THE MAYORALTY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 182, 27 April 1908, Page 8

THE MAYORALTY.

f; r ADDRESS BY MR, HISLOP. The Hon.-T. W. Hislop addressed a meot- [ ing in-St. Mark's Schoolroom on Saturday 1;, ■ .evening,' Mr. Lambert- occupying the chair. - Mr.. Hislop's speech was on the lines of .- - othors recently made by him. He stated • : that'lie understood a sheet had been pubE":.. , -.lished that day under: tho auspices of the' i Gas Company. : There was nothing very I;; ' deadly in it, and as it. was not run in tho f. ■ { broad - interests of the electors generally, he hoped ' the public would discount '-anything b that appeared in it. ■_■ Capital had, the candi--I.dato continued, been made, out of the fact [ . that a little while ago .'lie had addressed f., t tho tramway employees. He - might point i- mit, in the - first, placed.that his' action had p - wrongly .been construed as an innovation. |•' . The reason of tho practice was that tho K/i.V- v 'trainway : men-.were not able .'to; attend ' the' fpublic moetmgs because they were on duty. They- were- so numerous that -a-.-candidate, | ought to go out of his..,way''.;to\let\the'm f . •. know what views ho held on important mnniE.yv- cipal matters., - -If Mr.."Aitken-s, ..friends• [/ .. among- the . tramway people wished ;him to f.,-. deliver an address "to them, there: was no if', reason why 'ho" should . not. do , so. • He | - (thq speaker) knew that Mr/; Aitken had I friends among the ''tramway.'-■ .employees. ,It' ( l Was then- only a matter whother thpre were, p.-■■■-■ i ; enough' of-them -to ask /him to'go to the p»v(trouble of addressing. them. His opponent f-: • . of last year had made r.o, noise"about the ■ - practice. If the Pross had ;thought it worth I while thero.was nbthing' te.prevenli/Teporters is being present; 'Mis-statements and mis- , " representations had .been made in respect of - : his address to the workers. He wisned.'to' point out, therefore, that during the.whole r •> time the-proposed agreement-with the workjv. i ers / wps: ■ never mentioned.' As a matter p of fact, he {Mr. - Hislop) knew: from Mr. Stuart Richardson, not from, the men, that , only a ; few, matters of; detail still, required 1" to be . arranged. .' Mr. .Fisher had no right v. to take away, from the; Town"Hall. tho. docu- . > Mont which, he showed to Mr. Boll.' - Wheli { he. applied to see them he; stated .'that he' jv. -. intended to take 'thom.only- into ono -of l\ the committeo rooms, upstairs. : It ! was iise-' i,, less:for Mr. Aitken, who introduced Mr. |...' : Fisher to . Mr.:'Bell,'-to : say that •he did [ . - not know tho purport ■, of what 1 Mr. 'Fisher f,: : would say to Mr. 8011.- There was ovidcuco p.. I: -' to' prove that .the. matters in' question' liad p\ . been discussed previously,-'in'.another",'office k. in Wellington. ''-TliQ.'.object; .of.' visit to Mr.' 801 l was to •frishten'him'-Otfr.-* fHislop) from, standing again [for the, Mayorralt}\. -Such- suggestions wero - the very thing; that would induce him . to; come: forward. I . Then;. .again,. Mr.';AiLkon-- had-'stated that he idid. not. know"'that- lie intended to bo ! a 'candidate'. at', the-'time;'j-Oii. that- point I";.;. : -he ,Speaker)- to say - that 1 three months ago a friend.had told hirii. !:... - --.that he hr.d 2?.thpred. from a'-conversation which ■took';'place between Mr: Aitken-' arid . :> ■ a Mr. Allen, -that Mr. Aitken wquld be an aspirant for. the - position. Of course, his friend might hayo, been mistaken.V Hoiyever, there conld be,no. gainsaying ..the; fact that •.! for at least a. fortnight before.' coming out >V-/ : '-'''MrYv!Aitken; had contemplated' becomins a candidate,' because, he - was : interviewed -on- ; the subject nearly every day - for the period .- by. representatives;-,of; .the Press. Touching . upon the: question,of theHrivestment of.'sink-.. '■■■■:,-■■. ing fund;inoney, Mr. Hislop\,asserted that ho could guarantee that - there was.no, .better that held; i ■ in the'.' ; siriking''fiind;investments.! 'f~.. Since ;.the moneys . had. been lie ..had .had to 'Contest^ -.-..'an' election, v and .-hi.s, ; opponent :(Mr Wilford),;wHo wis, aware | , • of tho facts disclosed,, had not commented • on thcm. : ~.:Mr. Aitken : .,had'- : -.stated . ttiait , he would rather lose ;the ( election;.,thirty ! times over-'than .indulge iin |'.