MUNICIPAL SEATS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1419, 20 April 1912, Page 6

MUNICIPAL SEATS.

KARORI BOROUGH.

MR. KELLOW'S OPENING SPEECH

'ANIMATED MEETING.

Mr. W. A. Kellow, a candidate for the Karori Mayoralty, addressed tho borough electors in tho Council Chambers last evening. Mr. J. W. Henderson acted as chairman.

Commencing his address, Mr. Kellow said that in conducting his campaign he would avoid personalities and restrict himself to fair criticism. It had been said that ho was committed to support the .Kelburne tramway route, but this he denied. He was prepared to investigate tho claims of nil the available routes. ITo was also prepared, if elected, to investigate tho question of cheaper tram fares. Many improvements could yet be mndo in tramway running. For a long time nothing had been done to cheapen the cost of borough administration. Ho was prepared to go into this matter with a viow to effecting economies. He know that a lot of people wanted gas both for cooking and lighting purposes, and it would be to the advantage of the borough to have it introduced. In his last campaign he had advocated the establishment of a motor-bus service. This, he was confident, would have paid, and had the borough beeu in receipt of profits from such a service instead of being burdened with a tramway loan and a tramway which was being run at a loss, it would have been in a position to instal a water and drainage service. As things' 'now stood, ho was not prepared to advocate tho immediate installation of water and drainage, because it would mean raising the rates, but ho would be glad to have a scheme prepared and submitted to tho ratepayers. Regarding borough works, in general, Mr. Kellow said that if he were Mayor lie would undertake to place every proposal entertained before the ratepayers, at an early stage and before any money .had been spent upon it. He would endeavour to conciliate his council mstead:of fighting with it all the time. He was confident that his experience on deputations, etc., would lie of very great service to Karori. Karori was one of tho best suburbs in New Zealand. It was free from the smoke of the town and yet within handy reach. A suburb so favourably placed should be in, a thoroughly flourishing position, but to look at the amount of money that had been borrowed, for tramway purposes alone,' was absolutely astounding. If n. man of business ability were put in as Mayor, Karori in a few years would be in a very different position from that which it' occupied now. It would not bo possible to do all that must be done in twelve months. Indeed, ho was of opinion that whoever was elected as'.Mayor for the ensuing term would have a pretty bad time. Mr. Kellow submitted, however, that his twenty years of successful business experience in Wellington supplied a guarantee that ho could carry on the business of the borough successfully. Concluding, he declared that the question at issue was not "Kelburne or no Kelburne," but modern business methods against the lax administration of the past. A Bone of Contention. Mr. Kellow 6poke for only a quarter of an hour, and was not asked to Teply ;to any questions. About half : an-hour was .spent, however, in an informal discussion, which was.opened by the chairman (Mr. Henderson), who criticised tho tramway administration of the present Mayor and council, and wound up by complaining that the, Mayor (Mr. C. Cathie), in dealing with the question of a shorter route to the city, had said that he would block inquiry into tho merits of one particular route. There should be a vigorous prosecution of the inquiry, Mr. Henderson remarked, and each of the possible routes should,,be, considered.

Mr.- ; .&athie,. who was present, ■said that ho had gone in on this'policy' a year previously. .Mr. Henderson: Yon don't seem to have niade much headway.

Mr. Cathio (laughing): No, not in your direction.

Mr. Henderson said that the tramway would never pay until a better access to the borough had. been secured. Mr. Cathie asked why it was that Mr.. Kellow. had not his mind made up on the question of a shorter route. Mr. Kellow: My mind is'mndo up in this way. that I am prepared to investigate the four different routes and find out which is best. More than that I Would try to get the city to provido tho ; shorter route. The merits of the Kelburne route aro not settled yet.' If elected, I am prepared to show the Karori peoplo what can be done, but I am prepared to say that I know just as much about it now as you do. An elector: Do I understand that you are not prepared to give us your policy until you aro elected? Mr. Kellow: I, have given you my policy, but I am talking about figures. The Root of tho Trouble. Councillor Burn: You will only have a chance to investigate one route if you get into the council. Mr. Cathie: That is tho trouble all the time,' Mr. Kellow. Mr. Henderson said that he ■, did not think it was the case that only 'one route could lie discussed. Councillor' Burn: The position is that a majority of tho council have decided in favour of Kelburne. Councillor Hamilton said that Councillor Burn had no doubt included him in the majority who were pledged. to tho Kelburne route. He denied that he was "married" to any particular Toute. Mr. Cathie said that the council had set up a committee to consider the question of a shorter route. Tho four councillors on tho committee were all distinctly in favour' of the Kelburne route. It was common knowledge, Mt. Cathie asserted, that Mr. Kellow was as much opposed as anyone to the Kelburne route until ho was taken up as a Mayoral candidato. Mr. Kellow should have a policy. The chairman said that ho had been very indulgent Sir. Cathie: You gave mo an opening, I think. The chairman 6aid that Mr. Kellow had made his policy very clear. Ho was prepared to investigate the claims of any route. Mr. Cathie: That is not a policy at all. The chairman remarked that ho had allowed a lot of latitude. Mr. Cathio: Your candidate.had nothing to say. Mr. Henderson: Well, what he did say was intelligible, at any rate; I can't say that about what I heard on Monday night; Mr. Kellow TcmaTked that he believed in saying as much as possible in the fowcst possible- words. He would have a great deal to say on the following Tuesday evening. A motion of thanks and confidence was carried with some dissentients.