BOROUGH ELECTIONS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 162, 3 April 1919, Page 6

BOROUGH ELECTIONS

FIRST SHOT AT SEATOUN

JLIVELY MEETING The Scfttoiin nnd Buys' Progressive .Association, for the elcctiou of councillors for Minimal , Borough, which will take place at the end-of the mouth, has nominated three candidate? with the object of introducing , new. Wood into the council. A meeting was held last evening at Scatoun under (he auspices of the association, to hear the views and opinions of the three candidates. The Mayor and councillors were present'by invitation. Mr. 11. A. Smith, chairman of the association, presided, and there was a large attendance of ratepayers.

The chairman briefly explained the objects of tho meeting and said that the nomination of three candidates was not necessarily an indication that there was a want of confidence in the present councillors, but the latter appeared to have reached tho stage of hesitancy, and tho association stood for progress; hence the desire for a change. Mr. I' , . Black, a member of tho association, said the council was the spending authority of the district, and it was the opinion of members of the association that they were not getting in any proper degree what they were paying for, and generally no effort had been made to seciiVe progress. Xo steps had been taken to supplement the water service, nor yet (ho drainage. He contended that no one should be elected to tho council who was not a resident of the district. (Applause.) He did not know of any | other borough that had to go .beyond its | lxmndarics for n Mayor,and council. Mr. Black then dealt with the foreshore and' waterfront. In 1915, he said, the council obtained a report from its engineer, who recommended the construction of five groynes at a cost of .£llO, and also recommended other work which the council might carry out if it could spare more money. That report was pigeonholed for twelve months. In 1916 the damage to the concrete wall and foreshore became very serious, and the council was again urged to act, and tho reply was (lint the council had no funds available. The position was a deplorable one, and the council had to close the road to traffic. It was only when threatened with legal proceedings that the council attempted to do anything. The council authorised the construction of two temporary groynes, which were not long enough and were insufficient for the purpose. The damage continued, notwithstanding that the groynes were lengthened.. Later on, two additional groynes were started. One was built in about three days, and live piles were put in for the second groyne, when the men left, and they had not returned, and that was :iix months ago. The material for completing the groynss was lying on the beach. The residents wore not going to stand such neglect. The only remedy wns for the ratepayers to change the council.

Mr. W. N T . Palmer endorsed the remarks of tho previous speaker, and pointed out that the dressing sheds for leathers were in a very deplorable condition. The boards wore rotting, and from the hill it was possible to look ripht into the sheds. Mr. B. F. Gardiner criticised the statement of Mr. Bl.iclc regarding tho temporary groynes. Ho could not' understand why the groynes were not made. The council had (he mpnpy, the material was on the ground, and labour could be obtained if ndnqnato wage? were offered. Mr. R. G. Reed dealt with the matter of water and dwinage, and said that there -was a considerable part of the borough Without theso conveniences. Some years ago ,£i3.000 war, borrowed for water service. The hills were to be forved. and .£7OOO was set aside for this purpose. Two pumps and pipin? were purchased, and after koeping the material for some timi; it was sold. The residents on the hills were paying interest on the loan, and they had neither viiter nor drainage. Mr. A. P. Smith said t,here were many Present who would not care to devote the time to borough affairs that tho present Mayor ai.d council had done, and thev had to remembar that in criticising the council. He thought that water and drainage were ll'o most important things needed in the district, and complained of the method adopted by tho council when requested to put in drainage to :iew houses.

The Mayor (Sir. 'P. Townsend) was invited to address tho meeting, and in doing so said it was not the intention of the Mavor and. council to make any remarks that evening. They had re'eeiv-e-.-i an invitation from the committee of the association, but in vi?'.v of the meeting that had .already been held he did not, think it was fair to ask him to address tho meeting. The nrpsent Mayor and councillors find not indicated whether tliev would see , .; re-election, but that did not say that they would not be candidates.. the association had already pledged itself to six candidates, and had thus shut out all others. If the association had been fair it would, before choosing its candidates, have Riven the members of tho present council a chance to express their views and announce their policy. j\t this etage the chairman explained how the invitation came.to be sent, and stated that it was not intended that the councillors should address tho meeting. Tile Mavor and council should have held a nieetinp earlier themselves. The Mayor, continuing, said that the ratepayers would havo an opportunity of questioning tho present Mayor and councillors at meetings which would be held, and asked them to reserve their opinions until Any heurd the other side on the .subiects referred to that evening. Mr. A. D. Crawford spoke on tho drainage of the borough, and remarked, incidentally, that the tunnel near the iUiramar wharf was tlie oldest tunnel in New Zealand, for >'t was built in 1817. Mrs. M'Vicar, Messrs. J. Hicks, E. J. Barnett. and E. Collie also spoke.