THE MAYORAL ELECTIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 14972, 20 April 1912, Page 8

THE MAYORAL ELECTIONS.

CONFIDENCE IN MR. PARR. A HOSTILE AMENDMENT. DEFEATED AT PONSONBY. Cordial endorsement of the candidature of Mr. C. J. Parr for the Mayoralty of the city was given by a meeting in the Windsor Rink, Ponsonby, last evening. Tho hail wm crowded, many people being unable to gain admission, and the small element of opposition was overwhelmed by the majority, which carried a vote of confidence in Mr. Parr. Mr. R. Tudehope, a member of the City Council, presided. Mr. Parr was greeted with very hearty applause. He said ho confidently relied upon the ©lectors to judge between himself and his critics. All sorts of charges of omission and commission had boon made against him, upon such slender grounds that a few minutes* inquiry by his opponent would have shown that they wero without foundation. Typical of these allegations was the statement that tho expenses of his recent visit to Australia had been borne by the ratepayers. As a fact, it was a holiday, for which ho had paid himself. Finances of the City. He had been charged with having I floated tho city loans at an exorbitant late, and when lie replied that the loans j had not been floated, the complaint was , changed, and he was charged with failnro j to effect a flotation. Mr. Parr gave his j assuraneo that when tho money was i wanted, tho loans would bo raised on satisfactory terms, unless tho operation was handicapped by the introduction of an unstable and uncertain element in the administration of the city's affairs. • The London financiers were not fools; they were watching * events in New Zealand, and he would not pledge the City Council to raiso a single penny of the loans, if that unstable and uncertain element was allowed to gain a victory at tho election. (Applause.) Mr. Parr continued that ho been charged with a grossly illegal action in letting a contract for tho construction of tho shelly Beach baths when tho loan for the work had not been raised. Already £10,000 had been subscribed and offered for the municipal baths, and £5000 of that amount was for the baths at Shelly Beach. A cheque from the loan money could bo given at any time it was wanted. Another statement that had been published broadcast was that the city waß bankrupt, and that its finance® were in a horrible mess. On the previous evening, he was informed by tho city treasurer that instead of bankruptcy there was a credit balance of £35,106. (Applause.) The Interests of all Classes. To the criticism that in the. past year the City Council had done nothing, Mr. Parr replied that it had done more than any other Council during the past 14 j ears. As a result of its activity the sanitation of the city had been so improved that for the first time in four years tfts month of March had passed without a single case of plague in the city. (Applause.) The cleansing of the} city" nady been carried out in the interests of all classes, and the system of Sanitation brought into operation by the Cdonfill was for tho benefit of the rich and the n* jor. Yet the electors were being asked to sanction the policy of an organisation which boasted that without a moment's not^» e it could disable every municipal tervj&e by calling out the workers, and so iEiperil the health of the community. ;.<-"• 1 for the People. 1 Mr. Parr explained -.the directions in : which th© loans authorised last year would bo ( expended, his remarks on this subject being frequently applauded. A big programme had been commence*!? ana the Council was in' the midst of important operations; since tho Mayor was in the position of managing director of the municipal business it 'was for the electors to decide whether they would not be acting unwisely in refusing him another term of office, in which to complete the work with which " they had entrusted him. He had the sympathy and the support of practically every member of the City Cotmcil, and that co-operation would not be given to the policy dictated by the Federation of Labour. Mr. Parr mentioned Mr. Scrapie's threat that by a general strike I he would paralyse the Dominion,' and j someone interjected, Good for him." "That is -the disorderly element I am | fighting to-day," Mr. Parr replied,, amidst -great applause. " I am standing for peaceful and constitutional methods, and it is for the electors to say whether they prefer the brute force and the terrorism of a noisy and intolerant section." ; Mr. Parr then described tho proceedings of the local bodies in connection with the Federation of Labour's demands, and said the electors were now threatened with a general strike if the present Mayor was returned. He ridiculed the challenge, expressing his opinion that the organisation, drunk with victory, would caU a strike in a week; upon the very ground that the people had given their endorsement, There was continued applause when Mr. Parr closed his speech. A Vote ol Confidence. Several questions were answered by Mr. Parr, and Mr. H. N. Bagnall then proposed a motion expressing appreciation of the valuable services rendered to the city by Mr. Parr, and expressing thanks and confidence. This was seconded by Mr. James Macdermott. . •' Mr. Arthur Roaaer proposed an amendment in the following terms :—" In view of tho action of Mr. Parr as Mayor of this city, in fostering the interests of one class against another, this meeting thanks him for coming out into the open to speak to the people, but has no confidence in him for another 12 months." On a show of hands, tho amendment was defeated by a very largo majority, and the motion was carried with cheers for Mr. Parr.

The following motion, proposed by Mr, Robert Armigor, and seconded by Mr. 8, D. Hanna, was also carried by a large majority " That this meeting of citizens of Auckland expresses its strong disap proval of the unclean and contemptible campaign of misrepresentation directed against the Chief Magistrate of the city, and urge-? all self-respecting and fair* minded citizens to show their opinion on this matter by returning Mr. Parr by an overwhelming majority on election day." The meeting closed with cheers for Mr. Pan-.