MAYORAL ELECTION

Chronicle (Levin), 17 November 1947, Page 4

MAYORAL ELECTION

"CURIOUS."

Sir, — I think'it will be interesting to your readers t.o get a picture Of the inconsistencies of Mr. A. W-. Parton's declared policies during hi§ campaign. In your colamns. On September 29 last, when announcing his candidature, he is reported as saying: "Drainage was an absoiute and: urgent necessity, and at his meeting he would outline' a scheme under a system of finance new to a local body, which would require only the co-opera-tion of ratepayers and not even an. increase in rates," Then a few days later appcars a report of his first meeting in the Century Hall when he is reporfee'd to. have stated: "Summed up my scheme is nothing more and nothing less than municipal co-opera-tive insurance." And then : "Mr. Parton said he favoured the sewage farm plan." Summarised his policy was then that the drainage disposal should be by sewage farm and the whole drainage scheme financed bythe profits from a mutual insurance company at no cost to the ratepayers. At his secon'd meet--ing he seems. to have completely forgotten his previously declared policy regarding the sewerage farm, and appears as an advocate of the compost scheme, Electors are asked to believe that he is the first person to think of this, not-

withstanding the fact that the council, at the instigation of the Mayor, Mr. H. B. Burdekin, has been closely watching the experimental work at Dannevirke, and studying other composting schemes for nearly a year now, and all the members of the old council, speaking on Wednesday evening, endorsed the Mayor's policy. In his enthusiasm Mr. Parton speaks glibly of 2000 tons of compost from the abattoir offal. We now learn the correct figure is 135 tons. He is reported to have stated: "There was suffioient material offering at the abattoir, the fifth largest in New Zealand, to produce annually 2000 . tons of manure With a saleable value of £2 per ton. It was a gold mine which could pay for the town's drainage scheme." He is silent as to, what the cost of producing- the material would be. Gone is. the mutual insurance company "bonanza," and an equally unsoun'd "gold-mine" is substituted. Now, Sir, surely the electors will realise that in their choice for Mayor they must look for stability and clearness of thinking, and cannot alford to put their faithin such a model of inconsistency. I have through your columns asked Mr. Parton several very pertinent questions, but he apparentiy prefers to keep silent. One can only assume that he is unable to give any satisfactory answers, and electors can draw their own-con-clusions. Yours etc.,

Levin, Nov. 15.