MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17127, 23 April 1921, Page 11

MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.

HOW TO VOTE.

From various quarters we have received tho suggestion that w© should give the electors directions) as to the method in which they should mark their voting papers noxt Wednesday.

The voter must not strike out the name of any candidate. The voter must place within tho squares respectively opposite tho named of throe can* didates the numbers 1, 'J, and 3, eo US to indicate tho order of his preference. The voter may, in addition, indicato the order of his preference for as many more candidates as he pleases by plftc-' ing within the squares respectively opposite their names other numbers next in numerical order after those already used by him. Mr J. McOombs * writes to us at some length on the same point. Ha says that at the last city Council ejection under tho proportional representation system, first, second, and third preferences were the deciding factor to the extent of 91.44 per cent., that the fourth, fifth, and sixth preferences affected tho result,to the extent of 5.72 yet cent., Whilo all other preferences only had an effect to the extent of less than 3 per cent. Mr McCombs says it is quite unnecessary to indicate a preference beyond tho tenth. THE MAYORALTY. • Councillor J. W. Bcanland addressed a large and enthusiastic meeting in the Beekenham Hall last evening, Mr B, C. Chegwin presided. Cr. Beanland dealt with the Sewerage and hy-dro-electric systems, nhd the need for ensuring an efficient water supply for tile city. Regarding municipal markets, he referred to His endeavours in a previous Council to have a municipal market established in tho Colosseum, and stated thai! he would support, any proposal brought, forward for It municipal market. He favoured the, erection of ft concert hall in conjunction with the new municipal ipffijNpsy tho cost of efeotion to bo provided tor by debentures issued by the City Council. As regards the city finances he favoured a reduction of the present overdraft by making provision for tho writing off of, say; £BOOO tier annum, "With reference to the extension of tho sewerage area, lie considered that the city Bhouki share the sewerage rate with the outside district*, so that no undue hardship would be placed on ratepayers outside the city area. At the conclusion ''of tho meeting a unanimous vote •of thanks and confidence was passed, and those present formed themselves into a committee to work, for Cr. Beanland'a return. CITIZENS' ASSOCIATION. ; To-night, at 7.45. in Victoria square, A Wg rally wtfl be held by tho Citizens' Association candidates, who will address the electors from the Band Rotunda. A final rally will bo hold on Tuesday, night. , • A well-attended meeting of the candidates of tiw Citizens' Association was held last night at the' Methodist Schoolroom, Richmond, Mr H. B. Sorenseo. occupying the cbdir. Messrs H. Thompson, J/11. Brunt, J. A. Flesher. and J. 0. Jameson addressed the meeting on municipal matters, and Messrs H. B. Sorensen and H, Holland on Harbour Board affairs. Mr Flesher discussed, municipal finance, Mr Thompson' spoke on the subject's of the War Memorial and Town Hall; Mr Brunt disoussed tho problem of the amalgamation -of; outlying boroughs, and .the housing question; and Mr Jameson spoke oh tho drainage system ana the improvement of the River Avon. The Harbour - Board candidates spoke on the question of the Canal ana the improvement of the present Port otJiyttelton. At the close of the meeting, which was sympathetic throughout, a number of questions were answered by the candidates, who were the recipients of an unanimous vote of thanks and confidence, moved by Mr Jb*. Jones. » Speaking at Limvbdd, Mr J. R. Brunt, one of the Citizens' Association's candidates for the City Council, referring to the city's trading services, "said he quite agreed that every care should be exercised, that buyers should obtain full ; value for their .money as regards weight and purity, and also cleanliness where food was concerned. But he was opposed to the idea that the city.should be purveyors of milk} Bread,, coal, etc.: he was against the private rights of traders'being Interfered with, as competition wob the life of trade! There was quite a just now in municipal politics on the question of the formation of a Metropolitan Board of Works. He considered It a nig order, yet an important one. He thought that the service 1 and power controlled by the Drainage Board might very well i>'e handed over to the City Council; and this WOuld be an important step in the formation of a large Board of Works;

