THE CITY MAYORALTY

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7110, 23 April 1910, Page 7

THE CITY MAYORALTY

ME AVXLFORD AT NORTHLAND. WORKMEN'S TICKETS-ON TRAM CARS. Mr T. M. Wilford, M.P., addrcfwwl a meeting a t NorthlicnU last night. Mr Appiegarth presided. After again Uaver>ijjg Home of Ui* ground covered at meeting'. M ; W'jlford spoke at length <• oncennng workmen’© return ticket© on workers tfim. He paid that workers' cars trum the suburbs to town should leave tiio suburbs up to S a.in, Any worker who travels to town by snob worker?' car should be entitled to take a return ticket entitling him to return by any car at workoiV rated, otherwise these workers whose hour.’* of labour extend past j o’clock arc debarred Iron* availing tire in .selves of workers’ trams for the return journey. Why should various trades bo penalised U-cauw their lump* of olosmg aro subsequent toop.m.? Kngimid ha*? recognised this system, and it must bo remembered that it* a worker can catch the morning car into tow/i and the vorkers’ tram out ho i-» entitled to the concession, but because ho ain’t get tho workers' tram out he is penalised. Of course, the boarding of tho workers' train in tht? morning before tt o'clock should bo the qualification for tho right of tho return ticket. At tho conclusion of the meeting Mr Wilford received a hearty vote of .thanks and confidence on the motion-of Captain Richardson.

"THE MIRAMAR TAIL AND THE HARBOUR BOARD DOG.” FURTHER EVIDENCE. When speaking at Roseneath on Thursday night Mr Wiilont promised that his' proof as to Mr Crawloi'd's position in regard to the betterment clause of the Harbour Hoard ALiilion Doan Hill could be amplified. He promised to produce such additional proof every evening until the election. He said that he hud au- \ thurity to drop the betterment clause; whou ho saw the Government would not take charge of the Hill until such was given hint by the Harbour Hoard, adding that ho would produce a statement by another member of tho board, Mr F. G. Holton, eouiimiiug his assertions. Mr Holtons statement, written on the 21st inst., was read by Hr Wilford at his- . Northland meeting lust night, it was ns follows “I was a strong advocate for the betterment principle, and wislied such principle embodied in tho Million Loan Hill. Tou had charge of tho Hill in Parliament, and declined to hike charge of it unlesw authority was given you to drop the betterment clause w-hen you deemed it advisable. Tho authority to drop tho betterment clause out of the Hill was given to you, and you took charge of the Bill on that express condition. You were vested with that authority during the timo Mr Crawford was opposing the Hill, and though you did not drop the clause till the last moment I, for one. quite appreciate the reason for your line of action. The- Bill was the Million Loan Hill, not the Two Million loan Bill. The result’of tho board’s determined attitude was that tho Miramar Borough Council had to pay JISOOO in cash and hand over il-iOOO worth of land, which but for the attitude of you, myself and certain other members of tho board would never bavo been effected.” Air Wilford added that he would produce more evidence on the. . point on Monday night, and would prove that the Miramar tail did not Wag the Harbour Board dog after all. "MR WILFORD ON HIS KNEES.” k HARBOUR BOARD AGREEMENT. MR CRAWFORD DISCUSSES THE POSITION. Continuing hie campaign for the city Mayoralty, Mr C. J. Crawford spoke at St. Peter’s schoolroom, Ta Aro, last night. Mr Thompson presiding. ’The Miramar Borough Council’s agreement with the Harbour Board was the. first subject dealt with by Mr Crawford, who said that although, a letter was sent ‘ to him -as Mayor of Miramar, from the chairman of the Harbour Board (Mr Wilford) stating that only ono clause in the proposed BUI referred to Miramar, it afterwards turned out, after the signature was obtained from the Miramar Jouncil, that there were two clauses referring vitally to Miramar. As the ehairman of tho Harbour Board had not m any way excused the apparent trick that had been played, he must be held liable that it was a trick, and not an locident. As to Mr Wilford’s declaxalion that he did not care a snap for the aetterment clause, if anyone would take the trouble to look at page 271 of the 1908 ‘‘Hansard” it would, be found that - on no fewer than three occasions in the some speech Mr Wilford informed the House that tho betterment clause was of tho most vital importance to the Bill and tho Harbour Board. “What,” asked Mr Crawford, “are you to - think of a man who said what ho did- last night, and said what he did in the House two years ago?” (Applause.) In the Bill which passed, not only was the betterment clause struck out, hut an igreemcnt entirely different from the biiginal was embodied in the measure. 'Tho Miramar Borough Council, led by ”. J. Crawford, had absolutely placed Liioma* Ma»°u Wilford on his knees.” Icriarei the speaker. The Miramar Council obtained the agreement for Miramar on absolutely their own term’s, though those terms were fair to all parties. No man had over been more thoroughly beaten than was Ids opponent on that occasion. He noted that his opponent had endeavoured to ridicule the scheme of bringing electrical power from Tauhoronikau river, but Mr Wil- | ford ought to read tho report of that ex- i cellent engineer, the late Air Heyes (formerly anginoor-in-chief of the Public I Works Department) in which the proposal was seriously discussed to bring hydro-electric power from such a long distance ns Waikaremoana, 250 miles. As it cost between 1310,000 and .1317.000 per annum’for coal for the City Council’s stations, it was obvious that the whole question was worth consideration . On tho motion of Mr O’Connell, seconded by Dr Spoor, the candidate was accorded a vote of thanks and confidence. ’ BORROWING ON A HUGE SCALE. "There is no way by which Mr Crawford’s programme of harnessing tho Tanherenikau river, -building a . boat harbour at Island Bay, and wood blocking the streets on short-dated debentures can be carried out except by increasing tho rates and the rents. So long as the electors realise this all is well, but they have only themselves to blame if they do not see that my opponent’s programme spells borrowing on a huge scale, and n heavy increase in rates and rents accordingly. It is the only result possible.”—Mr Wilford at Northland last night. MEETING TO-NIGHT. MnCrawford speaks in Te Aro Churchroom at 8 o’clock this evening. A combined meeting of the men's committees is to he held at Thomson and Brown’s rooms. is the voice of Mr Craw-

