THE COMING ELECTIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14644, 1 April 1911, Page 8

THE COMING ELECTIONS.

— ,«»- — — HARBOUR BOARD AFFAIRS. ADMINISTRATION CRITICISED. Four candidates for seats on the Auckland Harbour Board addressed about 600 persons in St. James'e Hall last evening. The meeting had been convened by the Citizens' League, and the president, Mr. W. J. Ralph, presided. Mr. E. W. Alison, who was the first candidate to address the meeting, said that he had no hesitation in declaring that there was no other public body in New Zealand, the affairs of which had been so incapably mismanaged as had those of the Auckland Harbour Board. (Applause.) The Railway Wharf wau boasted to be without equal, but it had not served its purpose, and there was not sufficient depth of water alongside it to berth a laden deepsea steamer. The administration of tho harbour aifairs had been marked by a long series of blunders, culminating in the disaster to the Kaipara, which should have been avoided. Another evidence of incompetency was to bo found in the collapse of a portion of the Freeman's Bay reclamation wall, while every member of the Board had been disgraced by the revelations of mismanagement in the Board's stores department. Mr. Alison also referred to the destruction of the powder ' hJk. Mr. J. H. Bradney, one of the retiring' members of the Board, said that the present scheme of works would have to be carried out, but there was no reason why proved mistakes should not bo rectified. . The extravagance of the Harbour Board was illustrated by the expenditure on three works which were included in the schedulo for the million loan. The estimates for the sheds on the Queen-street Wharf, tho Birkenhead Wharf and counterpoise stage, and the Freeman's Bay reclamation wall had all been exceeded by enormous amounts. Mr. J. E. Taylor, a candidate for the Manukau constituency, said that he considered that the Board could not spend money to greater advantage than in the construction of a canal uniting the eastern and the western harbours. He dealt at great length with his proposals in that connection, though interrupted on several occasions by requests for remarks regarding tho Harbour Board. Mr. Taylor added that the blame for the disaster to the Freeman's Bay reclamation wall had been placed upon the wrong men, and if he was elected ho would endeavour to remove the stigma. (Applause.) Mr. E. E. Cankam, who was announced as a representative of the waterside workers, contended that the waterside ■workers were entitled to many considerations, and that the Board should, when discussing a scheme for new works, consider the claims of the men who would have to berth the vessels under almost insuperable difficulties owing to the bad design of the wharves. Stanchions and chains should bo placed along all the wharves at which vessels were moored, and adequate life-saving appliances provided instead of the iron grapnels which were on the" wharves. Any disputes with the men should, he held, be settled without reference to the Employers* Federation. A vote of thanks was accorded to tho speakers. ROLLS AND CANDIDATES. ELECTORS WITHOUT VOTES. An anomaly lias been discovered in the Harbours Amendment Act which will disfranchise many electors in several counties at the forthcoming elections. Under the schedule no mention is made of town j board and road board districts in the different counties returning members on the new Harbour Board, so that the town and road board electors in those,, .counties that have a county council hava no 'county vote. A large number of electors will thus be disfranchised, and J although the anomaly will no doubt bo I • remedied, many people will bo deprived of j the privilege of voting this year. j There are now 653 names oa the Auck- I land Board's roll of payers of dues on j goods, and 101 on* the roll of payers of . dues on ships. Twenty citizens met Mr. J. M. Mennie yesterday morning, and gained his consent to their request that ho slwi'd allow himself to be nominated for reaction to the City Council. Meters. C. J. Parr, W. E. Hutchison,, and Leo Myers were the spokesmen. Mr. Mennio said that he had intended to retire from civic affairs, but he could not disregard the wishes of such a representative gathering, and would accept nomination, Mr. HI). Heather, who was formerly . a member of the Auckland Harbour Board, will be a candidate at the approaching election. Mr. Heather will stand as an independent candidate. Messrs. J. C. "Spedding and W. C. Somers will be candidates at the Harbour Board election for the position of representatives of payers of dues on ships. At the annual meeting of the A. and P. Association yesterday, the outgoing presi- ' dent (Mr. I. Gray) presented to Mr. J. G. . Rutherford a largely-signed requisition from members and other electors, requesting him to become a candidate for the ' Manukau district in the coming Harbour • Board election. In acceding to the re- j quest Mr. Rutherford said that if elected ' the canal scheme would receive hie sup- ; port. . At a special meeting of the Manurewa , branch of the Auckland Farmers' Union . held on Thursday night, it was decided to ; request Captain Colbeck to become a candidate for the representation of tho Manu- ' kau Council on the Auckland Harbour 1 Board. Captain Colbeck has acceded to the request. , j Mr. W. J. Holdsworth, Mayor of Grey < Lynn, announces that he will be a candi- j date at the forthcoming Harbour Board , election. It was stated at the meeting held by the , Citizens' League last evening, that Mr. R. , F. Moore would not be a candidate for : the Harbour Board. , - ■'\ The following candidates will represent , the "progressive" party in connection i with the Onehunga municipal election :— Mayoralty: Mr. John Rowe. Council , Messrs. W. Colledge, seh.j C. C. Davis, R. Dillkar, T. 11, Horn, C. A. Osborne, .. H. Irwin, I. Lomas, J. Simpson, and S. "] Skinner. ; . '. ~ Mr. John G. Kay announces himself as '. a candidate for the Birkenhead Mayoralty, j Mr. Edward Turner will be a candidate for a seat on tho Mount Albert Borough , Council. :