THE MAYORALTY

Southland Times, Issue 17918, 25 April 1917, Page 6

THE MAYORALTY

CANDIDATES’ ADDRESSES.

MR McFARLANE’S ADDRESS,

There was a large attendance at the Victoria Hall last evening, where the retiring Mayor (Mr D. McFarlane) and the Labour candidates addressed a meeting, in fact numbers were turned away owing to insufficient accommodation. Mr T. D. Lennie, Chairman of the Works Committee, who presided, said that he had pleasure in doing so, although lie wanted It to be distinctly understood that ho was not taking sides on the question as to which candidate for the Mayoralty would succeed. He was doing so as a matter of courtesy, and lie desired to pay a tribute to the work that the retiring Mayor had done, and, more especially, ’ the work done by the Mayoress (Mrs D. McFarlane). Mr McFarlane, who was received with applause, prefaced his remarks by uttering a complaint against the attitude of the newspapers in not furnishing reports of the utterances of the candidates for municipal honours. Referring tc his own case, he said that he had paid a. considerable amount in advertising and had had no chance of speaking to the people through the press, which, he considered, was very, very unfair indeed. He had been consistently attacked on each occasion that he had stood for Mayor by the Southland Times. YV hy such attacks should have been made upon him he did not know, but despite them he was going to be returned at the top of the poll on the morrow.—(Applause.) Referring to the tramways, Mr McFarlane said that they had now been In vogue for five years, and the business done last year had been greater than during any year preceding it. The revenue had increased considerably, but the Increased revenue had been absorbed by the extra, cost of material, wages, bonuses, etc. The electric light business was increasing rapidly. There were nearly 1000 consumers, and electric motors were in general use in the various businesses and industries of the town, while the department also supplied current for the waterworks and sewerage pumps. He defended the construction of the loop or double line in Conon street, and referring to the gasworks said that that department hail more than held its own, notwithstanding the adverse conditions prevailing in the increased cost of all raw materiol, labour, etc. The Corporation was likely to get over the difficulty of importing fireas a local firm had commenced to manufacture them. Coke sales were £l5O better, but tar sales were less than last year. When the profit and loss account was available this department would show great progress. To his mind the reclamation work had never been in a satisfactory position. Had the Council taken his advice, and purchased the privileges in connection with the tramline to the Oreti river, the trams would have been an accomplished fact before now. Certainly, the position was becoming better. Fifty acres of reclaimed land had' already been sown in grass, and the new jetty was proving of great convenience for the shipping of goods, and it was of great value to the business people. He had had associated with him daring his term of office gentlemen who had at the Council table given him every possible support, while at the same time looking after the interests of the ratepayers in every re- j spect. Bathing had now become a fav- \ ourit© pastime amongst all classes of the community, and although something had been done in the past to further it, he hoped that much more would be done In the future, including the erection of tepid baths. He solicited their support •with confidence, as he had tried to do his duty in# the past for the benefit of the town, and for the boys who were fighting for them during the war. On every occasion he had identified himself With all the activities for the good and welfare of our soldiers, to whom he had pledged himself that he would be Mayor of Invercargill on their return. Should they favour him by re-electing him, they would not find him wanting. The past term had been one of very little progress owing to the war, and the Council could not be blamed, in the circumstances, on that account. —(Applause.) Mr McFarlane answered a number of questions, after which the Labour candidates, Messrs T. O'Byrne, YV. H. Newall, K. N. Ridd, and H. J. Farrant, gave short addresses, each being well received. Mr Farrant thanked. Mr McFarlane lor his courtesy In giving the! Labour candidates on opportunity to address such a large audience, and a vote of thanks by acclamation was accorded him by those present, on the motion of Mr %TcGregor.

