MAYORAL CAMPAIGN

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXI, Issue 138, 13 May 1941, Page 6

MAYORAL CAMPAIGN

At first said Mr ferment, he thought he should ignore the attack completely but two things impelled him to reply, the first that Mr Mansford had made an unjustified attack on one of our mest worthy citizens and, tho second, that, he had mado statements about the speaker, leaving the impression that he was wholly indifferent and neglectful of It is duties as a councillor and a citizen. Mr Tcnnent said lie! had hoped that, the election would be | fought in keeping with the dignity of the Mayoral office and the canons of good taste.

Mr I ennent said all would agree that the whole of tho reference to Mr J. A. Grarity was bad taste. In the last war Mr Grant and his partner voluntarily “did their bit.” lie was an exemplary family man, had given long and worthy service on school committees, had been a member of the board of the Y.M.C.A., was a prominent member of the Patriotic Appeals Committee, and his firm had always headed the list in a most generous way. His name and that of his family was linked with the best personal and civic traditions ,of the city. At the deputation to the speaker, when ho was asked to stand for the Mayoralty, Mr Grant had made complimentary references to Mr Mansford’j work and worth. lie had mentioned some of tho qualities requisite for the office of Mayor, and was good enougli to state that, the speaker possessed those qualities. Af r Altuisford read into those remarks a “cowardly, mean, and contemptible attack by Mr Grant on liis integrity and ability.”

COUNCIL MEETINGS.

“My- average attendance at meetings of the City Council was 75 per cent, and the Mayor’s 86.4 per cent.”, said Air Tcnnent in- speaking if his attendance at meetings j of the council to which Mr Mansford had I referred. “Prior to last election 1 hesitated about seeking rc-eleetion to tho council because I knew that private business would tale me to the South Island for some time immediately after tho clecI fion. in fact, within one month after the election 'I left for Greyrnouth where I spent | throe months on end, except for one week I when I had to fly homo because of sickness in the family. Why then did I accept the office of councillor? At first I refused to do re in the circumstances, but ■ after discussing tnc matter will the Mayor, ' at his request, I decided to accept nomination provided I was not put, on the finance committee again, a committee which meets every week. In addition fo this arrangement with the Mayor I. of course, got official leave of absence from my fellow counciilorn. “Now in the second year my father had a very serious illness from which he lias not yet recovered. I regret having to mention this purely personal matter, but ho was cent-olling a fairly large business and I was the only one available to get matters satisfactorily looked after. Notwithstanding these two periods of absence my attendance was still 75 per cent. Summing up, you will see i hat- Mr Mansford knew all the facts, the council gave me leave of absence, and yet the impression left on the city last week was that I had been wilfully indifferent and neglectful of my council duties. '[ have told you all the facts. I now leave the matter to your sound judgment, sense of fairness and good taste.

“Concerning my attendance at public matings—that is, apart from meetings of the council, here again a wrong impression has been left. A councillor’s obligation and understanding arc (u attend council meetings, and these occupy an enormous amount of time which lie readily gives gratuitously. When any special matter requiring the co-operation of the citizens arises it is left to the Mayor to organise flic meeting and invite the citizens, for which service, amongst others, he receives an honorarium of i!450 per annum. You will appreciate that it would not ho reasonable for councillors already giving much lime to be expected to leave their private business and aitcnd these various public meetings. Yet, because I as a citizen was unable to attend some of these meetings, Mr Mansford endeavours to discredit me as showing lack of interest.”

Speaking of a meeting in connection with the St. Jolm Ambulance Brigade, Mr Tcnnent said that ho. frankly, forgot it. lie had immediately apologised to the organisation. What more could he have done? In the past year, in addition to the 70 council ' meetings, attendance at school committee, and other meetings brought his total to v%cl 1 over ICO. Yet the only one no lorgot was given prominence.

