WAIMATE.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 18865, 1 May 1931, Page 10

WAIMATE.

] MAYORAL ELECTION. 1 The election campaign for the Mayoralty opened in Waimate on Wednesday night, when Mr Forbes Wallace j addressed a meeting of Borough elec- j tors at Olympia Hall. There were up- j wards of 400 people present, and the speaker was given an excellent reception, applause being frequent during an address which lasted about seventy minutes. Mr W. E. Evans, who was in the chair, stated that Mr Wallace, having polled over 700 votes out of a total of 970 voters at the last election, required no introduction to those present, but he would like them to give him a patient hearing. Mr Wallace prefaced his remarks by thanking the audience for turning out in such large numbers to hear what he had to say about the affairs of the Borough. He felt at the start like Mark Twain, who. at the outset of his career, had given a lecture and had pasted over the entrance to the hall a sign reading “Doors open 7.30 p.m. Trouble begins at 8.” He felt that there was an outside possibility that he might be Mayer, and a wise man made preparations for eventualities. Mr Wallace then gave a short sketch of his career, stating that he had been educated at Edinburgh. and afterwards apprenticed to law which he later practised for three years in that city. He left the Old Country and came to New Zealand and started farming at Hook, later taking over a property at Redcliff which he still retained. For family reasons he removed into Waimate, and started in business seven years ago. After five years of residence he thought he should do something for the Borough in the way of service in return for residential privileges, and so joined Mr Dash’s ticket and was elected to the Council as a protege of the Mayor. Up to that time he had thought that he knew the Mayor pretty well, but apparently he was greatly mistaken. Just prior to the election, Mr Wallace alleged, a gentleman was approached , by the Mayor and was told by him that he would be of great assistance on the , Finance Committee of the Council. The ■ man became a candidate, was elected, but the speaker was surprised to find , at the first meeting of the Council that , this gentleman’s name did not appear on the Finance Committee on the typewritten list brought to the meeting by the Mayor. The speaker soon found 1 that the Mayor wanted to be the whole • Council, and to run everything in con- } nection w r ith Council affairs. Take for 1 instance, the Bush Hut. A committee , had been appointed to investigate whe- j ther the hut was suitable as a jubilee : memorial, and had reported adversely, j In spite of this, to his amazement, the - Mayor had caused the hut to be shifted j to Belt Street. A deputation of the J residents of that vicinity had waited on ] the Mayor and asked to have the hut ( removed, but had been told by the 3 Mayor something which the speaker J could not repeat at a public meeting. The citizens then waited on the Coun- j cil, and some of the Councillors had ( agreed to pay for the removal of the i hut. Discussing the question, the Mayor j had said that he had “engineered” the ! ] Council, and had later said that he was j ] ashamed of the Councillors. The - speaker did not like being engineered, i j and did not like being felt ashamed of. j j Then came the jubilee and the Jubilee j . booklet, in which the name of the i Mayor appeared 27 times. At a Coun- i cil meeting after the celebrations. Mr Wallace said he had asked the Mayor to withdraw the objectionable terms referred to, but Mr Dash immediately got up and told the Council that they should have known that he was overwrought. He then worked himself up into a torrent of rage, and called the Town Clerk a lazy blighter. The speaker had drawn the Mayor’s attention to the fact of reporters taking down his remarks, but the Mayor replied that he did not care who was pre- I sent. "They all knew the Town Clerk was a lazy blighter, but he was the only one who had the ‘guts’ to say so.” Mr Dash later called on the speaker and asked what was best to be done, and Mr Wallace had told him that there was nothing he could do but withdraw the objectionable words. The Mayor later called and stated that a man was going about doing his best to injure Waimate and to stir up strife amongst the Councillors. Mr Wallace had told him that he knew of no such man, and Mr Dash had replied “The man is in your office every day.” He had then further stated that the man was on probation to go to Waipiata Sanatorium with T. 8., and that if he were continued to be allowed to visit the office there was a likelihood that he would infect the Wallace children. Next Council meeting the Mayor had made “a sort of an apology.” He brought j forward a “ruling” stating that a reporter of the “Timaru Herald” had | committed a grave breach of in com- I mittee privilege, such as was fortun- I ately seldom ever heard of. The speaker ' had immediately objected, and stated j that it was for the Council to say if | the reporter was out of order. He (the \ speaker), was ruled out of order. At the next meeting he had objected to j the minutes as the “ruling” was in- | eluded. On the casting vote of the Mayor the minutes were passed, and ; the speaker was told that he could give I notice of motion on the matter. This j was done, and at the following meeting he was asked to allow his notice of motion to be taken last instead of first on the agenda, and when the time came to discuss it the Mayor refused to accept it, and said it was out of order on eight counts. The speaker then called a special meeting of the Council to consider the Standing Orders. On the morning of the meeting he had met Councillor Robinson, who suggested arbitration on the points at issue. He had agreed to arbitration, and at the meeting Councillor Robinson had the questions to be arbitrated upon on a slip of paper in his own ' hand-writing. On seeing them, Mr Wallace had said he had not thought them fair, and Mr Dash had remarked that Councillor Wallace was hard to please. He asked to see the questions again, and had asked the Mayor if he had seen them before. Mr Dash replied: “I drew them up.” (Laughter.)

