MR. J. FULLER, JUNR.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1736, 29 April 1913, Page 8

MR. J. FULLER, JUNR.

TRAITWAYS AND FINANCE. Mr. J. Fuller, junr., a member of tho retiring council, addressed over sixty people in Messrs. TurnbuH's auction, rooms last night. Mr. H. W. Davies presided. The candidate said that one of his chief battle criea at tho 1911 election, was "Tramways! Tramways!" In the final council meeting of that year the council had talked about the tramways, but after the election had gone to sleep on the subject. However, he (Mr. Fuller) woke tliem up about tho matter. A number of the candidates had taken credit for putting tho tramways on a sound footing. It was due to none of them; the credit was Sir. AV. Morton's (tho City Engineer). Furthermore, the credit uf setting up a tramway board was due to Councillor Fitzgerald and Sir. Slorlon— both seemed to hit the idea at the some lime. Keferriiig to fares mi the trams, he said that lie had protested vigorously again.-t "the unfair eiuirgo of taxing the people -who used the trams on (iocul Friday." Strange to sn.v, mi hi-t (.'mid Friday there was no ilntililc charge-there was an elcdiun slicking out a month

litter. A sum of .C 370 was tiv'-cn (in (lie cars on (hat day, as against .lililll on I lieprevious guud Friday, and twice the number of people used them. lie hoped that by this time iiexl; year the high steps oil tho cars would alt be done away with' —if not all, all possible. A lot had been said about Auckland's Irams, but Wellington's ears compared very favourably with them, especially in cleanliness and appcarnnce. He hoped that (with improvements) by 1011 the council would tie able to give the people their electric light at the rate of threepence per unit, lie did not think the power supply system was made the best use of; there was a wet blanket over it. tie would do his utmost to develop this branch, iinu give ■tho citizens the benefits possible to Ik derived. . Last year the city had a credit: balance of ,E1KI". This year we had to pay an extra ctHOOO to tho Hospital nnd. Charitable Aid Board, ami there was something to be paid as a share of tho "Hutt Road legacy," so one might say that an extra .£SOOO had to be found this year. Councillors who were prone to talce (lie line of least resistance would get over the difticuity by raising the rates. He disagreed with that; means of finding extra money; a little pruning here and there, assislcd by the nntural growth of the revenue in. sympathy with the growth of the city, would overcome the trouble. lie was opposed to the liiiinieipilisation of the milk supply; he advocated the Victorian system. He considered that Wadestown should be allowed to pool its tramway interests with the city's. A lot of people wanted a traffic tunnel put through the hill to Kiibirnie. AVell, what about the money? He thought that in about 1914 the council should In able to raise a loan of ,£200,000, ami with the increased rentals tho city would then be receiving, such a loan should not be an extra burden 'by way of extra rates. If sy.ch a loan could be got on suitable conditions he would like to seo a tunnel put through the hill, the Constable Street line extended, and the trams run up to Rosenenth. .Manners Street, being so frightfully narrow, was a blot on the city. He thought such a thoroughfare should not be allowed to exist unaltered. He preferred a system of national markets to one of municipal markets. Mr. ..Fuller said that he considered that tho public of Wellington had a great deal to thank ,the press for. The press in Wellington had given .municipal affairs more publicity than had the press of other centres, and had always given most intelligent accounts of civic proceedings. In conclusion he assured his. audience that in'the evHiit of his being returned to the Council he would pursue the same policy, with vigour and fearlessness, as ho had advocated during his present campaign, which \ya« 'the policy lie had fought for in tho Council.

Mr. Fuller was accorded a hearty vote of thanks and confidence.