TE KUITI BOROUGH ELECTIONS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 563, 30 April 1913, Page 5

TE KUITI BOROUGH ELECTIONS.

ADDRESSES BY CANDIDATES. The public meeting convened by Mi J. R. Graham last night in the Municipal Hall was well attended, a considerable percentage of those present being ladies Mr J. Boddie presided, and invited all the candidates for municipal honours who were present to take the platform. Messrs Graham Luak and Mostyn Jones, members of the old council, and Messrs Howartb, Langstone, and Webber, new aspirants for the council, accepted the invitation. It was decided that a sitt_.ing council'or and a new candidate should speak alternately. Major Lusk was the first speaker. He said he had taken part in the public affairs of the town and district from the start, having been the first Merman of the Waitomo County and having been a member of the Borough Council since it was established. He had "done his best for the town and district and, it elected, would continue to do so. The speaker quoted figures showing the borough expenditure during the time he had been chairman of the Works Committee. A total of £10,438 had been expended during the year. It had been stated that the council had paid too much for supervision, bur the speaker contended if a consulting engineer had been employed instead of a resident engineer, the cost ""in this respect would have been greater. He stated the cost of metalling was not excessive, the expenditure per chain on Rora street, which was being metalled to a width of 40ft was £34 a chain. The other Btreets which were receiving a width of 12ft of metal were costing £9 15s a chain. He admitted the fallibility of individuals but held that those people who were doing their best in the public interest should be encouraged. Mr Langstone said he was making his first appearance as a candidate. He had every confidence in the future of Te Kuiti, and if elected would do hia very best for the public welfare. He was not there to criticise past work of the council, and was pleased to have his name listed among the candidates. He advocated the system of rating on unimproved values and would do his best to have it adopted. He was opposed to the proposed sale of the present recreation ground, and thought the council should endeavour to get more areas of a simalar kind He considered the council should go in for more plant and do its own carting, and he advocated day labour as compared wtih contract. The council as representing the people had no right to either gain or lose by an individual. As an instance of the success of day labour he said the spalling being done by the council was costing Is 7d per yard as compared with 2s 2d paid by contract. Mr J. R. Graham said he had been a member of the council a \ery short time, and could hardly be classed as an old councillor. He had six yeais' experience of local body work at Pahiatua under conditions very similar to those obtaining locally. In dealing with the work of the council the speaker said when he joined the council the matier of the £13,000 loan was being considered. At that time it might have seemed that they were paying too much for supervision, but when the money was raised the expenditure was necessary. The speaker explained that the loan for drainage connections would not cost anything to thoße who did not utilise the service. He also stated that the opinion of an eminent expert on the subject of an electrical engineer supported the action of the council in not employing an engineer in the dual capacity. Concerning the work being done with loan money he was glad to say it was being carried out within the estimate 4 of the engineer. He quoted rating figures to show that the borough rates were not in excess of other towns of a similar size. Mr Webber said he. woula advocate • a policy of the greatest economy in expenditure in accordance with the greatest efficiency. He considered strict attention should be paid to maintenance, and that the work of footpath formation should be undertaken. The end of the Council's borrowing had not yet come, and he would only consent to raising money for strictly urgent works in the present state of the financial market. He considered the council should take steps which would lead to a reduction of the fire insurance rates in the town, /'and advocated the extension of the 'electric light in order to induce people to utilise the service to the utmost. The same arguments applied to the water service and by getting as many consumers as possible the services would pay better and be cheaper for the whole community. With respect to the system of rating on unimproved values he agreed Pwith the theory but considered it rebuked a good deal of thought as applied to Te Kuiti. He could assure those present if elected he would devote his best efforts to the work of the council. In conclusion he expreased the opinion that an honorarium should be paid to the Mayor. Mr Mostyn Jones said he was not a very old councillor. He considered it was the duty of all the electors to vote for nine men and not to plump for any one or two fancied candidates, They wanted the nine best men offer ine, and he thought a mistake had ■, been made by some in suggesting that v only certain candidates should receive ■■■rapport. He reviewed the work of the Sicil and pointed out that the detail work was done by committees. With reference to the cost of supervision he said it was probably not so nigh as a good many thought and the cost of the streets was within the estimate upon which the loan proposal was carried. He urged the people to go in for the electric light and do their utmost to make it a paying concern. He mentioned some of the difficulties which were met with in carrying out the Wtfkof the Dorough, and stated the reason why the metalling appeared to be piece meal was that crushed metal

was not available in sufficient quantities to keep up with the preliminary work. When the motor was installed this would be improved. He referred to the importance of finance and advocated strict economy in view of the state of the money market. Mr Howarth, in opening said he

t was an ardent supporter of the Rate- , payers' Association and regretted the • fact that hu had not received the ; support of that body which had been extended to the other candidates. In ' ths affairs of the borough he considered the question of finance stood out above all others. He pointed out that over £52 3 000 had already been borrowed and they should go carefully. He advocated economy in administration as far as efficiency would allow. As far as the work of the borough was concerned he con sidered the greater portion of it could be done by a competent foreman and in time it would probably be advisable to adopt that method. He did not think any hard and fast rule should be laid down in respect to day labour or contract work. There were times when it was advisable to adopt each method, He agreed with the suggestion that the plant of the council could be increased to advantage by adding horses and drays, and also a watering cart. In respect to the recreation ground the speaker said he did not think the borough was in a position to purchase a ground without realising on the present domain. It did not mean that the people were parting with their domain. The suggestion was to exchange a small and unsuitable domain for an area which would be of immensely greater benefit to the town than the present domain. The speaker in conclusion r efe?red to the dangerous railway crossings and urged that, steps should be taken to obviate the present danger. At the conclusion of the speeches .the chairman said the candidates would answer questions. Mr Dransfield asked for information concerning the Pelton wheel, which had been tried with the crushing plant. —Major Lusk outlined the steps taken in connection with the matter. The Mayor was of opinion that a Pelton wheel would do the work if driven by the town water supply, and ["this opinion was supported by Price Bros, from whom the Pelton wheel was obtained. Mr Hardy offered to take the wheel himself if it proved unsuitable. The water power proved to be insufficient and they Were now guage to test the pressure. If the pressure was not up to what had been stated the machine would be returned

Several other questions were asked, chiefly bearing on remarks made by the speakers, and explanations were made.

The chairman said h 9 had been asked to put a question in order to allow one of the candidates to explain his attitude in connection with the Ratepayers' Association. He asked Mr Langstone if it was proper policy to request the members to plump for five candidates and not use the franchise to the fullest extent. —Mr Langstone said the association was only a small body, and one of its objects was to get certain candidates returned. Ballot papers had been sent to members requesting that a certain number of names should be recommended. It was decided that the association should support five candidates. The course adopted was thoroughly in accordance with the fundamental principles of democracy. The organisation was being used to secure the return of the chosen candidates.

Major Lusk claimed the attention of the audience to refer to what had been done in connection with the recreation ground. He explained the proposal and stated a motion had been carried in the council to acquire the new ground. He wanted to know why that resolution had not been given effect to. A desultory discussion on the action of the Ratepayers' Association ensued, it being interrupted by Mr W. T. Jennings, who pointed out that it was inadvisable to discusß the matter then. He proposed a hearty vote of thanks to the speakers, and expressed the hope that the best men would be elected. The motion was seconded and carried by acclamation.

A vote of thanks to the chairman terminated the meeting.