MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17121, 16 April 1921, Page 10

MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.

CITIZENS* ASSOCIATION'S i CANDIDATES. j MEETING AT CHORAL HAUL. . The Christchurch Citizens' Association opened its election campaign in the Choral Hall last night, when three of the Association's candidates for seats on the.City Council placed their views before the electors. There was a good attendance, the accommodation on the ground floor being all occupied. Mr H. Holland, ex-Mayor, presided, and on the platform were the Association's candidates and several leading citizens. Ihe proceedings - were orderly throughou , though it was soon manifest that there was a fair leaven' of the Labour Partv present, Cr. AgaE being subjected to considerable interruption during speech, which dealt largely with a criticism of recent remarks by Laboui candidates. Extended Terms for! Councillors. • The chairman' said "he was glad to see so large an attendance, and to know that the people of the city had not lost interest "in municipal affairs.' Having had experience of the work on the City Council, it was a wonder to him that the people were •ajjle to induce prominent men to come forward and offer their services on that body. He referred to the many activities of .the Council. He said that to control these involved a tremendous amount of detail work. Two years was too short a period for which to elect city councillors, while members of Parliament, of county councils, and the Tramway Board were elected for three years. It would make for better administration, and reduce the tendency to create feelings of dissension aroused by elections, if the term were extended. Referring to tjjo proposal that an electrical power board .should .be established, he appealed 'to the citizens not to part with the control of the ciunicipal electricity department, as it was an profitable undertaking. The Party Issue. Or. J. A. Flesher was the first speaker, and said that tlid approaching election would be the most. important that had taken place for many years, because of the abnormal state oLaffairs, due mainly to war conditions, that existed. If ever there was a time when careful and economical administration was necessary that time was now. -Economy and efficiency must not only be preached, but must .be practised—(A voioe: By joining the Employers' Association") —if present-day problems were to be soived 'lt vyas unfortunate in connexion \rtth ' civic affairs that the ■ party question had developed during the past, few years. There were two clearly defined parties—the citizens' party and the Labour party. There were also .several independents, i'. At one time he admired those who took an independent stand, but the development of things had-.created such a position that they had to get into one camp or the other. One party was opposed to capitalism, militarist, and Imperialism, and tlie'candidates of that,,party had.to sign a pledge to endeavour- to carry 1 out the party's programme;,they were also •obliged to attend the party's can cue and abide by .the decisions of that body. On the other hand, they had the candidates selected by the Citizens' Associa- ( tion, which represented all classes of the community, and though its candidates were expected to carry out the Association's programme, they had freedom of action and liberty of choice as to how they went about it. . 'lhey, were trusted as honourable men to do their best to advance* the affairs of the city. (Applause.) Men of good judgment had been selected, and wer§ the men required as councillors. (Applause.) If they thought that the. representatives of an irresponsible csfiicua were the proper men to conduct the affairs of the city, they would elect them. The City's Finances. Dealing with 'statements made at last Saturday night's meeting of the Labour candidates, he said that one speaker was 1 reported, to have said that the present Council had "run the city to a dead end," and had "run up an overdraft of £100,000," and had rated the city till.it could be rated no more. These remarks were made by a gentlerman who had been a member of the Finance Committee for two years, but, he had not taken the ty'OU'bfc to.understand tlie position, or he would not have made the statement he made regarding the amount of the overdraft. To find what thc\ position was fliey had to -go back five-years. H'e quoted from a table, the figures in which, Cr. FleiJrer said, had been supplied by the town clerk. * The table was a summary; of the City Council finances, general account, from March' 31st/1917, to 1921. How Expenditure has Increased! Cr. Flesher said that th» difference between receipts and. expenditure for the period was £98,000, but that included the re-payment; out of current accouiit,' of loans that had fallen due, and which could financed .otherwise owing to the state of the money market. % These loans were:—Sanitary works loan of £958,- Canterbury Hall property £7600, Sydenham waterworks £6430, and Linwood public works £7500, or. a total of £22,500. If that "total were deducted from ,the balance to debit, it left a total overdraft of about £75,000 —that was the amount on March 31st last, and i not £IOO,OOO, 'as the Labour speaker alleged. The deficiency I was niade up of increases ih wages and salaries, which was represented by £24,000 during the period covered by the return; contribution to superannuation. fund £3000; increased cost of metal over £IO,OOO. These three items explained the growtti of expenditure, and they were items which the Council were not responsible.for, and that they could not obviate, icems of a non-re-curring character Were: —Peace cefebrations> £7oo. (A voice: "Shame!") He ventured to Bay that the thanksgiving service alone was worth the' money. (Applause.) Visit of H.~.S. New Zea- : land £250. (A voice, satirically: "How nice.") The speaker wondered where , they, would have been but for the careful ward and watch that Lord Jcllicoe ] and«he British Navy kept in the North Sea. ■ (Applause.) In connexion with + he visit of the Prince of Wales £IOOO was spent. (Applause.) Referring to the re-valuation of tho city, he said that the Labour Party alleged that it would increase the rates probably by. £20,000 or £30,000; but surely it .did not matter what the valuation was; the Council only wanted sufficient to makp ends met. The Labour Party promised to reduce the present rate in the pound. Wei}, if they had a bigger valuation, that was the easiest thing out. (Laughter.) As to the reduction of the municipal debt, he said that, the increased valuation would 'enable the Council to extract mote in rates from the people; but they ought not to raise a penny more than' was necessary to pay their way\ At the same time, they ought, during the next two years, .to endeavour to reduce the overdraft by £IB,OOO o;- £2O,(XX), and bring it Sown tp jthe figure at which it stood two years ago. The Citizens' association candidates, if elected, would endeavour to do so. (Applause.) Cr. Flesher, in furthrftemarks, spoke of t]ie necessity for the inclusion in the city of.the suburbs of Riccarton, Fendalton, . Papanui, and Woolston. The Drainage Board should be taken over by the City Council; the Board's engineer was on the point of retiring, and the city engineer was also on the point of retiring and when these gentlemen retired, tho time would be •

