The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1912 THE LIGHTING LOAN QUESTION.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 48, 21 February 1912, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1912 THE LIGHTING LOAN QUESTION.

It is much to bo regretted that the campaign, both for and 1 against the electrical lighting loan, proposals, wiu not entered -upon earlier, insomuch, at aliyrate', as the placing before the ratepayers of the facts lyul .figures, ii connection with it are concerned; T'oi long enough there has been plenty oi mere talk on the subject, and not ;■ little correspondence, mostly of tin merely assertive nature, but until Id; -Masters delivered his address on Fri day evening last there was little ir the way of detail to guide public opinion in dealing with this important question., When Mr -Misters dir take tho platform lie mac'y an excel" lent; speech : if was certainly not unassailable in minor degree,, but despite all the opponents of the scheme have said to the contrary, it was a good presentation of the position from the view-point of one who advocated the loan and the proposed terms oi purchase. To go further, we full\ believe that Mr Masters made hh statement with the most honest intention of benefitting the EorouMi and obtaining for the ratepayers’ r sound bargain. That there are others u ho utterly fail to see tho proposition in the light Mr Masters does was made evident last night, when Messrs Hoaly Mormon and Paget took the public platform and placed the other sick ot tho question before the ratepayers. 1 * OSS1 ’ S Healy and Morison were brief but to the point, their argument principally refuting Mr Masters’ opt.innstic figures, and discounting probable profits as set out by tho Mayor. In-. 1 a get, who spoke last of the three, did so at length, and accordJ ng to his showing tho purchase'would ie a very bad bargain indeed. Making tuH allowance possibly for a little over-enthusiasm, Dr. p afiot gavo very telling address,—undoubtedly the best address, as an address, bo his ever delivered in tins town! Hi dealt caustically with tho Mayor’s arguments in support of the proposal and revealed some new phases of the situation which have not previous!* been made public. Tho report appcanng olsowbore sots forth his points: from beginning to end he was wholly condemnatory of the proposal to be submitted, and he is supported >y ; somo outside opinion. With two siif'Ji Utterly opposite statements be‘°ie them, as that made by tho Mayor ami that of Dr. Paget, ratepayers are 111 something of a quandary: they wood probably like to investigate flM ’ tll ? 1 \ Bllt with the poll to-mor-vow, it is too late to do so, and they l,:,vc to ose their individual imb-‘. meut on the facts submitted and tho statements made. The gentlemen v. bo took tho platform last night told us they wore unprepared to accept Mr Masters’ “unsupported” statements • exactly so, but to look the matter quite squarely in tho face there are probably doubting Thomases who will show equal reluctance to accept mere statements from the other side. That IS why we regret that more time is not available before the poll, so D,at the statomens made last night might be further probed. fSmee the above was in type it has ceme to our knowledge that a verv serious blunder in the Electrical .Supply Company’s estimate of the cost of • its now plant has been discovered. * Ibis fact is specially referred to in I a letter from the Mayor to the rate- i payers. Any chance that there j ( might have been of carrying the loan ( proposal to-morrow .appeal’s to have * been quite shattered by tins latest .v-mHhcl!. The Mayor is to be com- i

mended for having at onco disclosed the position,]

SPORTS PROTECTS OH. Yesterday Mr J. McNaught, organism for the Now Zealand Sports Protection League, a body which is making vorj rapid advances throughout Now Zealand, visited Stratford, with the view of arranging to form a branch here. We have very many Clubs devoted to sporting in this town, and there is little doubt but what an enthusiastic support to the League will bo given. Mr McNaught is arranging to address a mooting in Stratford on March sth. and in conversation with him, we learn that Stratford will become a branch of the district, including all the towns from Palmerston to New Plymouth, with the district centre at Wanganui. Altogether there will he seventeen branches in the district, seven having already been established. The organisation of the whole of the Dominion is being pushed forward, and is expected to be completed by Juno next. The objects for which the League is formed are:—(l) To influence public opinion, without regard to party politics, in the interests of sport, so as to enable the people to amuse themselves in future without molestation. (2) To promote any alterations of law that may bo necessary for the better protection of sports and pastimes. (3) To take up and defend any actions that the Council may consider important as test case:; (4) To discourage all malpractices in connection with sport, and to raise its tone wherever it is considered necessary. (5) Generally to do whatever may from time to time seem advisable to extend the facilities for every honestly conducted sport, exercise and amusement. It has hcor most unfairly asserted that the liquor interest -is behind the League, but this is absolutely untrue. It should be evident from the fact that the Board of Control consists of Sir George Clifford, Mr H. 1). 8011, Dr. Collins, and men of equally high standing in the world of true sport, that the League has been formed with the honest intention of protecting clear sport, and for that purpose alone; Mr McNaught’s meeting will be looked forward to with pleasure and we have no doubt largely attended.