MOUNT EDEN ROAD BOARD ELECTION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12256, 28 April 1903, Page 6

MOUNT EDEN ROAD BOARD ELECTION.

) TO THE EDITOR. t Sir,—l notice in your issue of yesterday's 5 date a letter from. Mr. Geo. M. Johnston on > the above subject, in which he comments on . the present position, and refers to the quali- > fications of the several candidates. ,1 pass i over his remarks respecting the retiring memI bers, as I feel sure that the ratepayers gene- ! rally appreciate their services in the past, and , will show their continued confidence in them by returning them as members of the Board at the forthcoming election. As to the candidates opposing the Board,' Mr. Johnston mentions, firstly, a gentleman who is at present a member of the Charitable Aid Board, a justice of the peace, etc., and evidently con- ' siders these as evidences of the suitability of I the gentleman for the position' of . a member ; of the Board. It is quite true that this gentleman holds the above positions, but has.' ' he done anything on the Charitable Aid Board ; to show his great suitability for the position ' of a member of the Road Board? Has he in 1 any way checked the lavish and extravagant • expenditure for charitable aid, ; and thus 1 saved the ratepayers from being Iso heavily ' taxed for the same? The increased annual ' assessments will give the answer. ® The assessment of the Mount Eden district this year is 1 over £550, an increased burden on the ratepayers of over £200 on that of last year, and ' this apart from the additional levy for the infectious diseases hospital. The' Board are now being forced to seriously, consider the ■ necessity of striking a special rate to provide 1 for this expenditure, which, in their opinion, ' could be considerably lessened if managed by capable business men. Does the fact of his 1 being a justice of the peace add to his qualifications for a Road Board member'"-,'- As to ' the second gentleman, Mr. Johnston states that he was formerly a member of the Board and, unlike others, that he has an actual 1 stake m the district. lamat a loss to understand what different stake in the district this gentleman has to that of the other candidates. As to the third gentleman, we are told that he is a younger man who has already shown considerable ability and enerirv Wherein has this been shown? He was for some time the secretary of the Mount Eden . Ratepayers Association. ..His energy and ability, however, were not sufficient keen that association from becoming defunct Vfeare told that these gentlemen are " independent ' candidates, and that their aim will 5? .*? l°°k T after the. interests of the whole district. Whence arises this change of views on their part? Their candidature is bein® actively advocated by gentlemen ; whose > invests have always been identified with those of the Mount Roskill side of the district alonl I regret that • I feel myself called upon torefer to the candidates, but Mr; Johnston's letter on the subject leaves me no other alter native v I join with Mr. Johnston is > askinthe ratepayers as a whole to vote for and return those only whom they consider the best men, who, m my opinion, are the retiring members of the Board.—l am. etc., . g Victoria Avenue, Mount Eton, o^o^.' ' ■ TO THE EDITOR. f A Sir,— I The letters of Messrs Johnston j Creagh in to-day's HERALD Very monstrate the fact that the Mount R? R vm' side -and the centre of the Mount tnct are suffering a era.ve Eden disthe fact of their m»n-renre"en^tiL° Wme to Road Board. It must alwavs lib nJ? on the factory state of things wherepracti£alWu the ratepayers of a district 1 are disfran^ 1 ] by being unrepresented as i« lsed Mount Eden district at the present tim* B6 ' l n a Mount Edenite, I must snv+Wr\ ' As my fellow ratepayers will on +vj; c 4 \ hope their best to bring about a change® a do which has not the confident of 6 0 "i a Boar d tion of those they are sudt>o<?pH' +_ ee sec " It is also very clear that i re » re horrible muddle of the tramway e »™ a i ie ' a and have treated the Mount^Roslfin J vi tlonß ' unfairly in the way in which thev h= e very over this matter. Many rateMv P v= 6 acted take for granted that the BoarrtUf seem to all they do, and consequentlv vni T lB^4, & who if they knew all the y v l te forr men wouldvote against a -I am r ete mStanCes ' %? • April 24, 1903 • v MOpyTEDEWTrro-