WADESTOWN AFFAIRS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2443, 23 April 1915, Page 8

WADESTOWN AFFAIRS

ELECTORS' ASSOCIATION MEETING. Tho soventh animal meeting of tho Wadostown Municipal Electors' Association was held in the local clubrooni last night, Mr. C. It. Smith presiding. Tho chairman said'that the war had naturally overshadowed everything else in Wadestown, as in other places, and he was pleased to note that thero was a thoroughly loyal spirit in the district. He had that afternoon met a lady resident who had three sons in the lighting line, while a daughter had gone as a liurse, making four from one family. At an early stage a meeting in aid of the Belgians had been called by the association, as a result of which over £60 had been added to the relief fund, and much more had been sent since. In moving tho adoption of the report, he said the committee had had many meetings and interviews, with city officials, most of the time being spent over taxation and tramway matters. A deputation numbering about sixty people had waited upon 'the council, and subsequently the committee had formulated objections to conditions which were considered inequitable, but, although consideration was promised, 110 official .'osponse was yet to hand. A report 011 the matter had been made by the chairman of the Tramway Board, but it was considered unsatisfactory. He had that day received the accounts of the Wadestown section for the year ending March 31, which made out the loss to be £754. He strongly protested against tho basis on which the figures were worked out, especially the enormous charge of £766 for depreciation on a short line with £20,000 worth of earthworks (which did not depreciate and on which only two light cars were running. So far as he could see, no share of the receipts from observation cars was credited to Wadestown. He hoped the association would follow up this matter until fair and equitable treatment was secured for the district.

Mr. E. Wylie, in seconding the motion. said the trouble was that the City Council had been in the habit of taking the word of its officers as gospel. It was the duty of the council to lay down a policy and leave the carrying out of it to the administrative officials, but the councillors had merely carried out the dictates of its engineer. There would be no remedy unless the people of the district took a livelier interest m their affairs,

Th& report and balance-sheet (which showed a balance of i'o 13s. 2d., with liabilities £1 165.) were adopted. Officers were elected as follow:—President, Mr. G. Carwell Cooke; vicepresidents, Messrs. K Wylie, J. H. Goyder. and F. Brookes; secretary, Mr. AV, Ellis; treasurer, Mr. E. Wiflin; committee, . Messrs. A. Newton, C. 71. Smith, J. J. Connor, F. Bacon, and T. Kaywood.