MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10753, 26 April 1913, Page 8

MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.

MR HOLLAND'S STEWARDSHIP. THE CITIZENS' ASSOCIATION AND Mil TAYLOR'S ROAD SCHEME. MR J. M'COMBS IN REPLY. At his moctin?!; in Lin wood last night Mr M'G'ombs referred to Mr Hollands reply to his criticism that nothing had boon done during tho whole year to bring- forward Mr Taylor's comprohen-. fiivo road formation sdioine. He said that after reading the account of tho M.ayor's etc wardship, which was stuffed full of trivialities, ho could quite think that Mr Holland was sincere in believing that ho has br.en doing something towards Mr Taylor's road schemo in having two miles of tar macadam streets laid down during his year of ofiice, but luo &aid that tho policy ol' piecemeal construction out ol revenue which was being pursued was tho very policy which was advocated by tho Citizens' Association in opposition to Mr Taylor's statesmanlike proposal. Tho construction of a mile or t»o a year ol tar macadam roads would mean that it would take twenty years and more before tho Uiirty-nnie miles proposed to be done would be completed. As a matter of fact, it would nover be completed—the traction engine route 3 would have to be relaid twice during the twenty years, and the heavy traiho mutes onc-o.

Mr M'Combs, continuing, said that 1 had Mr Holland studied Mr Taylor's scheme he would liave found that special provision was made lor this relaying. A sum of £2091 was to be set asido each year to twice reconstruct in tho twenty years the eight miles fiftyseven chains of traction-engine routes, and a sum of £2*239 10s was also to bo set aside each year to reconstruct onoo the eighteen miles fifty-three chains of heavy traffic streets. The total amount proposod to be set aside each year for reconstruction purposes was £4030 10a, or a total of £86,610 in the twenty years, and if this fund were kept going after the twenty years when the loan was repaid, Christchurch would have good streets in perpetuity. '' The construction of two miles of tar macadam in ono year is certainly a record,' ho said, ■' but one can see how futile is the effort even at this rate to ov-ertaiio the thirtvnine miles that are to be done, when it is remembered that thirty-five ana. a half miles have to be every twenty years. As a matter of fact, the work could never be overtaken, and the savings outlined in Air Taylor's scheme would never be effected. We must demand the whole scheme, and nothing but the scheme, if this generation of ratepayers are to enjoy good roads. The interest, the sinking fund, the above provision for periodic reconstruction, were all to be . provided for out of the sum that was annually spent in maintaining these roads under our present makeshift policy of road formation.

''The estimates were certif-ad to by the city surveyor arid city treasurer, an<l were conornied by a leading accountant in this city. They showed that the reduction in maintenance which would be effected with properly constructed roads would result in a saving to the city of £10,752 for the first year, £8826 for the second year and £6819 for the third year, and thereafter of £6760 per annum." To secure • this enormous saving in maintenance, and give the citizens of Christchiu'ch good roads forthwith, Mr Taylor proposed that the construction should be carried, out in three years, because only after the whole of the roads were completed would the full saving in maintenance be effected, and if Mr Holland really thought that his tinkering, piecemeal construction of tar macadam roads bore any resemblance to Mr Taylor's statesmanlike and comprehensive plan, then the sooner the city had a man in the mayoral ohair who had a clearer comprehension of the situation, the better it would be for the rate pa .vera and the citizens generally. Mr M'Oombs aaid that Mr Holland's stock excuse, that " more important works are to be carried out first," certainly should not apply to a proposal which means a saving of £7OOO annually of the ratepayers' money, and that the trifling, but very necessary, undertakings which were enumerated in the account of his stewardship could not be considered " more important works." This loss of thousands of pounds per annum of the ratepayers' money was Mr Taylor's reason for wanting to end the waste at the soonest possible moment. If it were thought inadvisable to submit two loan proposals to the electors at once, then Mr Taylor's scheme, which was all ready, should have bean submitted at the beginning of the year, and tho Lake Coleridge scheme later oa.