Proceeding, Mr Tennent said that lie could not attend a meeting concerning the waste metal campaign because, as a citizen, lie would be out of town on important business. The minutes showed that an apology was recorded because the speaker was out of town.\ Invitations wore sent out on December 4, 1939. to attend the mooting concerning the A.N.A. Club to be held on December 5, the speaker continued, and ho stated that he was out of town and knew nothing of the meeting. A meeting concerning the Fighting Services Appeal was convened by newspaper advertisement and not by invitaI lion to the councillors, said Mr Tennent. The speaker said he had been unable to attend but showed his practical interest by personally subscribing and canvassing a city block lor subscriptions. “From Mr Hansford's remarks you were given the impression that 1 was an irresponsible and indifferent young man, also unreliable, yet perhaps the largest and most important position which the council has to (ill these times is the chairmanship of the .Emergency Precautions Scheme, and Mr Hansford recently personally selected and appointed mo to that position,” the speaker added. “Mr Hansford also suggest* that I am entirely indifferent to the claims of the war,” said Mr Tennent. “Here again J am forced very reluctantly to make a private personal reference to myself. I have a wife and five young 6ons, the oldest 13 and the youngest four. They all naturally mean a very great doal to me, and yet 15 months ago I offered my services unreservedly for (Sew Zealand or overseas service wherever the military authorities cared to send me. Could 1 do more '! GAS AND ELECTRICITY

“Mr Mansford says that I have less to do with the success of this department than any other member of the committee,” proceeded the speaker. “What are the tacts'/ As recently as November last I brought down a comprehensive report on the gas department, a report which took many hours of preparation by me, delving into the. figure* over the past ten years. And this report was adopted by the council with one very minor amendment. Several councillors commented upon the soundness of the report, and what did Mr Mansford say / He personally eongratu lated me on the report, stating among other things it showed a thorough grasp of the department, including all its difficulties and details. To-day Mr Alansford says I have had very little to do with the success of the department. “This is my reply to the most serious charges of neglect and indifference made by Mr Alansford. Without further comment, I leave the matter to the sound judgment, sense of fairness, and good taste of the citizens.” Proceeding, Mr Tenncnt said he had decided to ignore various secular and sectarian rumours which had ben spread about in flic city to discredit him, but since Air Alansford, from the public platform hinted at one of them be would refer to it, a rumour that the Presbyterians were attempting to “run the town,” and, therefore, citizens should not vote for the ■speaker. This was an attempt by some people to stir up sectarian strife which, the speaker felt sure, would not succeed. Air Mansford had alleged lack of courtesy on the speaker’s part in commencing his campaign before giving him the oppor- ■ tunitv of speaking first. The speaker was not aware of any practice or tradition in i this matter. lie had been clue in Dunedin to conduct examinations for final year ;

MR TENNENT REPLIES. ATTENDANCE AT MEETINGS. Speaking at. the Central School, last evening. in the continuation of the Mayoral campaign, Mr \V. B. Tcnnent replied to references made to him by the Mayor (Mr A. E. Mansford), in the course of tile latter's speech at tho Opera Douse last Thursday.

dental students at the University and had ho waited until after his return he could not have spoken in all parts of tho city. There was panic propaganda, said Mr Tcnnent. in regard to Mr C. R. Murphy, the Labour aspirant for Mayoral honours. This had no foundation in fact for, even if lie were elected it was hardly likely that more than two or throe of the councillors would represent official Labour. However, the re-election of the Labour l’arty on its domestic policy would mean a very much wider application of Socialism as agafnst private enterprise. “Therefore, I am sure that in this Alayoral election tho electors will not be misled on the baseless bogey cry of keeping Labour out to vote in Mr Mansford, who will split tho anp-Labour vote at the general election,” said Air Tcnnent. “I know you will not be misled in this election by "the cry of vote-splitting. I have an exceptionally largo committee behind mo of both men and women thoroughly representative and influential.”

Air W. 11. Brown presided and a motion of thanks and confidence was moved by Air S. J. Garr and seconded by Air R. Stewart.

