The Last Shots.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 6, 28 April 1914, Page 5

The Last Shots.

IN MAYORAL CAMPAIGN.

MR KIRKWOOD’S SECOND

ADDRESS.

ANOTHER BIC AUDIENCE. I The Town Hall was again very [well filled last night, when Mr W. P. j Kirkwood delivered, his second adj dress to the burgesses in connection with the Mayoral election. The dress circle contained a large number of ladies, which drew from the speaker a reference to his present state of single blessedness. He said he believed lie was the only bachelor Mayor the town had ever had, but he declined to guarantee that he would long remain a bachelor. In his opening remarks, Mr li. ‘McK. Mori son, who acted as chairman, made an objection to Mr King having referred to the number of times he (Mr Morison) had been beaten in municipal contests. He cohid not recollect himself how many times he had been beaten—it was so long ago. But some other time he would probably be in the field again—perhaps against Mr King. Mr Kirkwood was greeted with applause on rising to speak. If, said he, Mr King addressed them on the following evening he (Mr Kirkwood) would be surprised. But if Mr King did speak and could refute what ho would say then he ought to be elected. The "Pest” Leading Article. Before proceeding with his address Mr Kirkwood referred to the leading article regarding the Mayoralty wnich appeared in the “Stratford Post” on Saturday last. He knew the editor would not wittingly do him an injustice, but he (the speaker) felt that the remarks made were hardly fair to him. In speaking as he did he did not wish to appear hostile to the paper, but he wished to make his position clear to the burgesses. The article included him among others as being extreme in his views on the light question. As a matter of fact he had never expressed an extreme view on the question. He desired that the amount of goodwill should be fixed before other steps were taken to take over the plant, and he also desired that the taking over should be done so as to best conserve the interests of the Borough. Policy Appropriated.

He had surprised at the manner in which Mr King had appropriated his policy. When Mr King had ' risen to I 'speak he (the speaker) had applauded him, and when he had sat down ho had applauded him still more, because he felt that Mr King’s remarks would mean an increase of a hundred votes to him. Mr King had taken the whole of his policy, and what Mr King further needed to do was to advocate a public gymnasium, where one could learn to turn a “seven” without turning a hair.

Mr King had asked for permanent works to be done, but the only work he could particularise was kerbing and channelling, which was now being done.

Last Monday he (Mr Kirkwood) had stated that certain had been made for current and applicants had heard nothing for at least a month. In this ! connection Mr Kirkwood read a letter, which stated that the writer had applied for current up to three horsepower, a neighbor said he would take a similar amount, and other neighbors were willing to take light. The writer further stated that the letter had boon personally delivered at the Company’s office addressed to the chair* yet Mr Robert Masters said he had heard nothing of the applications and called for verification. Eighty-nine Shares. Mr King said he intended in his speech to quote facts. He stated that hi s whole interest in the Electrical Supply Co. was only £SO. But a search of the share register showed that he held 89 shares—nearly twice as many as he said he had. He (the speaker) did not desire to labor the point, but it could be taken as an indication of the quality of his facts.

A claim had been made by Mr King in respect of bow ho had, during his term, kept the overdraft down. Certainly the overdraft was very low when Mr King was due to go again before the burgesses, but it did not follow, because the overdraft was low, that the best possible was being done for burgesses. Just before the Mayoral election was a bad time to cut off expenditure on the roads, and to do so in order to keep down the overdraft was not in the best interests of the burgesses.

He (Mr Kirkwood) had been blamed by Mr King for raising the loan proposals to too big a figure. He had always stood against the increasing of the amount above £15,000, but Mr King had personally moved to increase the amount by £7OOO. As to Mr King’s point regarding jjis position as a publican, Mr Kirkwood said ho failed to see how he could improperly use his influence in favor of “the trade.” The New License. The Minister for Public Works had been recently in the district, and he knew the license was being applied for, and must have known that the election was being fought on the question of the license. If he (Mr Kirkwood) were defeated on Wednesday the Minister for Public Works