ford, but tho utterances ;ltc tho thoughts of others,” said Mr Wilford in hie election address laH evening. LOWER HUTT CONTEST ADDRESS BY MR RUSSELL. Mr W. IL Riiii.'flJ addressed a wall atL«ndcd iii«-olii>K of elector* at Lower Uni t lad, liijrlit. Mr T. 11. Wilson occupied tins cliilir. Tlio speaker droll in detail with stnlornciits m;ulo hy tlie Mayor in a rcmiit nddrcH*. Mr Bunny liatl (•Inulonccd Die cirrectnc.-.* of In- (Mr i!u“holl'w fixurv*. hnt he would n.dc hi* hearers to remember —and ho stated this at, the time —that the figures lie quctod dealt with the position of affairs as ><- Mood five* weeks before the end of the financial year. The figures wore quite accurate. ‘ At the council's meeting on April 11th. accounts amounting to were pn.sscd for payment on the district fund account. Had the council been keeping back accounts in order I ha; better Mute uf things than really. f ’ x : might ai^ear? Mr Bunny claimed to have reduced the debit balance* on the? account, but omitted to mention that Die gas had been costing tho council h*ss. fa two years the cost of gas bad d?Ktr«». u e<i one .shilling per thousand cubic feet. yet there had been. no reduction to the consumer. The difference of Id Ij-etween Die wholesale and retail orico unjustifiable. Mr Bunny had made no attempt at. retrenchment, and had not controverted tho speaker s statement that the rates had been raised. It was a quibble to say that loan rates were fixed bv statute. The streets had been “starved,” and the council that took .office after such a policy had been followed would have to spend twice as much as if the streets had been kept in repair. Air Bunny blamed previous councils for the indebtedness of the lx>rough, yet. it was he who moved the resolution, at a meeting of ratepayers, endorsing tho proposal that the X 52.000 loan should be raised. Because- that loan, was raised through private sources the borough was paying one per cent PTeatcr interest than it need have done. Referring to the .CIO.OOO which the council had proved itself unable to obtain owing to (he repeal of the Loans to Local Bodies Act, the sneaker juiticinated that were he returned his retrenchment policy would enable them to get along without Die loan until September. The speaker had affirmed at his last meeting that Die loan inquiry had cost -.LJOY. Mr Bnn.ny had challenged the statement, but he (tho .speaker) held hy it. He had said that ,XTO7 of the amount was for preparing plans in connection with Die eastern drainage. The necessity of these plans was the direct outcome of the loan inquiry. Air Russell referred further to the minute alteration incident, and affirmed that the word ‘'erased” was written alongside tho alteration, henco ho was right in using. that term. Speaking at a, on Thursday night Air llusselb -.dvocated that part of tho borough receiving more attention. Ho would have, an additional twenty lamps erected and obtain a report on the question of a suspension bridge. Tho candidate received a vote of confidence. EASTBOURNE Air Hobfc will address the electors at McGuire's Hall next Tijceday evening.