Reply to Statements By Cr. Tennent

Manawatu Times, Volume 66, Issue 109, 9 May 1941, Page 7

Reply to Statements By Cr. Tennent

ELECTION CAMPAIGN WARMS UP Statements made by or in support of one of his opponents for the city Mayoralty were replied to by Mr. A. E. Mansford in opening his campaign at the Opera House last night. At the outset Mr. Mansford deplored the necessity for an election at this time of crisis, and said that all our efforts should be concentrated on the overthrow of Hitler and his murderous gang. The municipal representatives aad only themselves to blame, as the Government had referred the question to them and’they had decided to carry on as usual with the result that we now found ourselves in tho middle of an election. As regards his opponents, he held them in the. highest regard and would bo the first to congratulate the winner if he (the speaker) was unsuccessful, and would extend to him his fullest support as a private citizen in furthering the interests of the city. He proposed to conduct this contest as he had ail others, and if the occasion demanded he would hit hard. Challenge to Mr. Grant. ‘ 1 Tho first criticism I wan t -to make, ’ ’ Mr. Mansford proceeded, “is of the published statements made when the deputation waited on Cr. Tennent. Under ordinary circumstances I would cake no notice of these statements, but they are so mean, cowardly and contemptible, that I do take strong exception to tnem. Mr. Grant said tne position needed a man of the hignest integrity and ability. Does he suggest that I have neither i The inference is there. Lot me tell him in the plainest language 1 can that I resent it and i challenge him to prove tiiat my past actions on behalf of this city have been marked by a lack of either integrity or ability. 4 4 Then Mr. Grant said the cry to-day was for younger men. What a gratuitous insult to suen men as Mr. Winston Churchill, Mr. Franklin Roosevelt, General Smuts and many others I could name—men not leading a city but leading the civilised world. I think Mr. Grant must have been reading Hitler’s •Mein Kampf,’ 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 statement that I was .an old man, instead of in my prime. Perhaps it is because I have been working for so many years in the interests of the city, long before he ever thought of doing anything for it. He therefore suggests 1 am too old. My interest in wording for this city goes back to 1908, the first municipal election that I took part in. Let me tell Mr. Grant my interest in the city is not suddenly aroused by a mayoral election. Proven Leaders Wanted. “Mr. Grant knows, or should know, that what this city and the civilised world want as leaders are men of proven experience, energy and the understandof commercial problems, to L»e sym- • pathetic with the life of the people, men of courage and capable of sacrifice, men to Mom desire of properly, personal gain, or glory does not govern their actions. Men who are not asnamed to testify to their belief in God —those aro the men wanted to-day no matter what their age. “Mr. Grant further said that, although one went into the position oi mayor full of vim, enthusiasm and ideas, the time came when one became stale. Do you know what I think prompted that suggostive statement, because one can only take it as a backhanded slap at me. One day I was feeling a bit tired,when a friend of Mr. Grant's said to me, 4 Row are you feeling i’ I said, ‘A bit tired. But it is nothing to what I will feel iii a few weeks' time when my partner goes into camp for overseas. ’ That, no doubt, Mr. Grant thinks the opportune time to stab mo in the back, with the idea of injuring me in the mayoral contest by interring that X have not tho vim, enthusjasm and ideas that 1 had. 1 icel sure, ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Grant’s uncharitable innuendos will fitid no sympatliy with you. Or. Tennent ’8 Record

“Now we come to Cr. Tennent s remarks wlreu replying to the deputation s reouest. He said the position ot Mayor should go round and be made available to those willing to give their services. Let's put this election statement to the acid test. Or. Tennent has been in the council eight years, but it is not necessary to go back that far; it is onlynecessary to go back as far as the outbreak of war. • • Shortly after this occurred a public meeting was called in the council chainhers in connection with, the lighting Services Appeal, Was Or. Tennent present? No. Did he send an apology? No. A public meeting was called in the council chambers to consider the establishment of a club ia the city for the soldiers. Was Cr. Tennent, this young man eager to serve the people, present? No. Any apology? No. Then a public meeting was called to consider the collection of waste metals, etc. Was Cr. Tennent present, this young man bursting with zeal to serve the city? No. Then there was the lighter plane public meeting. Was Cr. Tennent present* No,