MB W. H. COOPER AT SX. LTJKB'S.; Mr W. H. Cooper, a former Mayor of Christchurch, also a former councillor, of long experience, who is standing for the Council at the present election as an Independent, ana also for the' 1 Hospital''Board, addressed a meeting of electons in St. Luke's Schoolroom last night, and dealt primarily with specialised issues such as a municipal milk supply, municipal baking, the overdraft {rouble; and the question of Hospital management, Mr W. W. Tanner, for many years member of Parliament for Avon,, presided. #■• , , Mr Cooper said he had given a large portion of his life to public service for. Christchurch and Canterbury, and had held many offices. He had always endeavoured to do his beßt to uplift the city, an 3 while on the Council he had taken -part in many important civic "movements. The city finances to-day were in a serious position. The full rating power was being exercised, and there was a leeway of some £70,000 or £BO,OOO to make up. He formedene of the original Council Committee which entered on investigations on the question of a hydro-electric supply from the Waimakariri river, and of that early party he was the only one now left. He had alfeo taken a leading part in the setting up of the municipal abattoirs, the creation of a high pressure water supply, the erection of a destructor, the building of an up-to-date-fire sta» tion, and the erection of a town hall, a work still awaiting fulfilment, j Many years ago he discovered # tho suitability of the-Victoria square site,' and he introduced a motion into the Council recommending the acquiring of that, site and the erection df a building.to coßt £120,000, but the proposal was rejected, and the building cost now would be double what it was then. The other big cities, wealthy with endowments, could afford to lose money on big town hall buildings, but Christchurch had no such endowment income, for the endowments here took -the form of public parks, a magnificent heritage from the early pioneers.: - Other enterprises with which he was prominently connected were the erection of the Clock Tower on its present site, after it had lain neglected in a yard for many years, the iuildirig of the Jubilee Home to commemorate the jubilee of Queen Victoria, and the founding of what was now the Christchurch Technical College. He*had also for long striven for municipal markets, but the Council would not support him in that project. Ho claimed that his public record would' stand comparison with that of any other candidate. Regarding the city overdraft, he considered it was essential to raise a loan to wipe off that overdraft and to start again with a clean slate. He was opposed to any increase in the rates to provide for overdraft reduction. A public works loan should be

raised for new roads, bridges, channelling, tepid bath extensions, and for too wiping out of the overdraft, which really represented money spent on public works. There was no reason why so many permanent improvements should be paid for out of current rat**. He was thoroughly opposed to tt VMS pOration milk simply, for, instead of the milk being fd or 8d r. quart,-it would cost Is 3d. or 1» 6d, nwi «*»«• davs there would be «0 milk «t ■II. It would ttke ei least £IOO,OOO to start a municipal tnitlc supply service, atid lie was satisfied the whemo Would ben huge failure. . What the city shottM do was to Ifcens* all the milk vendors, and t© appoint an tftpert to Inspect the herds a»d test the milk. He stew np prospect of » municipal bakery provinga *w*e*a? >i ' nnvthing, the broad would Coat fflOtt*. Few if any baker* at present tnado enough from the business to retirn on a competecoe. :' , . f Regarding hospital admtoistratlon. Mr Cooper advocated the appointment of a competent commercial man •t« undertake the totting. dlsMbtttion and ebcckinfr of aupplics for all tho institutions controlled V the Board. A* present there was really DO supervanr I<J carry out those duties. HOwns opposed to the contract system for procartr.fr supplies, for that .system meant «ho shutting out of all the email men and very largely the ©HmtMfttlon of competition. Tho new official he had suageste.l could do all the buying with advantage to tho Board. Buildings of * permanent nature should for tho future Iw paid by loan. He objected to tho granting of larger rating powers to the Chrlstohureh Domain* Board. A vote of thanks And eonfldenc*) was accorded Mr Cooper, on the motion of lilt A. G. Forward, seconded by Mr Iv. Edwards.