- .What was the good-of'liim.talking, like that?.; J What did he suppose was going .to happen ; when he introduced Mr. -Fisher.to :Mr. Bell ? f A man did not rieed to be personal if otters I on his side wjere: willing to be so instead \" of him; -■ .'ln conclusion, Mr. . Hislop', subt . mitted -that the management ,'of t-he .'Cor-. f»: . poration's affausr was- anything' but satisfactory Aitkon's, term of-office. . The, cost-of!.management in Mr;. Aitken's- • time was 7£ per cent.; since he (Mr. Hislop) had come into office it. had-been'reduced to, [-. 5i per , cent. , , Many.: important questions i would require to be dealt -with ■at an,, early: |: - date, and it therefore behoved the electors i to choose the . candidate who'was best fitted ( to deal with them. Those who-wero intor- ! ested in preventing tho city from -acquiring | , the gasworks, should certainly ,vote for his f opponent.- -. ' , ~ , , I - Mr. Hislop, who was not asked any questions,., was'.accorded a vote: of thanks arid ' confidchco.. MR. HISLOP AND THE TRAMWAYEMPLOYEES, i- ~ \ YOUNG AGAIN, v REPREHENSIBLE ELECTIONEERING - TACTICS. ' ■ . (To. tho ■ Editor.)-,, . . ' ' Sir,—lt .was with .eminorit gratification'and plcaouro that I perused you J- exceedingly ■ humble climb down published ih-ybur issno ■ ;.;■ ',-,-v" of to-dayconsequently the,.only, point- now remaining "for, me; to cloal .'.iyitb. is; tlio qiies-. , tiori' of the IJnion notice of meeting;coniirig • /.; into -your 1 possession;',In dealing with that particular,, aapect 'of our . con'troversy, ..you say^— -".The.- noticecame ; into" our..hands >; in a^perfectly..proper.,way^'l.express con-; .... trition for. your. limited - conecption of the ~ .', words f'perfectljT;proper way,": biit .if' you - are; thoroughly satisfied, that the 'document came into your possession through .legitimate channels, and in : view of y.ou having, been so exacting in your'efforts to secure straight-out-answers to all questions .submitted, ; w}ll you, kindly: favour ..me-, by;, straightforwardly, ; imsweririg, the. following:,queries,'.Viz./ (I) Is the document in ; question printed on our official writing-paper! arid; hold-' 'eommon seal of the Union; the |-; ;. property of .the Union? -' t ■ -(2) Aro you aware jthat the said docu- |' -.-ment was'extracted, froiri a glass case;' i- ' , which is tho;:property : : ,of . the - UnibnJ [ ! affixed immediately"'inside.: the dear of I }•••'■' - ' the Thorndoii Tramways Office? : t (3) Did one of your representatives ,ex- ! . ~ tract the said dccuirient from the said I case, some time dur'irig: last , Thursday. : evening, or at-any other time?., ■ |. (4)--Are you aware that 'ono of''.Sour- ! representatives . canvassod ,the said ' - document among tho"motorinen and conductors on 'the cars for their op'inions on last Thursday night? (5) Did some other person than a member of your staff extract the said document from thetsaid caso. arid hand .- it over to your representative? • >''I (6) If 1 your representative extracted it i from the case, is your journal guilty .£.\ •> of the offence .of-theft? , • (7) If tho document was extracted, by, a i , person other than a member of youi | staff,' and subsequently handed over ! to and accepted by your reprcsenta- ; . tive, is your journal guilty, of "the |, offence of receiving, stolen property? j -, Ab you have been so professedly,'-pure in : your :writings on matters pertaining to the ! Mayoral election,'myself (and, I;believe, the/ J ' public generally) would-deem it an' excep-. j tional favour if ybu will:'kindly be >eqnally, ■ so in renlying to tho aforesaid questions.—' i I am, etc.,' ; / ' W. T. YOUNG, . . L. Secretary, Tram,vays iiinpW«es'.Union.April 25, 1908. ■ ; .: . j We, publish Mr., W.-T.-vYonng's letter in } full, because we think it that the, public generally, and Labour'circles in particular, should know the manner of man' Mr. W. T. Young, Secretary of the Tramways ~Em-; ployecs',Union,' Secretary' of the Seamen's • Uiiiqn, a leading spirit in the- ranks of Labour, and an ardent supporter, of Mr. His- .; : lop, really, is. ■ ■ ' , [ _ This , apparently is • Mr. Young's i idea 'of covering up' tho exposure I wo were able to make of tho elecI , tioneering tactics of the' Municipal Tram- [ way Employeee'- Union and ; Mr. Hislop-rtho f- candidate tho -Tramway Employees' Union T • and Mr. Young l desire to see elected : as'the I chairman of the. body, wliicli fixes the wages i'• aiid conditions of employment of the tram- | way employees. 1 Mr.;: Young does : not: deny.

