THE MAYORALTY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 477, 8 April 1909, Page 8

THE MAYORALTY.

DR. NEWMAN'S CANDIDATURE. THE CITY'S FINANCES. Finance was a special subject dealt with by Ur. Newman, candidate for tho Mayoralty, in addressing the electors in tlio Sydney Street Schoolroom last evening. Mr. King presided over a good attendance. Dr. Newman said that tho city had borrowed loan upon loan at an enormously fast rate, and it had not been able to digest them. It was something-'like a child that had overeaten itself, and required a rest. Tho city owed debts to the amount of nearly two million pounds, and when.it was considered that tho Dominion and the Harbour Board also borrowed large sums, tho total debt was appalling. Tho revenue of the city was not very large, while the expenditure was very considerable, and it would bo for the Mayor and councillors to make things meet in the best manner. The new Mayor would have an enormous amount of work to do in order to look after things and see that they were put straight. Over £300,000 a in addition to a large amount of loans, nad to be found to keep tho city jjoing. If there was any sort of a depression, a great deal of the revenue would fall away; the receipts would fall off from the tramways and the electric lighting department, and it might be necessary to increase the rates. That was the danger which it was necessary to avoid. There was an impression that money came down like manna to the Israelites. People thought very lightly about raising loans, and too little of the day of reckoning. They had voted for so many loans in quick succession that the, town was now burdened with ' a rating under which it could hardly stagger. The amount of £130,000 a year was collected in rates, and if care was not taken the amount would be greater yet. To avoid this, the city should go slow in regard to raising loans. He thought that the tramways should undoubtedly be made to pay, and they could not be said to pay unless a large amount for depreciation was written off them every year. He had been misreported at Newtown as saying that the financial depression would probably last five or six years. What he dicT say was five or six months, and he thought that when the spring came matters would right themselves. We were unwise in our financial arrangement, in that we were inclined to be too lavish for a period, and then on a sudden to becomo "panicky," and go too far in the other direction. There did not seem _to be any chance of the present depression getting any worse; it would probably get better. Tho finances of tho city required care, or they would have to pay the piper and more rates, but with a little selfdenial, he thought that they could manage very woll, and there was.no need ,to talk about retrenchment of municipal employees. They could 'do without wood-blocking and street widening for another year or' two, and save the loans that would be necessary for those objects. It would not hurt the city to economise for a year or two; if they'saved a bit t>f money now, they would have it to play with later on, but it would hurt to be wild and reckless at this juncture. The expenditure of. £40,000 to £45,000 on the Wadestown tramway and other loans not yet expended, would be sufficient to go on with. It would be extremely. unwise to raise any new loan during the coming year. In advocating that they should use machinery for street cleaning, he was advocating not extravagance but economy. In English towns a saving of 70 per cent had been made by the substitution of a modern method of street cleaning. After dealing with other matters, Dr. Newman received a vote of thanks and confidence. MR. WILFORD AT NEWTOWN. Mr. Alex. J... Band,,.who..introduced Mr. Wilford, M.P., to his audience in tho Victoria Hall, Newtown, last night, said he had known him for many years, and considered that he merited most. support among tho candidates offering for the Mayoralty. Mr. Wilford said he noticed that tho old loan of £20,000 for the horse tramways still appeared on the balance-sheet, and though tho property in Adelaide Road showed on the credit side against the loan, and there was also a sum of £5000 odd to credit, yet, unless some stops were taken to. provide for the repayment of the whole loan on maturity, the ratepayers might find themselves called upon again. In. his opinion, £1000 a year should be set aside out of tramway revenue to repay the whole of that loan, for there was no sinking fund provided for it at the time the money was obtained. The tramways should be responsible for the repayment of this sum out of tramway revenue? Mr. Wilford spoke at some length on the council's depreciation fund and sinking fund policy, and contended that the system adopted was sound and well advised, and it would be inimical to the interests of the ratepayers if the depreciation funds were allowed to accumulate while the property was depreciating, and renewals were required to bring it up to the original value. The candidate dealt with other subjects on the same lines as in his previous speeches. , A vote of thanks and. confidence was proposed by Mr. Angus Dickson, and seconded by Mr. P. J. O'Regan, who said he intended to do all he could to secure Mr. Wilford's return. The motion was carried unanimously.

MR, BOLTON AT BERHAMPORE. Mr. Bolton addressed a- good attendance of electors in the Palm Grove Hall, Berhampore, last evening. ' Mr. Alexander Cameron was in the chair. The candidate spoke on the lines of previous speeches, and after an attentive hearing, was given a vote of thanks and confidence. PREVIOUS RESULTS. In view of the fact that several of the candidates have previously aspired to the office, the figures in connection with the elections during the past few years will be read with interest. They aro as follow:— 1901: Mr. J. G. AW Aitken, 5801 votes; Mr. T. M. AVilford, 2732. 1902: Mr. J. G. AV. Aitken, returned unopposed. 1903: Mr. J. G. AV. Aitken, returned unopposed. 1904: Mr. J. G. AV. Aitken, 3052 votesMr. T. M. AVilford, 1565; Hon. T. AV. Hislop 1530. ■ y ' 1905: Hon. T. AV. Hislop,'3o6o votes; Mr. AV. H. P. Barber, 2377; Mr. J. J. Devine 1725; Mr. J. P. Luke, 1456; Mr. T. AVardell 658; Mr. J. Smith, 433: 1906: Hon. T. AV. Hislop, returned unopposed. T.T\Afc T 2^ HiS]OP ' 5658VOteSiMr--1908: Hon. T. AV. Hislop, 9192 votes; Mr J. G. AY. Aitken, 5549. Mr. Fisher will speak at O'DonnellVHall, Jiilnirnie, tins evening. Mr. John Barr, candidate for the Eastbourne Mayoralty, will speak in tho State school, Eastbourne, on Saturday night. Mr. Bolton will address the electors in tho Island Bay Hall to-night. Mr. AV. H. Bennett has agreed to stand m the municipal election. Dr. Newman will speak in St. Luko's bclioolroora, A\adestown, at 8 p.m. to-day.