would bo justified in presuming that the burgesses, by electing Mr King, had voted in favor of the license. Mr King claimed that he had supervised practically the whole of the Borough work, but the speaker claimed that ho himself had done far more than Mr King. When the Fire Brigade recently held a carnival and there was work to be done, Mr King (chairman of the Fire Brigade Committee of the Borough Council) was nowhere to be seen. In the same manner he had failed to do any of the hard work which was to be done in connection with the A. and P. Association. "Not a Ratepayer.” It was, said Mr Kirkwood, a foolish thing for Mr King to state that he (Mr Kirkwood) was not a ratepayer. His family held a certain amount of property, and for family reasons it was found advisable to have the whole of the property in the hands of one person. If the whole of the property was in his hands it would not pay any more rates than it did now. But if it was necessary he could have property worth £30,000 placed in Ms name. However, he was quite pleased to be on the roll merely on a residential qualification, as many of the burgesses were. His (Mr Kirkwood’s) family paid £125 in rates annually. Mr King said he paid £4O, and probably thought ho was the biggest ratepayer in the Borough. Inferentially, Mr King had cast a reflection on the voters on residential 'qualification.

Mr King, said Mr Kirkwood, hart picked him up regarding his claiu t» be Chief Magistrate of the town. No doubt Mr King was right in saying so, but it was a futile remark. If he desired to sit on the bench he could easily do so by having th® license of the hotel-transferred to some other member of the fannlv; but he himself, though the my allowed to sit on the bench, would still be the same person.

Mr King’s Beating. It was not correct for it to b* claimed for Mr King that he had never been beaten in municipal contests. Truly Mr King had never been beaten when standing for councillor, but it did not follow that a man who was acceptable as a councillor would be acceptable as Mayor. It had been overlooked that he was beaten when he contested the Mayoralty on an open franchise. He held the Mayoralty from 1904 to 1907 on a restricted franchise. “When the franchise was extended,” concluded. Mr Kirkwood, “Mr King was beaten by Mr Masters, and I beat Mr Masters.” The arrangement mentioned by Mr King regarding the Municpa Chambers was a good one, out the credit for it was due to Messrs Tatton and Stewart. Mr King was not fond of doing work, but. ho always tried to get all the credit for anything good which was done, and in connection with this matter be had followed his usual course The Town Hali. “I think,” said Mr Kirkwood, “that this Town Hall is not in the pioper position. It should be iu Broadway. The Borough has a section in Broadway at present occupied by Brccl.lebank Bros, and when their lease expires 1 would suggest that the Town Hall be transferred to that section, the whole of the Borough Council Chambers being then let for offices. The revenue from tins would amply pay for ti.-e shifting I always endeavor to formulate a constructive policy, but my opponent only puts forward a destructive policy. What tire burgesses want is a man who will work for the advancement of the Borough and not cub who will waste his time speaking about bogies.” The Opunake Railway. Mr Kirkwood said that in reference to the Opunake railway he had worked very hard, but n-.: more so than his colleagues. He was cha:rman of the Railway League, but had done no more work than the other members. Those who were behind the agitation were the hard heads of Stratford, and if Mr King had liked he could have been one of the number. They had not desired to inaka ! the agitation a Star Chamber matter, j but as there was a strong pull to I get the railway elsewhere they did i not wish to show their hand. A j great ileal of data had been collected with tire purpose of showing various ! settlements that their interests lav

in Stratford. Kapoiiga had supported Stratford from the first-, and had stated that no other route would suit them. Visits had been made to a number of centres, all Ministers who visited the district were approached, and the Government was also appealed to otherwise. They were not trying to pull the railway away from where it should go, but wore trying to get it for the place where it really should go, but in this they had been strongly opposed. Mr King bad now suggested the bolding of an indignation meeting; but would it not be better for them r to ask the Government for a guaranteed loan so that they could construct the line themselves. Could the Government, he asked, reasonably refuse such a loan ' Sorry to Waste Time, Referring especially to Mr King’s contentions regarding him not being eligible to sit as a Justice and his not being a ratepayer, Mr Kirkwood said ho was sorry to have taken up time in referring to the matters, but there' was a danger that if they were not replied to some burgesses might be influenced by them. Fox and Hounds. Mr Kirkwood, drawing to the eonelusion of his speech, dealt with his opponent’s statements on If riday night in connection with the new license. Mr King had said ho did not think the Government would giant the license against the wishes of the burgesses; and, if elected, he would oppose the license tooth and nail. Now, said Mr Kirkwood, if Air King only had a bar, ho could throw a good “seven”. (Laughter.) Continuing, Mr Kirkwood stated that Mr King had the audacity to take the whole of his (the speaker’s) platform, and say that he was against the issue of the license. Ho had also said he had voted for the deputation going to Wellington, but that was contrary to fact, as he did'not vote on the matter at all. “And at the eleventh hour,” continued Mr Kirkwood, “to save himself from defeat, he adopted the platform I myself put before you. He is in the position of the fox which is hunted by the hounds and is driven into a ditch with a drain. He wants it to appear to the hounds that he is one of the hounds, and that the real fox is in the drain, but he is not.” “Laughter and applause.)“Tho hounds will soon have him out of that ditch,” said the Mayor amidst renewed applause. “Notwithstanding Mr King’s protests' that he is against the issue of the license, has he ever taken any active steps against the issue of that license ? Did he ever say to me— I think you are right ; I am with you ? Was the,' Council identified with the Electrical Supply Co.? Did he toll th«vCouncil? No! But I took stops to protect your interests, and I moved that a letter of protest he sent to the Public Works Department against tlv> granting of such a license.” Mr Kirkwood quoted from a newspaper report in support of his statement. “That was six months ago,” he said: “before Mr King talked of standing for the Mayoralty, and T say the same now as” I said them.” (Applniise.) Mr King and the Company.

