CITY CONTEST.

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

CITY CONTEST.

MR, BISS AT KILBIRNIE. Mr. a. S. Biss had an audience of about forty nt his meeting in Brighton House, Kilbirnie, yesterday evening. Mr. Clarke presido.l. Mr. Biss dealt at length with the needed extension of tho Constablo Street trainline, and the council's neglect of the matter. Ho also dealt with tho council's finance generally, mid the tramways account in particular. Other subjects dealt with wore as discussed at previous .meetings, and already reported on. Mr. Biss coacludod by stating that he had declined to be the nominee of any particular interest, but, if oljoted, was determined to do hie best for the community as a whole. Ho was awarded a vote of thanks and confidence, on the motion of Mr. T. Burke.

Mr. Letts, In speaking to the resolution, mentioned that all who had heard tho candidate's address could not fail to bo impressed with his evident ability to satisfactorily fill the position he sought.

MK. SMITH AT NEWTOWN. Mr. J. Smith (Acting-Mayor) nddrossed electors at the Newtown Library last niirht. Mr. .T. V. Lnko presided. Touching, inter alia, on tho question of public conveniences, Mr. Smith stated that whilo Wellington van in a fairly good position in this respect, tho number of conveniences should bo increased. The city ongineer had been instructed to pro none pips md mieot puitablo extra sura. is to tiv» eaWqot oi tiw «ten,ttta of Vhi_

