MAYORAL ELECTION.

Manawatu Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 14189, 25 April 1919, Page 5

MAYORAL ELECTION.

MR THOMSON’S PROGRAMME. Mr William Thomson, who is standing as a candidate for the Mayoralty of Palmerston North,, addressed a meeting in Everybody’s Theatre last evening. There was a fair attendance. Mr J. S. Munro presided. The chairman, in introducing the speaker, said he was pleased to take the chair at Mr Thomson’s meeting. He had always hold the opinion that it was the. right of every citizen to offer himself for any position in the gift of his fellow-citizens. He also considered that it was not in the best interests of local government for any public position to become a permanency. A debt of gratitude was due to Mr Thomson for coming forward to contest the Mayoralty. In his opening remarks, Air Thomson regretted having to speak on the same evening that the Labour candidates for other positions were talking in another part of the town. The speaker referred, in passing, to the question of repatriation. He considered the Government should guarantee employment to all returned soldiers. He then went into the question of borough finances. He had noticed that £452 had been spent under the head of advertising. He thought Iho people should know how much of this went to the local newspapers. He then went into the question of the Council’s . overdraft of £15,518 38/7, which he j said had shown an increase of £4OOO [ per year in the last two years. This ' was most absurd, and he would like to , know where the money had all gone. | The epidemic had been quoted as one ; reason, but. that had cost only about £OOO. Other reasons had also boon J given, but £13,000 was an enormous sura. Air Thomson drew attention to 1 Councillor Crabb’s statement that the ' Council would have to economise to make ends meet, and that the Finance Committee had not been given suffi- I cient information. The last was a most extraordinary confession to make, and one which had never before been equalled in any Council in Now Zea- 1 land. Ho considered the councillors should ’nave demanded to know what tho money was going out for. Air Thomson pointed out that there was generally a slump in finance after a war. and that the greatest cave should be exercised by public, men in dealing with public affairs. The speaker also dealt with the abattoirs, stating that he had pointed out on a public platfm* two years ago that it would be a mistake to take them over. Dealing with the gas account, Mr Thomson considered that if there was a credit balance of £BSOO there should bo a decrease in the price of gas. I Speaking to his platform, Mr Thomson dealt with his proposal to ostablisha municipal market for milk and fish, pointing out what was being done in England in this direction. With.regard to the erection of workers’ homes, the speaker pointed out the advantages of every man having his own home, claiming that this would create contented citizens. Tho money thus spent would eventually come back to the borough. He would pull down every place that threatened to become a slum. On the subject of pensions for municipal employees, the speaker said that if the Government could work such a scheme, a municipality could do the same for employees w.ho had given it faithful service. He was against tho Council joining the Employers’ Association. The Association had every right to exist, but the Council represented all classes, and therefore should lie carried on entirely aloof from the Employers’ Association. He was not in favour of tho sale of public lands on tho grounds that with the increase of population, more public lands would bo needed. He favoured the provision of ample recreation grounds for children, pointing out that tho child was tho citizen of to-morrow, and that children should have places to play in out of danger of the streets. Palmerston had already agreed to trams and electric light, and while some people might have thought that ’buses were better, they had to be loyal to the opinion of the town. We had four rivers at the doors of the town to drive trams, light up the town, and provide motor power for all purposes. Wanganui and other towns had such conveniences, why not Palmerston North? With regard to the appointment of ana Engineer, ho was not referring to anybody. When an attempt had been made to dispose of Air JickcTl, tho speaker had stood out for him and would do so again in like circumstances. But the job should be given to a man who could give the whole of his time to the work. They could not expect a man with a.retainer to attend to everything at once, any more .than they could expect the present Alayor to attend to his duties as Mayor and member of Parliament at the same time. (Applause.) With regard to the borough solicitor, Air Thomson know him to be a very able and competent man, but ho did not agree to his getting Supreme Court fees over and above the sum paid for his services by the Council. He thought the solicitor should be employed at a fixed rate. Air Thomson also dealt with his platform with regard to the Hospital Board and the Patriotic Society’s Funds. In connection with the latter, be was strongly in favour of tho money held by tho Society being evenly divided among the soldiers from tho district, and the society being wound up. (Applause.) .“Hang the talk of the money being misused,” said the speaker. The soldiers were behaving themselves as well as the. other members of the community. In conclusion, Mr Thomson said that if returned, ho wanted to do nothing that, he did not honestly believe would be for the benefit of Palmerston North and the district.

Replying to a question from Mr R. P. McGlone, Mr Thomson admitted having adopted the Labour party’s platform -with certain reservations and alterations. TTo considered the Labour platform very sensible, and hoped the Labour party would secure good, representation on the Council.

Several other questions were asked, and a hearty vote of thanks was accorded the speaker on the motion of Messrs. G. V. Graham and A. P. Bradley.