SOCIAL DEMOCRATS AT RUGBY STREET.

AN EXPLANATION BY MR M'BRIDE.

At a meeting held in the Rugby Street schoolroom last night, Mr T. J. M'Bride, the Social Democrat candidate for the mayoralty, delivered an address on the party's policv. Mr W. Ensom presided and Messrs R. Hoppy, W. J. Dunlop and J. Kay, candidates for seats on the City Council, were also on the platform. Mr T. J. M'Bride, who was received with applause, spoke on similar lines to his previous addresses. Messrs Hoppy, Dunlop and Kay also delivered speeches, advocating the adoption of the platform of the Social Democratic Party. The chairman stated that at a recent meeting it had been said that Mr M'Bride had once tried to form a woollen trust in New Zealand on the lines adopted in America. Mr M'Bride said that years ago he approached the implement firms in the dominion. The business was not on a good basis; as the farmers were paying more than they did in other countries. There were six firms concerned, and if all amalgamated it would not bo a very big firm aud considerable saving could be effected. The proposal was strictly democratic, for under it workers and consumers would have benefited. Capital was to receive 7 per cent as a fixed return. Provision was to be made for a reserve, but that would bear no interest. It was proposed that if the Government would grant the industry absolute protection, capital should accept 6 per cent. The proposal was accepted by all but one firm, and so ha did not push the proposal. The only thing to obtain the same end was for the Government to start a competitive plant. Regarding the woollen firms, he had never approached them. He had sent cut circulars to eight or nine firms setting out the benefits of consolidation and economy. All the firms agreed but one, and ho dropped the proposal. Ho had gone on doing educational work, but he would defy anyone to say that he had done or supported anything detrimental to the people or the country. The statement that he had tried to form a combine detrimental to New Zealand and New Zealanders was wholly a misconception. After answering many questions, the candidates were accorded a vote of thanks.

THE CITIZENS' ASSOCIATION'S CANDIDATES. SPEECHES BY MESSRS HAY WARD, ACLAND AND COOP Kit. Messrs J. R. Hayward, H. D. Adand and W. H. Cooper addressed a meeting, under tho auspices of the Christchurcli Citizens' Association, in tho Chamber of Commoreo last Might- Mr v. li>. Jones, chairman of the Citizens' Association, presided over an attendance of about forty, which was augmented considerably later in the evening. mi HAYWAIU). Mr Hayward said, that if olected, he would give the benefit m tw<-nty-i!ve years' commercial experience to the

I work of the Council. If it wore shown i to him that it was to thti interest of tho city for tho boundaries to ho _extended ho would favour their extension. Ho did not believe in the unification of local bodies, since his commercial experience had shown hint, that specialisation was desirable. As for the road sehomo, tho citizens had ocular demonstrations all over tho city of tho value of tarred macadam. Ho would favour the pushing on of the work, so that in a few years all the streets would bo covered with tarred maeadam. As for tho town hall, it was evident that the present accommodation of the City Council v, :\s not adequate. As soon as possible the citizens should see about having a pood town hall to house the Council employees, and to proviae room for musical and other fixtures. The electrical supply from Lake Coleridgo would bo a good thing for Christchurch, and for all manufacturing concerns. Bub the.ro was £125,000 to be spent, and it should bo spent in a proper manner. He did not know much about the electrical officers in the employ of the Council, but lie thought it would be a good thing to import the most, highly trained electrical talent for tho carrying out the Lake Coleridge scheme. Ihe milk supply slwukl be brought under the control of the Coun- ' cil's inspectors. As for municipal rnar--1 kets, he would be in favour of them ' if lie thought they would bo a success.