TWO HHM3?ENDENT CANMDATBfI. Messrs C. W. Horvcy and W. 11. Wittsor, Independent candidate* for seats on tho Christchurch City Connfil. addressed a meeting of ratepayer* in tho Brougham \tret Hall, fydjenUm, lost night HadfieM ©ccttpicd the choir. Mr Winsor said, though he had not been-a resident of Sydenham, , hf. offered no apologiea in asking for the support of Sydenham electors bocauso ho had often been identified with Sydenham and its resident* m very mm* activities. At tho present Mm* ne did not feel disposed to critiefoo the past work of tho present Council; ho would far rather take up tho role of one who brought forward sound and constructive schemes. Personally ho felt Tory strongly that tho utmost attention should be paid to P««J"dinß plenty. of tporta grounds for the younger gtficttition «««s*{» f?; to pay a few doctors' M» W broken noses and cut fac«j*tertst to friendly rivalry on our sports grottM* than for the cure of msidious.diMe*** that arise from a tody not actively **- eroised." He would not make tirotoi***, but ho assured them that the, IBdepMdents were out to net as * the ■■*> patty" between the two exiatrng part**, and to obtain the greatest efficiency to every part of tho Council's work. .A blind; man oould see many »«y* [» »««« improvement* could be effected, aa* ferring tospecifio matter*, Mr Winser* said he wa* against the formation of a special River GonseryMcy Board «ww a Metropolitan Board of Works. Tie establishment of munioii»{l markete W> a good idea, provided that they w«» not used to heap wp ptofite. end ttot the necessary buildrngßwere bnut from loan moneys. He -did not favour ton building of a Tojvn Hall at tho ptwW* juncture, •, hut eyentruOly - thi dty ; would need one, of course, tno Vfetorta square site, being tho most Mutable. iMr C. W. Hervey, after giving, a resume of the work no had «ano *<m. various local bodies in Ohristeharoh, Mid that he and the other Independents had come out with tho idea of voting-on the Council not for any parttotdar party, but purely for the good of tto citizens as a whole and the very bast tovernment of the city. His name had een put on a "ticket" early to tie campaign, but he had declined nomination, and (had come out "on his own;" He believed that the experience he sad already had oould be:u»ed.for; tftt tane> fit of the citisons of Christchurch. example, as eeoretary of the Oanteronry Automobile Association no had.nad a great deal to do with by4awa«nd tra&c regulation, and that knowledge eonht be very effectively used on the Conndt Many of the present by-law* were absolutely out of date, and he atood for bringuig in traffic by-law* ntor* in keeping with modern traflo the improved by-laws were passed,,he was in favour of them being very strictly enforced. At present they wens repeatedly broken, w*ioh wa* not to bo wondered at. He was Jn favour, of a Metropolitan Board of Work* wherein he differed from Mr Winsor—for ho Ihk lieved a. general annlgamaMon wovbl result in inoreaaed efficiency and a jrently lessened expenditure. Central control of this nature had. proved * raeeen elsewhere. With regard to the bnprote* ment of the Avon, he believed tbnaitbe expenditure of a small amount of money would provide, from, the bead. springs, enough water to greatly better the state of the river. Mr tiervey concluded by asking the ratepayer* J to wholeheartedly support the Independent candidate*—Messrs Herbert; winter. and himself. . /. »

.In answering questions noKhsr otadi* dates favoured" proportional retireMntation, though Mr Winsor said t* **oM not care to see it- abolished unlaw « proved better system was instituted.' Mr Hervey wai convinced that * largo number of voters did not fully understand the system. " Mrs Herbert and Mn Often responded to an invitation to addraerthe m*aU ing, and spoke interestmaw on'ike work<that was .done by the North Canterbury Hospital and Charitable. Aid Board. "You hava tha most scientific and up-to-date hospital and fautituttoi . in New Zealand''eaid Mrs HttbMt, "and you should never bsgrudge we money that yon have to pay for their upkeep." "* Votes of thanks to ihe speakers eoneluded the meeting. liAßOra CANDIDATE*. Mr T. H. Butterficld and Councillors Armstrong and Hunter addressed a well-attended meeting in North tin* wood School' on Thursday night, ware given on attentive hearing, and accorded a vote of thanks and confidence. Councillors Hunter and Armstrong addressed a fair attendance at the corner of Dickens street and Lincoln road, Addington, last night. The speakers were given a good reception, and » vote of thanks for their addresses. Councillor H. Hunter, speaking at North Linwood on Thursday night, as a representative of Linwood Ward, stated that the contract for the water pipes for the reticulation of North Linwood had been let to a Wanganni firm, and the work of making them was now under way, and was being supervised by Mr James, the eity Council's foreman, who was an expert in that line. The Bpeakef contended also that be had. as a member of the Works Committee, secured for Linwood a fair share of at* tention aa far as all the service* were, concerned. During 1019 113 chains of water-bound macadam streets had been laid, six chains of tar macadam, 80 .chains of streets had been tarred, and 895 chains of footpaths had bach similarly treated. Last year 199 chains of water-bound macadam had been nut down, 100 chains of tar macadam roads had been made, 36 chains of streets and 666 chains of footpaths had been tarred. Terry road and Stanmoro road received special treatment. Mrs Wells, Mr F. R. Cooke, and Ifee Rev. J. K. Archer, Labour candidates for seats on the City Council, addressed tie electors in Southampton street last evening. At the conclusion a large number "of questions were ed.Speaking at Sydenham last night, Mrs J M McGombs said aha was amaaea that public men should confess their inability to grasp the principles underlying proportional representation. There .was no excuse for this, Both said that