LOCAL ELECTIONS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2438, 17 April 1915, Page 3

LOCAL ELECTIONS

INITIAL SPEECHES TOWN PLANNING &PURE FOOD HARBOUR MATTERS The candidates nominated by lie Greater Wellington Town-Planning and Municipal Electors' Association for the City Council and Harbour Board opened their campaign last night. At St. Thomas's liall, Newtown, there was an attendance of about thirty. The speakers were: Messrs. J. E. Jenkinson and W. H. ■ Bennett (City Council candidates) and Messrs. Leigh Hunt and William Cable ' (Harbour Board candidates). Mr. R. A. Wright presided, and first called on Mr. Jenkinson.

Mr. Jenkinson commenced by touching on the town-planning question, and referred to the widening of • Willis Street, which was now going on. If a proposal of his, made eighteen years ago, to purchase the land, had been adopted, the cost would liava been much less to-day. What he thought should be done in regard to town planning was to have a deliberative advisory body set up to plan the future of the City. They wanted to 6ee that every step was a etep if advance., Comprehensively with the question was that of reserve's. They had been apathetic with regard to public reserves, and he advocated that the reserves should be set apart for the whole of the people, and not the few.

A a to tramways, after dealing generally with the question of tramway transportation, lie said he-thought that a not too elaborate experiment with rail-less cars on paved streets might be advantageously made, say from the Post Office to Courtena-y Place, by Jervois Quay and Wakefield Street. With regard to finances, he said that every citizen should be justly entitled to a full ■ knowledge of the City's finances; and there should be a plain but full balance-sheet. Steps should also be taken -whereby city leases must bear a fair rental both for lessor and lessee. Ho also supported thepure food supply question, especially with regard to milk. With municipal milk and fish supplies, and Government bakeries, they would have cause to class the city as progressive. • . In conclusion, Mr. Jenkinson said that while he was on the • "ticket" of the association, he had only made ono promise, to stand against the filling in of Oriental Bay. He would make another promise, that if he was returned lie -would do his best to make Wellington what it should be—the premier city of the Dominion. (Applause.) A City Beautiful. Mr. Bennett was the next speaker, and lio said that he stood for a beautiful city. Who could say what was to be the future of the' city in the next fifty years? They had to do the best they could for tHe city generally, and for the whole city, with an eye to_ the future. His attention would be given tu the. citizens' interests, for he had no axe to grind. Referring to tlie fish market, he said that he could, not think for a moment that in a scattered city the housewives would come to a-general market for their supplies. He was not convinced that general municipal _ markets would be desirable. As to Oriental Bay, ho stood for the present contour, and tliought that more attention should be given to the cleansing of the bay. He was . not standing to make any promises, he said, but he was there as a plain business man who, if he was elected, would do his best for all tho people, irrespective of class. (Applause.) Harbour Matters. Mr. Leigh Hunt was the first .speakei on Harbour Board affairs. Tho Harbour Board was an important body, for its public debt -was £850,000, and its revenue about a quarter of a million. For the fitst time in many years the affairs of tlie board were showing a loss, and there should bo men on tho board capable of -dealing with financial affair?, so that tlie board would be placed in tlie position it was a few years ago. He quoted figures to show how tlie profit had fallen to a loss, despite the fact that last year considerably more roods wore handled than were handled two years ago, when a profit of £10,000 was made, to last year's loss of £3000. How wore they to improve that position? He was opposed to any increase in tl;e port charges unless it was absolutely necessary. If they put 'extra charges on wool, as some people suggested, they miglit find the wool going to Napier and Wanganui, for already the competition of those ports was being felt. The second course to save money, to lower the wages of the employees, was quite out of the question, in his opinion.

Coming to tie third suggestion, working expenses, lie thought these were too high, and should he cut down. What was wanted was a modern system of traction on tho wharves;, to eliminate cartage; £2000 a year, he thought, might be saved in this direction. Further, the.v should get better returns for their leases, and the time had arrived when no more timber structures should be erected. The day of ferroconcrete had arrived. Further, he opposed any private water supplv svstem for tho Harhour Board, hut thought the Patent Slip Company should be made to carry out their agreement. He believed that a comprehensive report on the question of docks, including a floating dock, should be secured by the Harhour Board. Floating Dock for Wellington. Mr. Cable also spoke on Harbour Board matters, and said that Wellington was worso off with regard to shipping repair facilities than it was 40 years ago. Auckland was fully, alive to _ the benefit of having facilities for ship. Tepairs, as were Lyttelton and Fort Chalmers. Wellington was the central -port) and would draw trade providing facilities were available. If £1000 per week was spent in ship repairs in Wellington, it would reduce unemployment considerably. The present system in Wellington was unsatisfactory, and would never be satisfactory. If he was elected ho was going to take steps to try and get a small floating dock for the harbour, as the for a larger dock at some later time. The larger dock should also bo a floating dock. It could be done for practically half the money of a graving- dock, and a good floating dock would last for 50 years. If things were, normal they could get a dbek for £150,000, which iitould do Wellington for many years to come.

Mr. J. P. Luke, tire present Mayor of tlic City, calls a meeting of his supporters and friends who desire to secure his return as Mayor, for Monday evening next in Godber's room, Courtenay Place, for the purpose of making arrangements for the forthcoming election. Messrs. L. M'Eenzie, G. Frost, H. G. Hill, and 0. B. .Norwood were to have spoken at the Mount Cook Schoolroom last evening,, but the meeting was abandoned.