MR STEAD SPEAKS. Mr W. B. Scan cl re tt held the chair in the Municipal Theatre last night, when Mr Jno. Stead addressed a fair number Of electors. Mr Stead commenced by telling his audience it at it was absolutely necessary to the welfaxe of the town that they should be most careful to select good councillors and a capable chairman. In his campaign he did not wish to cast personal reflections on anyone. If he could not win the fight by playing cleanly, then he would prefer defeat. He wanted to act in such a way that the •lectors would have just as good an •pinion of him on Thursday morning as they had last night. When it came to the choice of a Mayor they needed a man experienced in municipal matters. He Claimed to have that experience. He had learned his municipal politics in the Invercargill Council branch of the school •f experience. Touching on municipal activities, Mr Stead first made reference to the reclamation work which had been commenced •ix years ago and had by this time reached an advanced stage. When the ■work was completed about 2500 acres cf previously waste land would have been recovered from the western side cf the stream, while the value of another 2000 acres of privately-owned land lying behind would be doubled if not trebled. He had had a good deal to do with the work, and he had often felt a little depressed when he thought of the expenditure. But they had to have outlay before they could get return, and •be looked forward to the time in the near future when that whole area would bo high and dry. Already they had 100 ; seres of it sown in grass. In addition, 125 acres on the town side of the stream Was being reclaimed, which land should be worth £IOOO an acre. Touching on accompanying harbour improvements, the speaker said that the Council’s justification for having built the new wharf was that a good wharf, by doing away With the railway freight from the port, would indirectly save the ratepayers of the town £IOOO a year. The ultimate *im of the reclamation scheme was the building up of all the mud flats and the beautification of the river up to what was known as the DeviTs Pool. There was not the slightest doubt that it Would be the means of giving to the Citizens of Invercargill a splendid heritage. The bathing pastime had taken on a new lease of life in the summer. (■Well. the various swimming spots would be brightened up as a result of the reclamation work. There was provision made for a round drive from the Post Office out to and along Bay road, then along the embankment to the wharf and along Tweed street. A light railway could be run from the wharf along the fc reshore, too, to the gasworks, whereby the cost of the COOO or 7000 tons of gas coal used every year would be materially lessened. Speaking of the Fire Brigade, the candidate touched on the Southland League’s suggestion that a Fire Board be appointed in Invercargill. He felt that before the League went the length it had, it •houid have consulted the Council, which haul Fire Board evidence on hand. After considering that evidence, the committee had decided that, in the circumstances, it would be an unwise move to change at present. Fire Boards had rating power and the committee held that the ratepayers would have a heavier burden to hear under a Board than at present. In any case they had a splendid Fire Brigade and one of which they were justly proud. The only way in which it might be improved was by the appointment of professional members. With regard to the waterworks, he had always been an advocate of gravitation. but he was not one of those who saw no good in the other side. Ho had taken his stand In the first place because of the discoloration of the pumped water, but during his term as Mayor In 1899 he had been the means of having the aeration system Installed since when the water had been as pure as they could wish for. Furthermore, expert advice said that there was an inexhaustible supply simply waiting to be tapped. Notwithstanding that, however, he was of opinion that it might be advisable, when funds became more plentiful, to Install an auxiliary and gravitation system from the Dunsdale, where Jhe Council had its reserves, as astand-

by in case of strike or other cause whereby pumping power wonld not be available. Dealing with finance, Mr Stead said that the borough rates had been lowered because the valuation had gone up. Had the old rates been adhered to the inciease in revenue last year would have been between £6OOO and £7OOO, the actual increase was about £ISOO, which the Council allowed for progress and utilised in wiping off some of the accumulated debts. They must admit that their different Councils had managed the Council's finances very satisfactorily. They had a debt of somewhere about £600,000, for which they were paying only £4 11/- per cent. They now had a prospect of investing some of the late Mr Feldwick's money in debentures bearing 5 % per cent., which was more than they had expected. With regard to their own debentures it might he alarming to hear that those which had been issued at par wore being quoted and sold in Rondon for £S3 10/-. There was nothing wrong, however. The position was that these debentures carried only ■l x k per cent., while it was an easy matter to get 7 per cent, at Home just now. Therefore investors were realising on low dividend scrip and -investing in 7 per cents. As a result of this they had obtained permission of the Public Trustee to expend £IO,OOO of their funds in buying up these debentures whereby they would effect a saving of about £ISOO. The Town Clerk deserved the credit for that, since the suggestion had been his. The Ahenaeum was one of the Council's new departments ,and lie felt sure that the wisdom of taking it over was becoming more clear every day. He hoped before long to see it with its endowments self-supporting, and the library open to all oh payment of a purely nominal fee. Mr Stead touched on several of the leading events of his “reign” in '99, and replied to the rumours that he was inteiestcd in Surrey Park or Otatara and so working tramways ‘‘to his own end,” with emphatic denials. In conclusion the speaker referred to the present Mayor's expressed desire to be on the platform as chief citizen to welcome the "boys” horn. Unfortunately ho wouldn’t be able to welcome them ail home to New Zealand, but it seemed to Mr Steacl that it would not matter who was in the chair at the welcome so long as it was of ,thc heartiest. Mr McFarlane had rendered good service, and his good lady had done splendid work—none but those who had followed ti knew the amount which she had done. Anyone who followed Mrs McFarlane worn! have a high standard to ive up to. but he felt that Stead and his partner could HU the bill. Eight Steads had donned the khaki (3 of them his .own sous) and he had 21 nephews with the colours. Mr McFarlane had had a good run, and since a number of people were of opinion that the moratorium idd not extend to the Mayoralty, he (the speaker) considered that it was time someone else got a show. —(Laughter.) If elected he would do his best —no man could do more—in the interests of the town, and he held that he had been perfectly justified in listening to the requosition and the promises of support made him and consenting to nomination. On the motion of Messrs Scandrett and Crosby Smith, Mr Stead, whose address had beexi punctuated with applause throughout, was accorded a hearty vote of thanks and, no Council candidate availing himself of the invitation to speak, the meeting closed with the usual vote to the chair.