“Then in March there was a special meeting of the Council. Was Or. -Tennent, the young councillor willing to give his services, present. No? Any apology? No. And when X asked him what happened, ho said he forgot it, or 'mislaid his notice. Then more recently a public function was held in the Empire Hall in connection with St. John Ambulance, and Cr. Tennent was down to speak. I was in the chair and waited patiently for this young man whose ardour to serve is now so manifest. Did he turn up? No. Any apology? No. And when I asked him what happened he said he forgot. Attendances at Meetings “Let us tufn to the attendances at council meetings during the past three years. Next to Cr. Hodgcn#, who wo all know was attending Parliament, Cr. Tennent has the worst record of any councillor. Even in regard to the com-' mitte'e of which he is chairman, the lighting committee, he attended less meetings than any other member of this committee. 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.

“Now I eome to a further statement of Cr. Tennent’s. He said he hoped the

contest would be fought on the highest plane. It is a funny thing how these chaps that talk about the highest plane only mean it to refer to them. They're the ones that are always on the high plane. Now, don’t you think anyone expressing those ideals would have thought that common courtesy demanded that he give me, as the sitting Mayor, an opportunity to speak first? In every election that I have had anything to do with the sitting mayor or member has been given the opportunity of speaking first. But there seemed nn almost indelicate haste on f*r. Tennent's part to get in first, for fear he might lose something. Cr. Tennent’s “Triple Trap” “On reading Cr. Tennent’s opening speech at the Coronation Hall I was immediately impressed with three things: (1) The desire to discount anything done by myself as Mayor; (2) his eagerness to show the part he had played in the success of the council; (3) his almost frantic desire to appeal to the sympathy of the workers, so much so ns to introduce national politics. “Naturally I immediately associated the speech with a trap. I called it Tennent’s triple trap. It’s a nice little trap, beautifully gilded; you know, one of those traps with holes in the side. But it’s got the wrong sort of bait, for it is baited with municipal promises, political promises and a photograph. The electors want something more than these to-day, particularly from a candidate who has been in the Council for eight years. “When this trap goes off on the 17th. instant it won’t catch the electors, but Jock Young, Jock Grant and Blair will be there, all nicely and securely trapped together, for they sav birds of a feather flock together. Team Work on Council “But let’s examine some of these statements seriously. He mentions the good team work, referring only to the councillors. The heads of the depart ments and the staff .are not to be considered in the team when it comes to work. I am sure this must be an oversight on Cr. Tennent’s part. This city is fortunate, for it has the finest staff on any local body that I 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 & leader, and its success largely depends on the leader, and as the leader of this team I think I might claim some credit. “Now, you will notice how Cr. Tennent claims credit for the appointment of the manager of the gasworks. He overlooked the fact that a good leader suggests things and lets the members of the team think the proposals are theirs. That is the essence of a good leader, particularly in such a team as a council. “Then you will notice his crocodile tears for the unemployed and the returned soldiers. In connection with the unemployed and appeals at Christmas time, and the war effort, what has he ever done? Surely this is the most transparent piece of bluff. I have told you how he ha* never attended any public meeting called in connection with the war or for soldiers. In this war effort he has done, as far as I know, nothing. Municipal Undertakings “He referred to the electrical and gas undertakings and to the wonderful progress of the two departments and the fact that he was chairman. 1 have told you of his attendance at meetings —the worst of anyone on the committee with the exception of, Cr. Hodgens, who was attending Parliament. 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. These works are worth hundreds of thousands of pounds. Ask Cr. Heatley how often, as chairman of the baths and cemeteries committee, he has visited the baths and cemeteries. I’ll bet you once, if not twice a month. Ask Cr. Mouldey how often he visited the abattoirs. At least twice a month. Ask Cr. Black how often he visits the library. Again I’ll bet you at least twice a month. Ask Cr. Tremaine, Cr. Smillie, Cr. Townshend how often they go round their departments and I'll bet you they go round at least once a month. * ‘ And Cr. Tennent has the nerve to stand up in front of you and point to the success of the electrical and gas undertakings of which he is chairman. Why, he has had less to do with that success than any member of the committee —and he glibly refers to team work," concluded Mr. Mansford. “Abraham Lincoln said, ‘You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all 1 the time, but you can’t fool all the people all the time.' "