the .fact of the-private meeting of a; Municipal Employees' IJnion' being addressed by a candidate for municipal offico seeking the votes of that union instead, he endeavours, to create.a,diversion by implying that in'some" way or other The 'Dominion staff has-been'giiilty. of'theft. He is backed up in these tactics by ;the "New Zealand Times," which'is' also, supporting Mr. Hislop's oandKlat-uro and .trying to cover up the '" indiscretion,'' as it is politely, ternied, of tho- Tramways Union -a'nd'.Mr. Hislop. Tho paper, mentioned, goes : even further tlian Mr. Young/ and, levels':at, our,.reporting staff a dirtct charge-of theft.,,,;,! ... These.'scandalous . tabtics.. we believo aro unparalleled in the liistory.of our-public life. There, is not a shadow, of'foundation for tho slightest suggestion, of impropriety in conne'c,tion .with the -manner;in.'which the information concerning the. clectioncoririg methods of Mr. Hislop,:and .the .Tramway Employees' Union came, into,,mir hands. Mr. Young's questions are so'much make-believe, designed to . coyer ~ :his".'l discomfiture; , at ..- tho exposuro ' mado., ■'.- ■•' ,1f.:., any! , document was .stolen, ' as; allegeil,! no member of ,Tiie DoMiKiON-'staff.'knew anything about the theft,; of'whb"'the'.'thief_ was, nor. did any meinber of- Thb. 'Dominion ,'steff , liayo any communication with any accomplice or, friend of tho tHief.' .We deem it desirable to make these facts - perfectly',' clearj' not beoauso ,'we think it-necessary,,,tq,place, before, our, .readers any denial .' of ; tho flutragepus charges made, -but because "experience' Has taught us that in; the present,, election .contest it is unwise to-leave unanswered 1 any'allegation, however absurd, or improbable. v .. Mr. W. T., Young,apparently Relies on impudent assertion arid brazen effrontery to escape from ;the unenviable position in which he, has placed hiraself'and his Union. The desperate' straits -to- which he has been driven is fitj;ingly':exemplified-by, tho 'opening misstatement -.in :'his' -latest•;letter, in which ho accuses, us. of''an-''exceedingly humblo climb down'! on Saturday last'.- This, statement is so .' glaringly' untruo.: that it : is impossiblo to find milder mesfqs ,'of '.describing it. ■ ,FEATUBES-0F 'THE , SINKINC FUNDS ''' t V CONTROVEBSY. /' ' THE DANGER. \ - V (To THE EDITOE.) •• . Sir,—Public sinking funds, while accumulating upon the conditions under,which any loan has been raised, have always been regarded as trust moneys,;and have almost invariably been /held' by. commissioners.' . "Here, tho Mayor-: seeing'- authority' under a -recent Act/ iriduced' the - Council to themselves undertake'the.-responsibility of 'such' invest-' ' Councillor Fisher, - it' appears; satis l fied himself, that this in its ope'ratibn iwas ex.trbmely. unsatisfactory.' . Embodying his : objections, in'a-scries'of letters for publication or; else on official documents, he showed them or iexplained- their contonts, to'his Parliamentary- .colleague"! 7 1' arid ex-Mayor, Mr. Aitkeh;, and asked- that, gentleman to introduce. him to Mr. H. D: 'Bell, the eminent barrister,' wlio has also had much, experience in public life. Mr.-Aitken, in complying, repudiated all responsibility in' connection with :Mr/ Fisher's,'errand,','and left. '/ This was especially, 'unfortunate;; as'a wido difference has .arisen .between-tho -two., gentlemen remaining \as to what then took place, but tlie like ;is -not'; unusual between men :when .'iiribued: ! with- strong- convictions.. - ~ In this casp Mr. fisher j sought the retiro;nienti of, Mr. ,Hislop from .the Mayoral congest,; believinghim unfitted, 1 from■ the", charges , he. was - preferring, and his 'object for seeking :to meet' Mr. Bell appears to have been to; secure ihis "influence with; Mr. Hislop in',this.direction. 