LOCAL ELECTIONS

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLV, Issue 119, 22 April 1925, Page 2

LOCAL ELECTIONS

LABOUR OPENS CAMPAIGN. The members of the. Labour Party who arc seeking municipal honours at the forthcoming local bodies election opened their campaign last night when each of the six candidates delivered an address at the corner of Campbell and Cuba streets. The first to speak was Mr J. Savage, who voiced disapproval of the conduct of public business in secrecy, advocating that those who were interested in matters being dealt with by the Borough Council should be afforded facilities to hear the discussion. It could not, he said, bo expected that ratepayers would display a very keen interest in civic affairs 60 long as they were not afforded an opportunity of hearing all (hat transpired at- meetings. An extension of the franchise to- enable all persons entitled to vote :n Parliamentary elections to do so on all loan proposals was the chief plank of the platform enunciated by Mr C. E. Peppered. He argued that all over 21 years of age were ratepayers either directly or indirectly, and were therefore entitled to vote on loan proposals affecting the borough. He voiced an advocacy of municipal pictures of an educational character on the lines of the scheme at EL.ham, where the Borough Council, he said, was making a considerable profit from :ts enterprise. Mr F. O. Allerby, who is a candidate for both the council and the Power Board, deprecated tho cost of re constructing existing streets. He referred particularly to Featherston street, which, he alleged, cost £6OBO to ro-forrn —a cost of over £BO per chain. The cost of a now loudwny, lie stated, would be only £lO3 per chain including footpaths, kerbing, channelling and sewering, together with tar-sealing. Mr J. T. Fahey said that, the council was open to criticism for its action during 15 years’ affiliation with the Employers’ Association, alleging that the Borough Council, instead of being neutral, hud taken sides on matters not covered by the Municipal Corporations Act. That meant using the money of .a section of the ratepayers for the benefit of the others. In criticising the recent loan proposals which were defeated by an overwhelming majority, tepid baths were specially mentioned. Mr Fahey said that had the destructor been erected where it was first proposed to place' it, the money already sunk in that building could have been utilised and the destl-uclor would have served to also heat the baths and a

considerable saving to the ratepayers would have resulted.

Mr P. T. Robinson advocated a system wherebv employees of the council should be enabled to qualify for higher positions in that body’s employ rather than engage over-many outside men when a responsible position fell vacant. Cr. Ilodgens also spoke. He traversed briefly' his work on the council during the period now drawing to a close and appealed to the electors, if they approved his stewardship while on (lie council, to support his fellow Labour candidates on the present occasion. Criticising the action of a section of the council he said that one street, which was constructed by resolution of the council, was through private property and benefited a few people at the general expense of the ratepayers. He also alluded to the additions to the municipal chambers, when a resolution deciding that the cost should not exceed £SOOO, including furnishings, was ignored so effectively that the additions to-day represented an expenditure of over £13,000 —this from a council pledged to economise.