MAYORAL ELECTIONS

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10441, 22 April 1912, Page 1

MAYORAL ELECTIONS

MR H. HOLLAND'S CANDIDATURE,

ADDRESS IN VICTORIA SQUARE. Mr H. Holland addressed a well-at-tended meeting in Victoria Square on Saturday evening. Mr H. Hunter, who presided, in introducing Mr Holland, eulogised the work done on the City Council by the Labour members. In electing Mr Holland they would elect a friend of tho working classes. This could not bo said of the other candidates.

Mr Holland said that in Christchurch they had a very fine city, and should cultivate a spirit of being proud of it. They had tepid baths and and an abattoir which were unsurpassed in the Australian States. The rivet Avon was a fine asset, and the gardens and Museum challenged comparison. But they were not to conclude that there was nothing left to be done. Much had been accomplished by the City Council in the past, but much yet remained.

With regard to local bodies, the candidate stated that in his opinion there were far too many. During the past year the gross income of the city was £102,000. With payments to one local body and another half of this had gone, and there had been very little left for improvement schemes when all demands had been met. He believed in the amalgamation of all' the local bodies right down to the sea. At present five or six were doing work which should be done by one. The tramways should be managed by the City Council. They had a tramway system equal to any in New Zealand, but it should not be extended any further until it was paying its way. The Tramway Board was continually clashing with the Drainage Board and other local bodies. As an instance, he might mention that a piece of experimental tarred macadam had had to be torn lip by the Tramway Board to enable it to run a duplicate line. It was that sort of thing which caused the streets to be continually broken up, to the inconvenienco of the public. He urged the people of Christchurch to insist on a road scheme. If they had adopted Mr Taylor's scheme it would have effected a saving of £175,000. They were spending at present £21,000 a year on the roads, but if the scheme were jyluit it was represented, it would mean a saving of £7OOO a year for twenty-five years. Under present conditions they could not touch tho roads, but the £7OOO a year saved would enable them to do things they could not do at present. He wanted to see the footpaths improved, for they were as important as the roads, since more people travelled on them. Fourteen years ago the footpaths were in the-same condition as they were present. Even if the road scheme were not carried, it would pay the citizens to borrow, say, £BOOO for the footpaths, and tho saving in repairs would recoup them. They should get an up-to-date tar mixer and distiller, instead of mixing by hand, and with the by-products of distillation ' they would make enough money to' pay for the whole thing. In one matter the oandidate said lie had been unreported. Ho had never Btateci that he would sell electricity at such a price as to cut the prices of gas in half. That would be a- ridiculous statement. But he had said that he would try to do so. It was impossible for one man to do it, but with their help ho could. With the Lake Coleridge scheme in operation, he was officially authorised to say that t-hev could get power for 2d a unit, and light for 3d a unit. They were now paying 6d a. unit for light, and if they it at the lower price he did not think that gas could compete with it. He had never stated that gas was dearer in Christchurch than anywhere else 111 New Zealand. What he had said was that it was dearer than in any of the large cities, and ho queited figures to prove his statement. The idea of inspection of gas meters was his idea, although it had been adonted bv one of his opponents as his own. The Gas Company was the only private company allowed to s&'l things without having them officially measured. For the watering of tho streets, tho city was paying £2OOO a year. The cost of cleaning the streets in the Central Ward was £1669 19s 6d. Now, if they had dustless surfaces they would not have half the mud to collect, and that was - another argument for the road scheme. If they did not go m for a road scheme there would lia-se to bo an increase in the rates. He regarded every man and woman as a ratepayer, whether he carried money to the Council offices or not, for every purchaser was a ratepayer, and every vendor a collector for the City Council. At the conclusion of his address. Mr Holland was unanimously accorded a hearty vote of thanks and confidence.