On Friday last Mr King said lit was done 'with the Company and had wiped the Company aside, but he forgot one thing—he forgot to have his signature oft a certain paper. He told you his interest in the Company was £SO, but as 1' have already told you, 1 discovered he was the owner of 89 shares. Ido not know what the Company is going to say to Mr King when he says he is going to oppose the issue of the license. He told you ho was a guarantor. If he is in’ the hall I should like him to affirm or deny it.” Mr King: Certainly I am a guarantor; I don’t deny it.” In reply, Mr Kirkwood Quoted fiom the Mercantile Gazette of 13th March, 1913, to show that Mr King’s signature in company with others was appended to a registered mortgage as security to the Bank of Australasia for the sum of £3001) hearing interest at ten per cent. up to 12-7-33.

“But wait a minute.” said the speaker when he could make hhnseli hoard above the storm of applause, and he quoted a similar security with Mr King’s name attached appearing hi the same commercial paper having reference to a sum of £2500 at 10 per cent, up to 12-7-34. The position, said he, was that every gentleman who signed those scoutities was liable to the hank tor £15500. “Anyway you like to take it. said Mr Kirkwood, Mr King’s interests in the Company are more than £50.” (Loud applause.) “Now.” he said, “I am quite prepared to leave this matter entirely in your hands. Anything you do on Wednesday I will abide by it most loyally. J most sincerely thank you for your patient hearing, and tor your attendance this evening.” (Great applause.) Question Time. Tn reply to one who wanted to know if Mr Kirkwood would take stops to increase the rate of wages of the Council workmen, considering, of course, what was a living wage, ihe Mayor said he wished to make himself clear on the question. He maintained that a working man was entitled to a fair living wage commensurate with the times and with the class of work that was being done. A working man should have th« best wage that is going. A Vote of Thanks. At tin's stage, no other question being forthcoming, Mr J. 1). Healy

sought to move a vote of thanks to Mr Kirkwood for his address, but cries of dissent and “sit down, Jack!” caused him to resume his seat. Mr W. H. H. Young, however, nu the opposite side of the hall rose and seconded the motion, and there was further uproar. The Gacting Vote. A questiou as to whether -Mr King, if not elected to the Mayoralty, would still remain a councillor elicited Horn tiio Mayor an affirmative reply, and the game questioner got on his teet again. “Will Mr King, then.” he said, “not lie a more potent influence in the interests of the Company as a councillor than as Mayor, seeing that In* will be able to use his vote, whereas, as Mayor, be will only have bis casting vote?” Mr Kirkwood explained that tin* Mayor naturally would come into more close contact with the authorities and would he able to use his influence in favor of the Company much more than as a plain councillor. Fishing in Broadway. In respect to a “miniature lake” in Broadway referred to by a member of the audience, Air Kirkwood jocularly replied that as-president of the Acclimatisation Society he gave full permission to anyone to fish therein for trout provided he had a license! This sally was the occasion of much amusement in the audience, particularly in the very hack scats. The motion for the vote of thanks was then put to the meeting and carried by acclamation, and after Air Kirkwood bad briefly replied thanking all, and had advised all to roll up and poll on Wednesday, a vote of thanks to the chair concluded the meeting.