CRITICISM OF CANDIDATES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXI, Issue 137, 12 May 1941, Page 6

CRITICISM OF CANDIDATES.

(,To the Editor.) i sir, —Having caioluily road the reports oi Hie addresses by Air ieunciit land Air Alanslord respectively, l eau only say that tliis Mayoral- campaign is going to lie quite amusing as la" us Uiese two gentlemen are concerned. One would not have believed during their extreme friendliness, when they unsuccess fully tried to put !\lr Hodgens “on the spot” with the gas inquiry the present situation would come to pass. Air Tcnncnt complains that it is his turn and Mr Alanslord rushes to the teacher (the electors) and tells on him. Jiut. would Mr Alanslord have “told” on him if he had not been opposing him? If as Air Alansford says Air Tcnncnt has not attended to his duties in his capacity of chairman of the lighting committee it was All' Alanslord s duty to have him removed. They were able to have Air Hodgens removed, wlicn after about eight months of inquiry it was proved that he had attended to his duties with credit to himself and benefit to the city, Then each claims that he was responsible for separating the management of the gas department from the electric department. In my humble opinion they wore both responsible. But according to Air Tennont’s philosophy what does it affect his candidate even if Air Alansford’s statements of neglected meetings are correct? In his advertisement in the “Alanawatu Standard,” graced by his picture, ho says: “The Mayor’s chief function is to represent the city on public occasions (the ten councillors govern the city).” So 1 presume the Alavor is merely to “look pretty” like a modern Apollo. Incidentally. 1 agree with a portion of Air Tcnnont’s advertisement. He says: “A catch cry, usually plausible, is an appeal to an elemental instinct.” 1 agree. Then follows a list of Air Teiinent’s own catch cries. But why indulge in these catch cries at all? If Air Torment seriously considers himself a possibility in the competition for the position of Mayor lie must know that the people want in their .Mayor a man of ability and understanding. Such a man would not make the colossal blunder which Air Tcnncnt made in the Coronation Hall, of comparing our municipal debt with the capital value of the city. He should know that the debt must be viewed in tin' light of the taxable capacity of the eilv. As wo arc taxed on unimproved values, the comparison must ho made with the unimproved value of the city, which tells quite a different story. But Air Tcnncnt is responsible neither for the highness or lowness of the municipal debt. Tt is the ratepayers who turned down the council’s loan schemes. And Air Tonuent suggests another loan of £104.000 for a water scheme when a hotter scheme could have been put into operation for loss than the sum wasted in making Fitzroy Park.—T am, cie.. V. A. CHRISTENSEN. Palmerston North. 12/5/41.

Owin'; to pressure on our spare this letter has had to he condensed. Correspondents are Advised that letters exceeding six inches in space cannot he assured of publication owing to the severe restrictions on the use of newsprint.