WAITEMATA COUNTY ELECTION

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 4 November 1920, Page 3

WAITEMATA COUNTY ELECTION

[to the editor]. Sir,—Would you kindly allow me a little space to reply to some of Mr McLeod's very misleading statements made at Parakai last week He stated my speech delivered at Parakai the previous week was written by the County clerk. Now, sir, this is absolutely untrue. The County clerk had nothing whatever to do with it, nor anyone conk nected with the Council, and if Mr McJLeod can prove his statement is correct, I am prepared to pay over to the vHelensville War Memorial Fund the sum of £100. Mr McLeod failing to prove bis case, he will apologise publicly and pay £100 over to the same fund. He also made a very misleading 3tbtemsnt re a, trip the engineer and myself made to Wellington. Our busi- • ness to that city was to expeciiate plans and specifications for the Whau bridge, which had been delayed for a considerable time, and we were successful in getting the plans, etc., approved. We also interviewed the Hon. W. F. Massey, Minister for Eailways, re getting trucks for metal, with good results. The Hon. J. G. Coates was also interviawed in regard to the Wade bridge, and promised a grant for the repair and extension of the same. We were also promised a grant for the South Head road. The result is that £750 has been placed on the Estimates for expenditure this year. We also tried to get the matter of, the park and road to wharf at Shelly Beach fixed, but were unsuccessful. Mr McLeod referred to a telegram sent to the Prime Minister by me. to hold up negotiations re Shelly Beach, pending enquiry. My only reason for sending this telegram was that an enquiry was likely to be held to clean up the whole matter. Mr McLeod stated that I had done nothing during my three years. My speeches at Woodhill and Parakai gave a fairly good account of the works carried out, and the work speaks for itself. The most important work was the linking up of Woodhill and Helensville by road. This work has been so much appreciated by the people who use it, that nothing more need be said by me. Only I would like to say once more that a great deal of useful work has been carried out, and the roads in the district to-day are very much better than they ever were before. *It was also said I had not put forward a policy. I did put a.policy forward —good roads, good waterways, take active steps to stop sand-drift from silting up our river,"I'get up-to-date roading machinery, 'build our own county offices, and instead of paying rent have an income coming in. And if lam elected I shall take an early opportunity of putting proposals for a better roading scheme before the ratepayers. I claim that my policy is a progressive one, and will apply to the whole county in general.—l am, yours faithfully,

H. AITKENHEAD. Candidate for election, Mairetahi Riding, Waitamata County.