tramline over tho Constnble Street hill, he looked upon the -proposed work as a very necessary one, especially in viow of the recreation ground which Lyall Hay was to have. Ho would endeavour io Lave this work put through. The remainder of Mr. Smith's address was nn tho lines taken at his previous meetings. At tho conclusion of the speech City Councill Trevor moved a voto of thanks to, and confidence in, tho candidate, lie paid a tribute to Mr. Smith's ability, and stated that tho candidate had the confidence of tho great majority of tho council. Mrs. Fnrquhar seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously. Mr. Smith will speak in tho Concert Chamber of tho Town. Hall on Monday night, when ho will deal with the subject of tho management of tho tramways. MR. WRIGHT AT JtfGESTRE STREET. Speaking at Ingestre Street last evening, Mr. R-. A. Wright stated that ho was glad to see that an attempt was being, made to establish a national art gallery m Wellington, and it was to bo hoped that the citizens, who wore being appealed to for funds, would respond liberally, the establishment of an art gallery would mnko the city more attractive to visitors as well as to residents, no thought citizens of Wellington were apt to decry their own city, and ho knew that m certain quarters ridicule was being poured upon this art gallery scheme, but for all that he contended that it was an excellent movement. MR, M'LAREN AT DRUIDS' HALL. Mr D. M'Laren, the Labour candidate™r the City Mayoralty, addressed about M electors at the Druids' Hall Inst night. the chair was taken by Mr. T. C. Tester. tho candidate said that, in his election, he, was not professing to bo the one strong man in the city, but was endeavouring to place facts before tho electors that would enable them to judge whether or not ho was competent to fill the position for which he stood. He considered cunt the administration of tho business details of a municipally should be left to the responsible officers of'the different departments, the function of the Mavor and -councillors being to lay down the policy that was to be followed. While he. reoognised that business principles must be applied to all great undertakings, it should bo understood that in tho affairs of a city, business principles should be applied only as a means to the end of securing the greatest good for the whole of the community. The candidato referred to the necessity for completing the water supply scheme, duplicating tho Wainui-o-mata main, and carrying out certain street' works. He said he had always opposed anything that would tend towards the creation of congested city areas, and had successfully opposed a move to amend tho by-laws in the direction of reducing the air spaco attaching to residences. He hoped 'to see some means found which would prevent any such occurrence as recently caused the death of Fireman M'Lean. Mr. M'Laren expressed the belief that all these electric wires now running overhead should be underground. Until this could be brought about some other means should be taken to guard against accidents. Such matters would receive his attention if he had the honour of being returned as Mayor. (Applause.) Ho approved tho purcnaso of land on the foreshoro at Lyall Bay. This was a valuable asset to' tho city, and would be a still greater asset in the years to come. The position in regard to the tramways was not altogether satisfactory, and he bolioved a very careful scrutiny of the whole service would bo required. Referring to the recent tram strike, the candidate claimed to have acted as coolly. as anyone in that crisis,. Ho denied that he had advocated muni-, cipal nowspapers. What he had done was merely to refer to what had been done in this connection in certain ■'municipalities in America. After referring to various other matters, Mr. M'Laren said that Mr. Smith had been referring to him as a man who, if elected, might be swayed by Labour unions. Ho might reply that Mr. Smith would be swayed by the Citizens' League, but that would be no answer. The public could judge •the matter from his eleven years' service. Mr. Biss had indirectly referred to him as a theorist and faddist, but he (Mr. M'Laren) was known as a man who used cool and careful judgment at all- times. At tho conclusion of his address, Mr. M'Laren answered a number of questions, On the motion of Mr/E. J. Carey, ?io' was accorded a vote of thauks and confidence. CANDIDATES AT HATAITAI. ALL FOUR SPEAK. The candidates for tho Mayoralty were invited by the Hataitai Ratepayers' Association to address them at their annual meeting last night. As it happened, Mr. A. S. Biss arrived first, but long before he' had began to speak Mr. R, A. Wright, another candidato, had arrived, and taken his seat among the .audience. Presently when Mr. Wright had found his range and was firing into tho City Council citadel, Mr. J. Smith came along and waited his turn. Later Mr. Smith fought his fight—a strenuous one—when Mr. D. M'Laren'was looking on and listening. Last of all, Mr. M'Laren said his piece, and in turn had to take his share of heckling.' MR. A. S. BISS. , Mr. Biss spoko only of local matters. On the tunnel demands of the association he was inclined to defend the city engineer in his opinion that tho present tunnel would never havo been suitable for heavy vehicular traffic. Mr. Morton was not a man to put forward opinions lightly, and he had in mind a scheme for a tunnel under tho hill from a spot near Wellington Collego to Moxham Avenue. Probably this idea might not meet with whole-hearted approval from residents of Hataitai, because tho proposed, tunnel would come out of the hill . too far from their houses, but Mr. Morton was an expert, likely to be guided in' framing his opinion by considerations of real utility. Mr. Biss, in answer to a question, agreed that the system of fire alarm by which Hataitai was connected only with tho auxiliary Kilbirnie station, was out of date. He was not sure whether tho fares to Kilbirnie ought to bo reduced. MR. R. A. WRIGHT. Mr. Wright covered much the same ground as his rival. Ho thought that a fatal blunder had been made in making the tunnel too narrow for pedestrian traffic. He recognised that this was something to be put right, but hero the question of cost had to be considered. He referred to the report presented to the City Council on Thursday night, which ho said was very unpleasant reading. It appeared, in fact, that the balance-sheets presented previously had not been correct balance-sheets. A great deal had been said about finance in past years. Where were all the financiers now? If these municipal enterprises wero not conducted as ordinary profit-earning-.concerns wero conducted, all municipal enterprise would be vetoed in the future Mr. Wright was accorded a vote of thanks for his address. MR, J. SMITH. Mr. J. Smith discussed tho little difficulties that had cropped up in tho council sinco he had been acting instead of Mr. Wilford. He had been accused of being weak because ho had not used the iron heel, and he had refrained from doing so becauso ho did not consider his position as strong as that of a. Mayor. He deplored tho present tramway finances, and bo disclaimed nil responsibility for the system which had brought about the present sorry position. Ho with others on tho council had opposed the present financial mothods, but he had been outvoted. Ho had always been in favour of a-tnnnol at a lower level than tho present one. but the council would always have to bo guided by its experts about a second tunnel. Meantime ho would rather advocate the extension of tho Constable Street lino into Kilbirnie, which line would be a convenience to tho Newtown people, and would also relievo the pressure on tho tunnel traffic. He urged Hint if the city would como under tho Fire Board schemo it would have been possiblo to havo an up-to-date fire service in Hataitai At tho conclusion of his address, Mr. Smith, mostly by M'rtn© of his position as senior councillor and acting-Mayor, had to stand before a lire of questions, but after he had nnswcrecl them oil he was accorded a hearty voto of thanks MR. D. M'LAREN. Last of all, Mr. M'Laren spoke almost altogether of general municipal politics, to the exclusion of affairs local. If elected ho would imsist ujkui ohangos of synJ«m U wlmini«tre,ttoa «&d hjookUmobt.

ing. It was impossible for a councillor jjiving his services gratis lo the community to follow up all tho tangled string of tho city's affairs, imloss ho wore assisted by somo better system- of keeping continuous records. There, was a lack of continuity in this particular at present. Ho would never take tho part of tiny district against the pity or against any other district. He recognised that the council must be' to some extent guided by experts, but very often matters of policy were left to the experts, and that was wrong. -Mr. M'Laren was accorded a hearty voto of thanks by acclamation.