opportune for the appointment of anen'gineer who could fulfil Doth functions. In his concluding remarks Mr 'Flesher Said ho hoped that men would be returned at the forthcoming election who* woUld exercise the same care and bring the same enthusiasm to the work of the Council as the retiring councillors had shown. They should elect men who had a, stake in the place, men who would share any burdens with tnem, and men I who would go to the Council prepared to do their duty in the interests of all m the best interests of the city. (Applause.) Civic Ideals. Mr W. Machin said that it would be unbecoming, in an untried man like himself, to criticise the past administration of the Council; and little value would be placed on promises extracted from him during an election campaign. Rates in Christchurch were low as compared with some English cities; but. that did not mean- that they should hold their citizenship cheaply. They should endeavour to maintain the high ideals of good Government. As he stood the other night listening to men —ho assumed that. they were responsible menthrowing mud' at their fellows, he had been struck by the pitifulness. of it all. It was the Prince of Darkness who had asked "Does Job serve fiod for naught?'' It was not goo* for the civic spirit to set class against cla&. and that the right of service should be blocked by prejudices .which had really no bearing on the matters before the people. Speaking of the Labour Party's proposals regarding collective ownership, he said that the citizens who* entrusted such advocated with control of the city's affairs were embarking with Karl Marx on a raft of German manufacture. (Applause.) He expressed the opinion that the Citizens' "Association should continue' its; ties after electon periods, especially in rospeot- of educative work. Labour 'Criticised. Cr. C. P. Agar said that Cr. Flesher,'3 address had been an ample justification of the work done by the Association "during # the past two years. .They had to reply" to the Labour menj and they had only piffle to reply to. (Considerable interruption.) "It's all right,"' said Cr. Agar, "when you are hurt I know I ain striking home." (More in-' • terruption.) Dealing with the work of 1 the" Council, he said that they had imthe administration of civic affairs. His personal view was that the city would.be better managed if it waV run under one man—the city general manager. At present there were too many people in'it. They would never get any business run on the lines that the - municipality was run on. "He strongly advocated the city owning its own source, of electrical supply ; he believed that when the city's contract with the Public Works Department ceased in 1525, the charges would be increased on the City; Council 50 per cent. He would not support a proposal to erect a Town Hall in the present state of the city's finances. He described as "a miserable decept'on'' the Labour Party's proposal to reduce the .rate in the pound; .and said that if, for instance, the total valution increased from £IOO 000 to £200,000 it was possible to reduce the 1 ate in the pound and yet get a larger revenue. Referring to tho Labour Party's views on patriotism, * Cr. Agar said that at a Drainage Board function the Labour men sat down, when "God Save the King", was sung; but scene two, at the Spreydon amalgamation function they stood up —they had been told in the meantime by their friends what fools they had made 'of, themsolves ; and what votes they had lost* by their attitude at the Drainage Board's function. (Applause.) As to the Labour Party's' allegation that the Citizens' r Associa-. t-ion's'candidates, being busy business men, did not have time to attend to ( the Council's affairs, he quoted the following table of - attendances at committees during the past two years: The. Mayor, |4 attendances; Cr. Agar, 87; Or. Andrews, 92; Cr. Beanland, 76; Cr; Flesherl4s; Cr. Harper, 60; Cr. ; Jameson-, 27; Cr. Mclvellar' 1341. Cr.i. Stead (new councillor) 2; Cr. Williams, CI; Cr. Armstrong, 90; Cr. Burgoyne, 80; Cr. Cooke, 21; • (Jr. Herbert, 31; Cr. Hunter, 09; Cr. Langley, 43; and the man who could give tuew<(ols of his tihie to the Council s fusiness, Cr. Sullivan, 26. The Labour .candidates had the "darn cheek" to try to gull the public with absolute mis-statements. Cr. .Agar concluded with a strong" ap-, peal to the electors to "vote for the j ticket every time," and get their I friends to do tho same. (Continued applause.). (■ Question time was a brisk period, Crs. Armstrong and Cookb, and Mr E. J. Howard, M.P., taking part in thequestioning of the candidates. - A vote of thanks to tho chairman concluded the meeting. / In response, to ajarge of requests , Mr A. D.^ord,' the present Mayor of Iticoarton, has consented to stand for another term. At a lfecent meeting of the Riccarton Citizens' Association,. it was decided to give the Association's support to Mr Ford'* candidature. • Mrs J. McCombs was nominated yesterday for a seat on the Christchurch City Council,' by Miss. Ada Robinson (secretary ' of tho, Tailoresses' Union), and Mr F. C. Ellis (secretary of tho .Canterbury Fret zing WorkerV Union;. • Councilor J. W. Beanland, deputyMayor, will address meetings next week as follows:—Tuesday, Brougham street Hall, Sydenham. Wednesday, Rugby street; Thursday, Waltham School; Friday, Bectfixham Ffnll. Mr J, Gamble, a candidate for the New Brighton Mayoralty, addressed meetings at South und North New Brighton on Wednesday and Thursday evenings, wh«:n hi* to iroll *w»pived. He will address the ladies at the Pier Hall on Monday at 3 p.n* , And th© electors on Wednesday, in the Pier Hall, at 8 p.m. * Mr William Congreve has been nominated for a seat on the City Council by Messrs William Reece and A. F; Drayton.