THE MAYORALTY.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXIV, Issue 12748, 20 April 1909, Page 4

THE MAYORALTY.

The second shot in the Mayoral campaign was fired las,t evening, when Mr J. T. Muir delivered his initial address in the j Liverjjool Street schoolroom, which, as he remarked, seems to have become a staitiug point for successful candidates. Imprimis, it may be said to be very strange that, with the election a little over a week ahead, there should be such an extraordinary lack of interest shown in it by the ratepayers. With three candidates out, all ,of them gentlemen who are willing to give their time and ability towards the town's well-being, to say nothing of the importance of the various questions involved, it would be thought that apathy on the part of the electors would be conspicuous by its absence. We hope that the next week will see an awakening of interest and bigger audiences, to listen to the Mayoral .candidates. Reverting to last night's jh'e'etirig, it must ~be said that Mi; Muir macle ' an excellent impression, and also gave 'his hearers something to think about. He showed, as it were, something of the reverse of the medal, and in drawing serious attention to many phases of our municipal affairs, has certainly done us good in giving us something in contrast to the rosy pictures of the present and the future which we *have been regaled with. The neglected state of our streets, after years of putting up with the inconvenience resulting therefrom, supplied him with a strong argument in favour of a change of policy in this direction. While testifying to the undoubted success of the trams, he emphasised the need of caution in regard to them, particularly instancing the experience of other towns in regard to the heavy depreciation which must be faced in a few years, and the need of careful provision for maintenance and renewal. As was to be expected, Mr Muir, as chairman of the Gas Committee, laid special stress on the position of the. Gasworks, and no one who believes in careful and prudent administration will feel disposed to dispute his assertion that the works should be treated on a business basis, and proper provision made for meeting extensions and renewals before any profits are applied to relief of rates. With regard to his proposal for the purifying of the Okehu water supply, it is an entirely new idea, but none the less it is one deserving of consideration, inasmuch as he claims that equal efficiency can be secured at a vastly less cost than the proposed settling tank at Westmere. In the absence of any details in reference - to this matter, we still lean to our pre-viously-expressed opinion in favour of^ a settling tank, but, if Mr Muir can give facts and figures to show that his proposal would be cheaper and more effective, obviously it would be a proper thing to go further into it. Mr Muir must be said to have made out a good case in favour of hi« candidature, and his future addresses will no doubt be awaited with interest.