CITY ELECTIONS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 100, 1 May 1935, Page 8

CITY ELECTIONS

MR. FALCONER’S CAMPAIGN MEETING AT UPPER ARAMOHO ! . W.\NG AN L’l'S IT TUBE A’l Bl’\l< E. | Addressing - e,lectors al. I'ppcr Ara-j moho last night., Air. W. Al. Falconer : appealed for the return of a strung , city council, and indicated that lhe lu- I tore of the city was at stake. He I asked he electors to return men qualified to attend io lhe business ut the city free irom the .influence of party, i and prepared to support government I cnianating from the council table and not the caucus rule applied from somewhere else. The speaker showed that by preserving a noii-boirow ing policy and allowing sinking - funds to operate, Wanganui would reduce its indebtedness to £450,000 by 19-18. If a council was returned to power which would borrow further money that indebtedness would not be allowed to fall, and a bill would be “placed in the cradle” fur posterity tu pay. The tramway system was now on a sound working basis, but an increase in population was needed tu overcome the problem' it was presenting to those in administration Bi reducing the rates the city would increase in appeal to people seeking - a cenire in which to reside, and be would pledge himself to do all he possibly could to see lhe rate burden lightened. He could not see much reduction in sight at present, but it, was essential that, lhe city should refrain from borrowing. The two exceptions he would make in that respect were in regard to the towu bridge, and a major addition to the sewerage system. Neither was likely to present itself in the immediate future, so there would be a breathing space. Air. Falconer outlined other platform points which he had dealt, with at. previous meetings, and replied to matters raised by 1./t--bour speakers at a meeting in St. Daul’s Hall last Wednesday. Air. W. Webb presided and associated with Air. Falconer were four who are seeking election to the City Council —Messrs. George Bennett, T. L. Sperring, J. D. Crowley and A. E. Halligan. At last night’s meeting and also at the meeting at Gonville on Munday night, aspirants to seats on lhe council briefly addressed the electors. Sinn- ! marised reports of their speeches appear below. Air. George E. Bennett. Air. George. Bennett said that he had agreed to contest a seat on the City Council with a full sense of the responsibility that entailed. He would go then! with an upeu mind, and prepared to vote accordingly. Generally speaking, he would support the policy of the present council. Th*e city had to live within its income, paying due regard to a. reasonable standard of maintenance without increasing the rates. The speaker did not claim to have any special qualifications for the office, other than that he had been in business in Wanganui for over a quarter of a century—2B or 29 years—and the experience gained had given him a good insight tu business methods. If elected he would vote on all matters in a way which he considered was in the best interests of the whole community. “1 have a profound sympathy with the. working man who, through no fault of his own, has found himself unemployed,” Air. Bennett stated, “and anything that can be done to improve his standard of Jiving should be done. The sooner we get men back to a slate of permanent, employment the sooner will we turn that corner we are always hearing about.'' Mr. Peter Doull. Air. Peter Doull, who was collector of Customs at Wanganui for some .12 years and lately retired, spoke in humourous vein, holding that he was seeking election to lhe council with an open mind. He had had 41 years’ experience in a Government department which would stand him in good stead. There was always a great, deal to be learned from “the other fellow's” opinion and he was one who realised that there were always two sides to every question. He would look at both Sides before coming tu a decision. The City Council’s duties covered everything from the cradle to the grave. There were matters of health, milk, waler, baths, drainage and sewerage gas, electricity and lighting, trams and transport, library and art gallery, recreation grounds, gardens, parks and reserves, works on streets and footpaths, also the Hospital Board, H.arbuur and Power Boards. “And lastly, we come to our cemeteries,” said the speaker. He stated that, it was essential that all those who had the right of franchise should exercise it. J L he, was elected he was prepared to support and nut unduly interfere with the council's executive officers, Mr. ALurch was an officer of proved ability, -and it was the duly of lhe electors lu see that there vvas a council elected which would fully understand the work of the executive officers. Mr. Orren Hales. Air. Orren Hales a retired nicinber of the stall of the Bank of New Zealand, said that he offered no apology fur offering his service’s as a city coun I cillor. He traced lhe associations his father had had with Wanganui from the early days. The speaker had been born in Wanganui and, in addition lu joining the service of the bank, had qualified as an electrical engineer, serving his lime with, the Westinghouse Company, Pittsburg, U.S.A. 'There were 12,500 men on lhe pay-roll of that company and he had been a working man there. He had held not. a white collar job bin. a dirty laced job. His train ing - which had qualified him as an eb'ctrieal engineer would stand him in good stead "ii the council, but. he. would not |go there with the object of interfering [with lhe work of the council’s enginjeers, but. would be qualified to express an intelligent opinion on all matters of that nature brought forward. During his 22 years’ service with the Bank of New Zealand in Wanganui, as he rose in the bank's service, he had had be lore him, either for |'"sting - , checking or control, the bank account of the Wanganui <’i|\ Council. That gave him a sound knowledge of how the al’ lairs of the city were going. That knowledge, 100, would be useful to him now. If elected Air. Hales said he would stand largely for the plalform as stall'd by Air, Falconer, and would do his best to see the Is 2d in the £, which was left, for works and services, go as tar as possible. He considered that, the policy the Government had adopted

in cutting wages had been wrung. 'The greatest, businessman of the present day. Air. Henry Ford, had not reduced his employees’ wages. If the speaker was elected to the council he would support Ihe restoration of at least a portion of wages to employees. Mr. T. L. Sperring. Air. T. L. Sperring - said he had resided in Wanganui for 24 years, and had been in business for .17. During that tim*? he had been a fairly large ratepayer and bad paid a great deal away in wages. He was able to look at matters from an independent standpoint and study both sides to every question. He would certainly strive to protect, lhe ratepayers and do the fairthing by all sections of the community. A City Council was like a board of directors and it was the duty of the electors to see that the. council was composed of men who were capable and had the time to devote to the city’s business. As a ratepayer he would certainly be the first, io criticise the council of to-day if its policy had not been right, but he knew that what had been done during the past four years had been sound. IL' believed that matters wore taking a turn for lhe better, but it was no time to treat municipal matters carelessly. Cr. Falconer, and Crs. Halligan and Crowley, had told the electors what had happened during the past four years and the electors were in duly bound Io return men who would carry that progressive jiolicy on. Tht* speaker would act independently, and would claim the right to vote according 1o his own judgment. “We must safeguard the future,” said Air. Sperring, ‘‘and we can only do that by operating along the safe lines of the council now in office. If elected I will claim to be a free agent, and, after discussion at the council table. 1 will vole according - to mv own judgment, which will bo arrived al on lhe arguments put forward at tiie table. If you think 1 will be of service to vou. I am willing Io devote my time to the city’s interests. Since 1 have retired from business 1 will hft\e a good deal more lime tn devot? to your welfare. .1 started as a draper's assistant and when an opportunity presented itself I grasped it. It is only by grasping opportunities when they present them selves that we can progress.”