Mr Wallace next referred to a leader which had appeared at this time in the “Daily Advertiser.” The speaker I had written to a paper for 20 years, and j knew from experience that it was most I difficult to disguise one’s style of writ- j ing. One could frequently tell who j wrote an article from the style. Now, in regard to the leading article referred to. the speaker had said at the Council meeting that the leader was over the bounds of fair criticism. Mr j Dash replied: “I have not seen the | article.” After the meeting he con- J fronted the Mayor, and asked him what , he meant by stating such an obvious I lie. The Mayor’s reply was: “I did not 1 see the article. My son read it to me.” Mr Wallace next passed on to the Mayor’s manifesto at the last election, which read as follows: (1) “Now money has fallen to s'i per cent, continue the next stage of the sewerage as planned, but forbidden by the Loans to Local Bodies Boards.”— “How much drainage had been done? None.” said Mr Wallace. (2) “Provide more available water by storage, or other means, and the laying of pipe lines for fuller supply from the reservoir. (Both these can be done now we have the Borough finances in a healthy condition, without increasing I the rates.)”—“So far very little has ‘

been done,” was the speaker’s comment. (3) “Top-dress and seal the main highway along the Gorge Road to the Borough boundaries. Continue the policy of tar-sealing roads and paths to the fullest possible extent.”—ln regard to this Item. Mr Wallace said that the only part of the programme fulfilled i was on the Gorge Road, and they all ! knew what a beautiful job had been I made of that. (i) “Consideration of a loan to kerb and channel back streets with a view of submission to ratepayers.”—“So far as I know,” said the speaker, “nothing whatever has been done in this matter and not one foot of kerbing or channelling has been done for six years.” (5) “Obtain the assistance of the Director of Town Planning to complete the planning of the Borough."— “Nothing has been done in this matter either,” said Mr Wallace. (6) “Continuation of improvements in reserves and continue the conservation of scenic value.” (7) “Continuation of the publicity campaign which has done so much for Waimate." The speaker said that a good deal had been done in regard to scenic reserves, and referring to publicity, asked had it f>bne anything for Waimate. He was not a betting man, but he was prepared to wager that the population was less now than six years ago. Were the business places increasing? (a voice: “Yes. Two Chinamen.”) “It is all very well,” said Mr Wallace, “to talk about progress, but why skite about progress when it is not there?” Continuing in regard to publicity the speaker touched on the Mayor’s method in this direction, and instanced the publicity Waimate got from the Power Board. Commenting on Mr Dash's methods. Mr Wallace said that he seemed to get everybody by the ears. He referred to a member of the Board as hiding behind tombstones and spitting on his brother’s grave. “That’s the publicity we get there.” In the Mayor’s manifesto he had asked the electors to give him the men he wanted, and not to elect the four men opposed to him if they wanted the work done. Of those he did not want on the Council, one, he said, would live to have his name spat upon; another ex-Councillor he called a doped worm. The speaker said he had seen the Mayor at a Council meeting worse doped with anger than anyone he had ever seen with alcohol. Mr Wallace then read over a list of the nine Councillors whom Mr Dash had asked to have elected, and who were elected. Three had resigned, three had seen reason not to offer themselves for re-election, and only three were left. At the coming election were four candidates who, according to the Mayor, they should not vote fro. Were all these men mugs, or was there something wrong with the Mayor? In the manifesto, the Mayor said that prior to him taking office the rates had been doubled in six years, and he had stated that in his four years of office there had been no increase in rates, and that £I,OBO had been added to the cash balances “out of saving from revenue.” £I,OOO worth of buildings had been erected in the four years of his office, and the Council had paid £550 “out of saving in revenue.” These items were supposed to show a betterment of £2.532 to the Borough out of revenue without any increase in rates. Now what actually happened was that a rate was struck for a £3OO payment on a sewerage loan during Mr Evans’s term of office, on the understanding that the rate would be taken off the following year. It never had been taken off, and in six years the ratepayers had paid £IBOO, which they had not been entitled to do. If they had all this money, Mr Wallace said, there should certainly not be an increase but a decrease in the rates. In the Mayor’s latest financial statement issued a few. days ago. he had stated that income had increased to £974 per annum, and expenditure to £467, leaving a credit balance of £307 per annum. This i meant approximately £3.000 in six years, and the main items in building expenditure were the Plunket Rooms (contributed to by other bodies', the pavilion at Victoria Pajrk (contributed to by sports bodies), and the caretaker’s residence at the Park, which was a silly stupid item. (“Hear, hear.”) Mr Wallace said that there were unfor* tunately many suitable residences in the Borough which could be bought fof much less money. It was all right it they had money to burn, but in th<3 circumstances he thought that some of the cash would be better returned to the ratepayers. He next touched on Kelsy’s Bush “the Mayor’s baby.” One could go along the Hunter Hills, close to Waimate. and see any amount of bush just as good as Kelsy’s. (A voice: “Better.") There were no less than five bridges over the creek at Kelsy’s, and if they had the Mayor much longer we would | have 55. If the speaker were on the I Council he would not attempt to be j the whole Council. He would have 1 j one vote, and that vote would be cast ! against any more money being spent at : Kelsy’s Bush. (Prolonged applause). | Colonel Dawson, of the Health Departj ment, had reported that there was far 1 too much foetal matter in the water | at Kelsy’s, and the speaker knew that I a local doctor boiled the water in his ‘ house on that account. Touching on ; the water supply, Mr Wallace said that j in the original scheme the pipes in the J mains were defective, and if too mucli pressure were put on these pipes they would burst, and involve the public in big expense. He was of opinion that in the present scheme of improvements they were starting at / e wrong end. The Waimate silo could, he understood, be purchased for a song, and doubtless, a scheme could be evolved whereby it could be used as an extra water reservoir. Mr Wallace then announced his platform as follows: — “Reduction in rates.” “To consider the advisability of exploiting the silo as a water storage reservoir, but in any case to be exceedj ingly careful in the matter of handling the Borough supply, as money may be easily wasted.” “To develop sewerage extension, which has been at a standstill for years.” ! “The consideration of acquiring an abattoir.”