'Mr. Bell,• however, (regarded Mr. Hislop as'a personal friend ;arid with entire confidence,, and later : he accepted in this :, spirit tbd cliairmarisllip of ; Mr. liislop's, committee, and in,public.correspondence Mr.. Fisher's-,charges : havo teen disproved by Mi;..'Hislop in his replies: in this conclusioh he is,. by.,the way,-' supported-by tho weight of 'iboth yonr contemporaries.' ;-The r t'Post,'''; however,. ,'• is weak, and would be happier if Mr. Aitken could ,only b.e induced to agree,;.and the opinion;. 'of the',' "Tillies" is discounted by its general • -conduct, /'and so,; < perhaps, it scarcclj;; counts. -Despite those opinions arid the-faiitire .. of.- Mr. Fisher to-act on, Mr. Bell's .suggestion ;to -be 'careful - and a;ccurate, there :, are ; sbyeral v unsatisfactory', features made, good/under this controversy. ,/• First, it .is'clearly.' a!'fabst , dangerous step , for. anj''politibril: body/ to' undertake 'the in•vestmeiit; of public funds. •••'V(l[hen. known, -the-members'.of" cbinmittees, would be" corruptly:canvassed,,fbr';their" vote's.' Oho' rieed only point"to -Airiericaji': municipalities as illustrative of wliat '.would:' happen.. ' Second,' if is clearly the intent of the Act that not only' Mayors and Councillors tut their .partners should stand aloof from' such (transactions;; arid while' probaibly tho public interest; may. not' havo suffered from .the "investmonts'mado through - the Mayor's partners, unless it be ,'that>)they deterred-, other arid better, applications,. still,, it would' hav'o been better, that.-, more. investments should have been'fourid outside' of that channel. ■ Third,-if .-by tho re-olectiori of the Mayor this objectionable, system-'is to be confirmed, 1 surely -ho should:,, abstain.4frop .taking: any. part; in considering,' or in voting : on/ any application preferred' by his business, partners.l - am. - -not: aware!•--that'.he has done so/ ,but , in-the large proportion of .their ap'phcations and/grants it; would appear that no has. .- ; ' .." ' ' . ■ Further, i-whenythoi.committee or, Council is equally divided;: the Mayor's vote should ; be-on the:side,of caution;-: I am not'awaro whether,- in- the l ,case where such a division is reported,-.the;,application was through his partners - and ; do .not suggest it, but it .is tho part of a.chairman on any such .occasion to support the .cautious side. :-. The*i!disclosures byi.Mr. Fisher ■ have, -iI would..say,;,been;;of .great; public- service in so forcibly drawing- public .attention- to the dangers of this so-called, up-to-date municipal reform. It is a Ideparture which opens tho door, wjde to-grievous maladministration, and with all respect towards Mr. ;Hislop, personally,, his. error has been- such that, he should not bjp-again returned, at this election 'or- until- he' r niakes?ut;;clear..that he;.moro fully. : dangor.' .of, the slightest departure froni'/the . lines'essential, to maintain purity in public-administration.— I km; etc.,, • .■.: - • i ■ , . A CITIZEN. • - April. 24.-- ■... . ~ / MR. FISHER. .Sir,—l-.,think! Athe -information that Mr. Fisher, City., Councillor;-has been opening to the citizens,-'respecting .municipal affairs, should'be duly, appreciated.,: Tnere are so many , doubtful;,, statements, expressed on the election platform's, and-the more-wc investigate the more doubtful tliey show. - It ,is strange -tliat, Mr.. Fisher's .father, " Our George," fought, the, Panama King in, years gono .before; but his son is fighting a stronger ring than ever before. I think an., inquiry into' tho qualifications of hundreds, of young, men ,who,have placed their names on enrolment' papers should be' investigated.'—l . am, etc., » OBSERVER. • April 24. Z WHY 1 Sir,—During the present Mayoral contest there havo been many explanatory statements "mado by Mr. Hislop as to his administration of municipal affairs, etc., but I notice - ho -has, not so.