TRAMWAY BOARD.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 11491, 26 January 1903, Page 8

TRAMWAY BOARD.

THE BETTERMENT PRINCIPLE.

In accordance with a resolution passed at a, meeting vi tho Socialist Church on Monday night, the following circular letter was addressed to all candidates for seats on the Tramway Bosud.: —

"Sir,—l am directed-by my Church to ask whether, m tlu , event of your being elected to a se&b ou the Tramway Board, you would urge on the Board the necessity of pi-oimxiiig a Betternu-nt Biil on somewhat similar lines to that .earned, into law on buha f c-: che WoJincton City Uouncil. Tliis provides, in -<oiiw measui-e, that- tii« increased valuts giwu u> properties imiuediiuely atlf«u-d by tlw city expenditure in c-:-runii sti't?ei irnprovsin'eu-ls xh&'-l belong to the city, the owners of the properties being liable to tlie city for the amount of the increase. It is obvious that such a measure its tliis, applied to our tramway district, might h-.ilp the finances of the Board very considerably, and would distribute the benefits accruing from improved or extended tramway communication, more evenly through the entire district. " Trusting you will let me have your reply, il possible, on Wednesday.—l remain, sir, yours faithfully, H. A. Atkinson, hon. sec. Socialist Church."

Replies have be«u received from Messrs T. (Japes and A. S. Staples dealing with Uie matter at some length, and answering the question in the affirmative.

Mr It. Pit-eaithly has written as follows: — ; 'I cannot, without giving the matter thought, give you an answer; but, certainly, many properties will improve in value. The trouble U> nve us where and How to start and where and how to end."

Mr Stead, in acknowledging receipt ot the tetter, wrote: —"1 cannot see my way to reply to the question submitted by your body. It is not the question itself, as this, under ordinary conditions, I should probably answer in the affirmative; but I strongly protest against the system which appears to be growing up of s&lf-elected bodies calling upon pubuc men to answer series of questions. Apart from the fact that a public man is supposed to represent all classes of the community, whereas self-deoted bodi-es only represent one section thereof, it surely must be obvious that a public man woii d hart , a large measure of his time' occupied if he were bound to reply at length to questions submitted by every self-constituted body in his constituency, "if I am elected to a "seat on the Tramway Board, my cole object will be to consider the interests of the genetal community."

Mr Reeca replies as follows: —"Dear Sir, —I did not respond to your circular prior to the election, because" I consider it almost immoral to press for parrot-like replies from candidates, who may be tempted to reply in the way most suited to gain votes. lam not familiar with, the "Wellington Act,"'but will get a copy and look into the matter.—l remain, yours faithfully, William Reeoe.