LOAN PROPOSALS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16530, 14 September 1921, Page 6

LOAN PROPOSALS.

THE MAYOR’S CAMPAIGN. Another of the Mayor’s meetings regarding the city loan proposals was held in the Winton Street Hall last night. There was an attendance of about forty people. Councillor J. A. Flesher “held the fort ” as chairman until the Mayor arrived. He explained that the Mayor had t-o attend another meeting first. ( •' Arc you here to put a wet blanket on the scheme?” asked one of those present, during Councillor Flesher’s speech. “Not a fair thing 1” Councillor Fleslier hnldlv replied that he was merely trying to put the case fairly and souarel}'. “ .Even the newspaper people agreed that this is a necessity,” said Councillor Flesher subsequently, referring tc the administrative block. A Voice: They are not all progressive, the newspaper people. They are behind the “ Times.” Councillor E. H. Andrews said that Councillor Flesher had fairly fully covered the ground, but 110 would go more closely into the financial issues. The question was whether it was wise to expend the sums promised at the present time- For twenty or twenty-five years it would be unwise to erect a Town Hall in Christchurch. Would it be good policy to buy the site so far ahead? It would involve a large recurring expenditure. It was- all a ques- | tion of whether it would be worth j while speculating on tjie site. With regard to the administrative block, it was impossible to get efficient service so long as the council’s staff was housed as at present. There seemed to be every argument in favour of the erection of municipal offices. They were all agreed that a Town Hall at the present time was impracticable, yet a hall was an imperative necessity. The proposed utility hall would prove extremely useful, and would be let practically even- night in tho week. Councillor R. 1). Martin said that the talk of financial depression was quite aside from the issue A Voice : Touch your bankers up for a loan ! How about your housebuilding scheme? Where did you get the money from? (Laughter.> Councillor Martin: When I tell you that .last week something like £30,000 was deposited with the City Council at 4£ per cent, you will appreciate my point. Councillor Mar sin continued that he wa:s satisfied that if the utility hall proposal were dropped, there woiild not be a city hall in the city for ten to fifteen years. At present, it would be an act of vandalism to destroy the buildings on the Town Had site, in view of the housing shortage, but he thought the city would i/«3 wise to buy the land with a view of future use. He felt sure that it could be secured at a figure considerably below that quoted. The city should not let the opportunity go by. “ What is the difference between the ; old and new' valuations of the city?” asked one of those present. Councillor Flesher said that he could not give the difference then, but from figures he had seen that day he estimated that the new unimproved value of the whole city was a little over eight million pounds. The Victoria Square property had gone up nearly 100 per cent in seven years. The Mayor (Di* Thacker, M.P.), then arrived. Ho’ read an apology for absence from Councillor A. Williams, in which Councillor Williams said that he absolutely endorsed, the three loan proposals. Tho first two were an absolute necessity, and the proposed town hall site should be secured immediately, otherwise a great opportunity would bo missed. Dr Thacker then went on with hia advocacy of the loan proposals. “ If, as the tf Lyttelton Times* says, the Liedertafel does not want to look at empty benches/’ said the Mayor, * * it can hold its concert in our little supper room.” Observing a member of his audience laughing, the Mayor exclaimed, “ There is the fawning Pharisee! He laughs and agrees with me now 7. He has been a dire opponent of mine, but I know 7 howto pay debts back. Mr —, J suppose, spends £5 49 a year for newspapers, yet what has he done with that expenditure and knowledge? What lias he done for our city?. You see, you w 7 ant to get down to rintacks. It is 4s 2d or something like that I am asking him to pay, and he is spending his £5 a year on newspapers. ” C-oming to the subject of newspapers again, tho Mayor said: “ I havo a letter from one of our editors regarding the war memorial to show' how accurate they are. He apologises for not being present at the meeting, and then a month later stated he had not been invited to the meeting! The papers in this city malign me and criticise me personally on the day of election — dirty tripe that 110 other decent citizen would use. Ido not like that- sort of thing. A good motor-car can plenty of mud on—you can wash that off. But this dirty insinuation— A Voice: That sticks! Dr Thacker: No. it doesn’t! I have got as clean a soul as anybody. The lights were then turned off, and Di Thacker proceeded to show his j slides. “ Got a bite, Doctor?” asked a wag, as Dr Thacker, seated beside the screen, took a long bamboo rod in hand to 1 point out details. “ This is where the shadow of the * Times ’ came over the scheme/’ said Dr Thacker, pointing to a slide showing the administrative block film on a black background. “ I did that out of respect for tho ‘ Times.’ Of course, you can’t have everything bad. A I pumpkin that is going bad. haß some- > thing good in it.” Mr A. D. Hass all proposed a vote of | thanks to the Mayor. “ I think the ! Mayor is exceedingly thin-skinned,” he j said. “I was very much surprised \ that our worthy Mayor should resent ; a citizen of Christchurch and a resident i of Canterbury of over sixty years’ standing asking a very simple question. 1 ! was exceedingly astonished that our j wo? thv Mayor ’ ’ The Mayor: Mr I.Tassall, before we j go further. I came into the room and ! did not know what was going on, and instead of referring the question to the chairman as a reasonable person would have done, lie fired it straight at me. Mr Hassall: 1 thought that the Mayor was taking Councillor Flesher’s place as chairman. The Mayor : Oh. no. You are quibbling. It is you who are thin-skinned. “I was delighted with the views j shown by the Mayor,” continued Mr Hassall. “ Y r es, but you are not delighted with the Mayor, though you are not game to cay it/* said Dr Thacker. (Laughter.) <c You have congratulated me on many occasions, hut you always voted against me. That is xhe funny thing !’* es I have much pleasure in moving that a hearty vote of thanks be accord- I fed to the Mayor and other gentlemen who have addressed us this evening,” i persisted Mr Hassall. The motion was carried. Returning thanks, the Mayor re- 1 ferred to the incident between himself

and Mr Hassall as “ a sou*-wester that had passed over the city.** The Town Clerk, in an advertisement to-day. announces that, owing to -an alteration in the law, only ratepayers who are on the roll in their own right are qualified to vote on these polls. Those who are enrolled in the right of their wives or husbands, or under a freehold or residential qualification, are not entitled to voto. It is explained that a person may be a freeholder, but £ *v. not he the ratepayer of the pro- / jrty. ‘ y