- far enlightened the public as to what was done by himself and Council in tlie' matter of an alleged defalcation. by ■ a. former 'clerk of tho - Council'' of a sum, as rumoured, of £800. .1 believe this official, left ,the. Council, 'but .what I -. think. the'. public . would liko to know, is: > .Was 'this' alleged ' defalcation, ever inado'good ? If so, by;whom? And how was .it.that.no action was 'taken against: him when, it. is remembered .that a' former-trariiway official was brought from Auckland to account tor the; sum'.;of ten shillings, which oil inquiry was found to belong to him? " \lf, the above, is. a correct statement of ..tHo; position, no doubt a full explanation would. be of interest. to tlio .public at large. —I am,/etc., . curious. April 24. MR. AITKEN AND THE Y.M.C.A. . . " A CORRECTION. - ■ Sir;— With reference to Mr. W. T. Young's . (secretary Tramways. Employees' Union) -letter, appearing in your issue, of Friday morn.;ing lasti'- stating .that. Mr. Aitken ; had;ad-

dressed -the .Y.M.C.A. in respccfc to the Maj-oral election, -1 would liko to say that this is not correct. No meeting lias been hold, as tho Association is strictly nonpartisan. Any gathering held was entirely without the interest, support, or help.'of the Association, and no names were given from membership roll.—l am, etc., '' H.N.HOLMES, General Secretary Y.M.C.A. April 24, 1903.. Mr. Hislop will address meetings as under: —Town Hall, .to-night, at 8 o'clock; St. Thomas's Hall, Newtown, to-morrow at 7.30; Band Rotunda, Jervois Quay, to-morrow, at 8.30. Mrs. Hislop will meet the ladies at Aro Street Mission Hall this afternoon, at 3 ; o'clock; and at Victoria Hall, Adelaide Road, | to-morrow, at, 3.,' Mr. Aitken will address the following meetings this evening:—St. Thomas's Hall, Newtown, at 7.45; Town Hall, Island Bay, at 8.30. . An important meeting of all ,Mr. Ait-ken's committees* will bo held at t-hc corner of Mercer Street and Lower Cuba Street, in the Imperial Camera Company's office (opposite tlio Fire Brigade station) this evening, at 8 o'clock. ... • - MIRAMAR. ' Mr. C 4 J. Crawford, the present Mayor of Mirairiar, addressed the electors at Mr. Wyatt's kiosk, Worscr Bay, on Saturday, evening. Mr. .Cooper occupied the chair. Mr. Crawford, after prefacing his remarks by saying that in any criticisms lie made he hoped that his audience would understand that ■he was criticising methods and policies enunciated, and not persons, went on to / explain that he in every way welcomed a cont-est, that it gavo an' opportunity for the thorough probing of all municipal matters of interest to the electors, so that before they.were asked to vote they could .feel .that they know the truth, and could, then with greater ease select the man who,, in their , opinion would most suitably represent them s as'their Mayor. He traced the history of the negotiations in connection :. with the Park at Mirairiar North, pointing out that' in everything he had dono ho had', had the support of the whole, of tho Council-excepting, one. - , ' -."(To'iTnß.-EDITOB.) . . loss of Miramar to the city has been one of the items brought to the surface lately, and-we : have heard Mr. Aitken blamed by Mr. Hislop for this; wo have also: heard that the Bill was blocked by the late Premier. . Perhaps wo can also 1 be informed of tlio names of those citizens who waited in deputation on tho, Premier and. got the Bill removed, from tho fifth to. the twentyseventh place on the list. 'If' one of Mr. Hislop's leading committee officials was., one .of .them ho will no doubt supply details, as he has always professed interest', in the', welfare of the city, and if ■these-.citizens "saved" the city, and made money out of tile land themselves, it would bo interesting for the;public to know—l am, etc.,. April 24 v ELECTOR. Mr. C. J. Crawford, candidate for tho -Miramar Mayoralty, will speak - to-night at Mrs.-'Maxwell's room, Miramar North, and to-morrow aight at Mr.. Wyatt's room, AVorser. Bay.' A-brake will leave Paul's corner,' Karaka, Bay, at 7.15 p.m. to-day to convey electors to Mr. Crawford's meeting, returning afterwards. ' Mr. '.T; ' Townsend, candidate- for tlio Mayoralty, of Miramar; will speak at Mr. Wyatt's rooms, Worser Bay, to-night, and at ■Messrs'./Yoiijig : and Petley's -factory, Park' Road, to-morrow evening.^