MAYORAL ELECTION

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXVI, Issue 17553, 24 April 1919, Page 5

MAYORAL ELECTION

ADDRESS BY MR, MACKAY.

REVIEW OF CIVIC AFFAIRS

An address was given by Mr. C. E. Mackay last night in support of his candidature for the Mayoralty. The De-puty-Mayor, Mr 6. fcjpriggens, presided over an attendance of about seventy ratepayers.

• Mr Mackay said that he was again a candidate for the Mayoralty. He had been Mayor during the strenuous times of the war' and was naturally desirous of being in office wheu peace was proclaimed and things became normal again. He was also desirous of being Mayor "during the period that the soldiers were returning and being; absorbed into civil life. The true test was not length of service, but ability to serve >n the future. The burgesses should ask themselves not hew long a man had been Mayor, but who was best qualified to hold the office for the nsxt two years? Now that peace had come he believed that Wangiinui would advance by leaps and bounds. The new harbour was within measurable distance, and the advent of the hydro-electric scheme meant vveryt-hing to their industries. In each of these> movements he had taken his part. He believed* the time had come for a forward policy in ti<e Borough, and that though they should go cautiously, still they should go ahead. Nothing m his career as Mayor afforded him greater satisfaction than tha continued success of the tramway service, which he had inaugurated, and fl'hich had dona so much for the town. The time had come to extend the system and to give the whole town the benefit of eleetrio light and.power. In this connection, the advent of the Mangahao hydro-electric scheme would be of great value. He had done all hecould to expedite its completion. The first extension should be to the cemetery at Aramoho, and u>p St. John's Hill. As, far as the service to the cemetery was concerned, it would, of course, be some time before it was opened. He thought in the meantime something might be done to assist the situation. A motor 'bus might be secured to run from the terminus 'to the cemetery. This would also' come in for a service on St. John's Hill until the line was installed.

This year, owing to the breakdown and the influenza, the trams had shown a loss of £000. If it had not been for the expense of purchasing the motor lower waggon and of extending the Glasgow St. loop, they would have come r/ut nearly square « As it was, the loss had been met out of the accumulated profits, winch still.stood at £2256. The real reason of the loss was that with the constant increase of prices and expenses, they were supplying power and cars to the Gonville Tramway Board at an annual loss of more than £1500. He hoped that when the present agreement ran out in November this matter would be put right, and power charged for at a price which would not entail a loss on the Borough.

-They all knew Mr Mackay's views on the subject of Greater Wanganui. It was to some extent due to his exertions that the various suburbs had joined the Borough. As far as Gonville and Castleoliff were concerned, he advocated their joining the Borough on the basis of pooling'all their loans, tramways included. Nothing could be fairer than that. Such a union Avould enable them to carry out works in concert, which i& would be hard to deal with under the present circumstances. He would instance one, which he had already suggested as a feuitable war memorial, lx, was to form a magnificent parade along the sea-front from the river to the cliffs, II all three bodies were united, thtwork could be put in hand in the near future. He trusted the opportunity would i'ot be missed.

If the town had to make a separate war memorial, the central hall of the Sarjeatit Art Galieiy might be chosen as the site. The hall could ha filled with appropriate statuary, and the walls inscribed with the names of those who had gone to the war. He was glad to say thai the Gailery was now Hearing completion, and would be opened in September with a loan collection —one of th^ finest ever seen in New Zealand.' He had been' struck With the importance of a collection of war cartoons, and had circulated an appeal all over the world for donations- of such. As a nl--sult he had got together a collection of over two hundred,original drawings by the foremost cartoonists in the world. The collection would be unique in the Dominion, and probably in the Southern Hemisphere, and would increase in value aad interest as years went on. A good deal had been said about the expense of the Sarjeant Gallery. The Gallery would provide ample housing for the Museum lor a good many years; Until that time, he thought it would be unwise to spend the Alexander bequest, of £12,000 ova Museum and Library building. It would be better in the meantime to let it remain at interest, pnd spend the income in purchasing books and specimens. The fciarjeant estate consisted of a large number of valuable town properties, subject to a life interest, which prevented them being'sntisfaptoruy developed or dealt with. He was glad to say that lie had entered into negotiation*; for the satisfaction of the life- interest, which would give the Council immediate possession and control.

In connection with the Gallery, they were errob-nrking upon a scheme of beautifying Queen's Park, which he believed could be mp.de a lovely recreation ground. He hoped shortly to see the present racecourse, with the Borough land adjoining, available for a recreation ground and garden suburb. Events were rapidly tending that way. One immediate boon would bs a direct tram-line to Castlecliff from Ingestre St. to Alnui lioad.

Aramoho had recently been provided with a Park, which would be a greiit asset to that part of the town, and a good feeder for the trams. In this connection the establishment of the- destructor wonuld shortly inaugurate .«• more successful way of dealing with rubbish, and would fret; the land, surrounding the present rubbish lip for more useful purposes. But tho case of their reserves ought not to divert them from the important —indeed, the essential —work of seeing that their strests were put into good order, especially in the suburbs. This was a work which there would be no «xcuso for not carrying out. In their present theatre they had a valuable asset. It could ha rendered still more valuable by runriftig a loop lino round, via the theatre and Maria Place.

As far as the Gas Works were concerned, he did not think that at present they should expend much capital en thorn. One of the most important

works of the Borough was to see to tha purity of the milk supply. J&e dad not at prwkjnt favour a cieax±ng-house. 'lliao meant a big expense, mm also a greatf oe.ay in getting the milk ironi the cow to we coiniuinar. He iavoured economy in distribution by dividing Uie town ' into blociss, and saving tlie present overlapping. xr tug experiment the Council had in view'succeeded, with the mills supply, iv, might be extended to other neoes- , saries, such as bread. Another matter which xnuat receive attention in the near future was that of municipal raavkets, ■ ' ■ With regard to workers' homes the Council had already attempted to deal with the mutter. i> our houses had been erected in concrete, besides new ones for the sexton and the water-worKa caretaker. Councillor Harkness, had Uanied the Council for not debeiojung the hpringvale reserve. If any blame was attachable, it was to Councillor Harkness, who, as chairman od' the Reserves Committee, should have kept the matter before the Council. He quite Relieved that the reserve in question should be opened up; but to do so they would require to p»>vide roads, dram- . age, gas and wifter. There had beeu | some opposition to t^\e proposed water- ! works loan. JEvery item in the proposed " j water loan followed the recommendations of Mr. Mestajyer, "except with regard to the supply of l)urie Hill; which. he had never dealt with. The Joan proposals included what was acknowledged to be the only satisfactory scheme for a high-pressure Bupply in Durietown and Ba3tia. In the Borough staff and workmen they had a splendid body of men, to whom the Borough owed much. He believed that the time had come to en-. courage the staff by the establishment ■- of some seasonable scheme of supersnmifitioti, if possible in conjunction with other local bodies. If elected, lie would summon a conference between the Borough and the Town Boards, to see if some joint scheme could not be worked. These wera the main items of his platform. As in the past, his motto would b£ "Prudence and Progress." Questions were invited, but none were forthcoming. "A vote of thanks Trafl accorded the Mayor, on the motion of Mr. N.Me'uli*