MR COOPER. Mr W. 11. Cooper said lie was a very old Councillor in the city , and had held a position as Mayor. He had always done his best to further the interest's of the city. The Council had been responsible for the high-pressure water supply during his term of office. It had. erected an abattoir, and was negotiating with the Tramway Board for the carriage of meat from the abattoir to the city. A destructor had been obtained, which transformed the rubbish of the city into eleotric light. A tepid bath had been built. In the event of a second bath being built, ho agreed with Mr Hayward that it should bo in Sydenham. There was power on the Statute Book now enabling the Council to compel all perishable articles to go through a market, as in the case of meat at the abattoir. With regard to the Fire Brigade, it had some few years ago being taken out of the Council's control. Since that, time the annual expenditure had risen by leaps and bounds. To-day the Brigade was up-to-date, but whereas the ratepayers paid £6700 a year towards its upkeep the Government had only to pay some £BOO. The Lake Coleridge scheme would provide light, power and heat, and Christchurch would be a very brightly-lighted city. _ He would like to see the canal project put into execution, as it would make Christ church a great city.

The roads of th© city were the cause of ridicule being heaped on the Council. The people were told that the city was behind the times, and behind other large cities of . the country. But the income of Christchurch from endowments was not comparable in point of size to that of any of the. other cities. To-day in Christchurch 144 miles of roads had to b© kept up, from ten to fifteen miles more than Sydney had. The engineer was doing the roads little by little out of the annual expenditure, and in two or three years thefe would be much better streets in Christchurch. The engineer had stated that it was inadvisable to open the city quarry. As for a Greater Christcliureh, they did not want rural areas in the city, and before they brought in places like Sumner and Christcliureh they would have to give the matter grave consideration. Considering that local members of Parliament were Liberals, he wondered that they had done nothing in connection with the Cliristchureh railway station. MR ACLAND.

Mr Acland said that the party that would govern the city for the next few years would be the party of progress, and it would be a good thing for Christchurch. He would endorse the policy of the previous speakers; but for the next two years the electrical scheme would occupy the energies of Councillors, and he thought that the questions of markets town hall, better roads and so on would have to stand over, though they must be tackled later. If they were dealt with during the nest year or two, they would mean an additional loan of some £250,000, which he belieived the ratepayers would not sanction. He thought that the Bank Corner congestion "was a question that should be taken in hand at once. The Council, in his opinion, had done right to buy the municipal quarry. The matter of the public library would have to be dealt with out of the rates. Cool storage was necessary to prevent the present alarming waste of food. If elected lie would try to get as much as possible for the citizens for the minimum amount of money. At the conclusion of the meeting, the candidates were accorded a vote of thanks and confidence.

WOOLSTON MAYORALTY,

MR G. F. DAVIS'S CANDIDATURE

Mr George F. Davis, who is a candidate for the mayoralty of Woolston at the coming elections, addressed a well attended meeting of ratepayers Jast night in the Oddfellows' Hall, TV ocuston. The Mayor of "Woolston, Mr M'Gregor Wright, presided. Mr Davis stated that he had been a member of the Woolston Borough Coxincil for the past two years, and was also chairman of the Works and Committees. Dealing with the financial position of the borough he stated that the expenditure in recent years had been very small. During his two years of office £7Ol Is 9d had been spent on the library out of the general fund, and £270 011 the drainago of Wildberry Street. He remarked 011 the condition of the roads in Woolston, which _ne considered were the best in Ohristchurch. Regarding the Council s peimanent employees he was in favour 01 an increa-se in their wages from 8s to 8s 6d a day. At the present time, he stated, they had an excellent stair. During his term of office ninety-two new buildings, valued at £84,000, had ben erected in the borough. He was in favour of a system for the collection of rubbish, and stated that he thought it could be earned out satisfactorily without extra cost to the ratepayers. He was also iavourablo to the Greater Christchurch scheme provided that good terms were obtained for the borough. Fire protection arrangements should also be made, and they could be best obtained by working in conjunction with the city. Mr Davis staled that he had in mind a scheme for river improvement. The Heathcote River was at present merely a dirty creek. He proposed that locks should be constructed to kevp tho rirer at the one level all tho time, and that the river should be dammed at Radlcy Bridge. The water from tho factories would enter the river below the locks so that the river would always be kept clean. At the conclusion of his address a vote of thanks was passed to the speaker.