meeting in -regard to the Fighter Plane Fund, was Cr. Tennent

present? No. "Then in March there was a special meeting of the council. Was Cr. Tennent, the young councillor willing to. give his services, present? No. Was there any apology ? No. When J asked him what happened, he said he forgot it, or lost his notice. Then more ro-1 cently a. public function was held in] the Empire Hall in connection with the St. John Ambulance, and Cr. Tenncnt was to speak. I was in the chair and waited patiently for this young Inan filled with ardour to serve the people. I>id he turn up? No, ajid there was no apology. When 1 asked him what happened, he said he forgot. As to Cr. Tennent's attendance at council meetings during the past i three years, next to Cr. Hodgens. who wc all know was attending Parliament, I Cr. Tennent has the worst record of i any councillor. Even in regard 1o the I committee of which ho is chairman —' the lighting committee —he attended fewer meetings than any other mem-; her. This applies to all the committees | that Cr. Tennent is on. Surely, that! is sufficient for you to draw your own | conclusions and compare the personal interest displayed by two aspirants for the position of Mayor, and to say which one of them lacks vim and enthusiasm and which one of them has become stale. "Cr. Tennent said he hoped the contest would be fought on the highest plane. Jt is a funny thing how these men who talk about the highest plane onlv mean it to refer to them. Do you not think anyone expressing those ideals would have thought common courtesy demanded that he give me. as the sitting Mayor, an opportunity j to speak first? Tn every election that | T have had anything to do with, the sitting Mayor or Parliamentary oandi-! dale lias been given the opportunity of I speaking first. There seemed till almost indelicate haste on Cr. Tennent's part to get in first, for fear he might lose something. "11l regard to Cr Tennent's opening speech at the Coronation Hall, on reading it I was immediately impressed with three things: The desire to dis-l count anything done bv myself as Mayor; his eagerness to show the part! ho had played in the success of the council; his almost frantic desire to' appeal to the sympathy of the work-! ors, so much so ;is ro introduce national politics. Naturally, T immediately associated the speech with a trap, ti called it 'Tenn-Jiit's triple trap.' But it has the wrong sort of bait, fori

it is baited with municipal promises, political promises, and a photograph. The electors want something more than this to-day, particularly from" a candidate who has been in the council •"or eight years. When this trap goes off on May 17 it will not catch the electors. "Let ns examine sonic of these statements seriously. Cr Tcnnent mentions the good ' team work, butonly the councillors. The heads of the departments and the staff are not to be considered in the team when it comes to work. 1 am sure this must be an oversight on Cr Tenncnt's part. This city is fortunate, for it has the finest staff of any local body that 1 know of. and the council depends on its departmental heads for a lot In any case any team, I do not care what it is, must have a leader, and its success largely depends on the leader, and as the leader of this team I think 1 might claim some credit. Yon will notice how Cr Tennent claims credit for the appointment of tin? manager of the gas works. He overlooked the fact that a good leader suggests things and lets the members of the team think the proposals are theirs. That is what he lias done. You will notice his crocodile tears for the unemployed and the returned soldiers. In connection with the unemployed and Christmas appeals, what has he ever done? In connection with the war effort this surely is the most transparent piece of bluff. 1 have told you how he has never attended public meetings called in connection with flic war or for the soldiers. '•lie referred to the electrical and gas undertakings and to the wonderful progress of the two depsu tments and the fact that he was chairman. Now [ have told you of his attendance at meetings,' but in the three years how often has he been to look at either of the works? About three times to the electrical works and five or six times to the gasworks. Cr Tcnnent has the nerve to stand up in front of you and point to the success of the electrical and gas undertakings, ol which he is chairman. Why, has he not had less to do with that success than any member of the committee, and he glibly refers to team work? Abraham Lincoln said you can fool all the people some of (he time and sonn of the ]>coplc all the time. but. you can't fool all the peoxue all the, time."