“To push on kerbing and channelling I in some of the main streets.” “To encourage at the Council table at atmosphere of goodwill and fellowship, so that every Councillor will have | ample opportunity of expressing him- i self for the benefit of the Burgesses whose representative he is.” Before closing, Mr Wallace said that no matter which candidates were elected, he felt sure he would get on with them all. It had been no pleasure to wash the Mayor’s dirty linen, but he would not be trod upon by Mr Dash. If the people thought the Mayor an honest man. then they might elect him. 1 The speaker did not care whether they elected him or not, but if put into office he would do his best in every possible manner for all sections of the community, and serve them faithfully and 1 well. Questions. The only question asked was whether Mr Wallace favoured a Thursday or' Saturday half holiday, to which the I speaker replied that the question would be answered by the people at the poll. ! At the conclusion of the meeting a hearty vote of thanks was passed to the candidate by acclamation. WOMEN'S INSTITUTE. A meeting of the Waihaorunga Women’s Institute -was held at the house of the president (Mrs A. Armstrong). who presided over a good attendance of members. The resignation of Mrs C. Craighead, who had left the district, was regret- 1 fully received. A report of the proceedings of the Canterbury Federation’s meeting at Geraldine was given by the delegates (Mesdames Hurst, MacKenzie. and A. Armstrong), who foqnd that there was great inspiration of good-wall and help in A demonstration of papier machs. learnt at the Federation meeting and given by Mrs i Hurst, was much appreciated, as were i the samoles kindly lent bv Mrs Bren- j ton, of Orari. A competition, a plate j of six pieces of shortbread, judged by popular vote, was won by Mrs W. Armstrong. The main feature of the meeting was an old-fashioned dress parade, in which the greater number present were attired in costumes dating back from an 1850 cape and bonnet, to a 1910 , wedding dress. The meeting closed with votes of thanks to the delegates to Geraldine, j to Mrs Hurst and Mrs A. Armstrong, j and the singing of “Pack Up Your i Troubles.”

This is a seller —Seven Acres Free- j hold, near to town, heavy land, sound j 3-1-oomed house. good cowoails and pigstyes and accommodation for 1000 fowls. Price £7OO. Cash required £250. FORBES WALLACE. Auctioneer. Box 47. Waimate.