AT TERRACE END AIR AIANSFORD’S SPEECH. Air A .E. Alansford spoke at the Coroi nation Hall, la-t evening, in the furtherance- of his campaign lor tho Mayoralty. I 'V 10 * nc cting was an enthusiastic one. L-r K. E. 'iownshend presided and referred to the able manner in which Mr Mansford liad presided over the council meetings and tne sound position of the finances of the city, and said he felt sure the electors would return Air Alanslord on account of his valued experience and because the present was no tunc to be “swapping- horses.” Mr Alanslord, on rising to speak, was accorded a round of applause. He deait with the city's sound financial position ten years ago and tile improved position today. in dealing with the return of the soldiers from overseas and the possibility of unemployment recurring, lie said : ‘‘rhis is surely a mutter tor the general Government of the Dominion and is not a local government matter except to cooperate with the Government in any scheme it may bring forward. To be discussing these schemes in advance shows a surprising lack of confidence in the Government and is not exhibiting that wholehearted co-operation and support that is needed to-day if wc are to overcome the common enemy. I do not propose to say very much on this matter, except that wo have to reliieinber that this Government—or any Government, for that matter —has the experience of the last war and the last depression, and no Government is going to make the same mistakes as wc know were made alter the last war and during the depression. Whilst I will play second place to no one in looking alter the soldiers and those unfortunate enough to lose their employment as a result of economic causes, I have sufficient confidence in the Govern-

ment to leave those matters which are

matters for the national government of the country to those elected to I’urliament, particularly as the Government is ill close collaboration with the executive of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association in all matters affecting tho welfare of our soldiers. Is there any fault to find with the conditions of the men in the caniDS, any faulL to find with the transports? Then why not let the Government of tho day formulate its policy? 1 am sure that if they foci they are not equal to the occasion they will 6eek the advice of the local bodies, or any other body of men they feel is competent to give them advice. In any schemes the Government propounds it can rely on the fullest co-operation of every local body ] in this Dominion.” I

lii dealing with Cr Tennent's reply to his charges of absence from meetings. Mr Mansford said: “Cr Tennent. in replying to-night, may refer to the special meeting of the council in March at which I I said he was not present and that, there I was no apology. Ho may say the minutes show an apology. If he does he will go down in my estimation, because I was in the chair and know that he was not present, and when I asked if there was any apology the answer was ‘No. - Further, he cannot deny his reply to me when 1 asked him why he was not present and ho said that ho either mislaid his notice or forgot. And further —and this is most important—Mr llardic, the town clerk’s, pencil notes of the meeting, taken at the time of the meeting, show neither Cr Ilodgens nor Cr Tennent present nor do they show any apologies from these two councillors. Cr Tennent is now shielding behind the generosity of the town clerk, who was considerate enough, when typing out the minutes of the meeting, to type in an apology for Cr Tennent when typing in one for Cr Ilodgens on account of his Parliamentary duties and who often does not pet his notices. So Cr Tennent’s position now becomes worse instead cf better,’’

At the conclusion of ATr Mansford's address lio answered several questions. Mr L. field proposed a vote of thanks and confidence in Mr Mansford, which was seconded and . carried unanimonslv. MR MANS FORD AT CENTRAL SCHOOL.

The electors are invited to attend at Central School to-night at. 8 o’clock when Mr A. E. Mansford (Mayor) will give an address on municipal matters and answer any questions relating thereto.

LABOUR CANDIDATES

Electors in the Takaro area will be interested in the meeting to be held in the Takaro Hall to-night at 8 o'clock, when Labour's candidates for municipal honours. led by the Mayoral candidate (Mr C. R. Murphy) will speak. The meeting will ho under the chairmanship of Mr I’. T. Jamieson who is well-known to iakaro residents, and in view of the great interest that has been shown in other quarters of the city in the municipal elections a good attendance, is expected.