MR. LUNDON’S PROMISE

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 498, 30 October 1928, Page 14

MR. LUNDON’S PROMISE

“WILL NOT TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER” COUNCIL CANDIDATURE City finance, with sidelights upon the administration of the sitting council, was reviewed last evening by Mr. J. R. Lundon, a candidate for the vacant seat on the council, who spoke at the Leys Institute to about 100 people. The candidate did not spare the councillors nor the officials. On the contrary, he promised anything but a smooth run for them if he were elected. The chief complaint of Mr. Lundon was bracketed with that of Councillor W. H. Murray, who said he had been persistently refused information from *the Town Hall concerning civic affairs. “When I am on the council,” Mr. Lundon said at one stage, “I will not take an answer like ‘I don’t know,’ or ‘I will not tell you.’ I will go up to the Supreme Court and secure a writ of mandamus. Then I will place it on the town clerk’s table, and say; ‘With my compliments, Mr. Brigham; now talk!’ ” In this strain Mr. Lundon delivered an address lasting for well over an hour, referring freely to what he termed the misuse of loan moneys.

Many thousands had been borrowed for specific purposes, but Mr. Lundon contended by the quotation of figures that the money had been spent for purposes other than that for which the money was raised. DEAD HOPES He referred to the cemetery as being “full of dead hopes,” and to the tramways loans as a “burst of merriment,” later terming the Freeman’s Bay reclamation as a “festering mass of mud,” The officials at the Town Hall were designated “the Town Hall brigade,” and the people were simply “the mug public.” Mr. Lundon devoted a few minutes to one of his contemporary candidates, Mr. T. Bloodworth, twitting him gently for his change of attitude on the trans-

port question. “Hast thou forgotten that day in June?” he asked facetiously, in referring to statements made by Mr. Bloodworth before the Transport Commission, which he said did not square with his present attitude. Councillor Murray addressed the meeting for about three-quarters of an hour. Mr. H. P. Taylor presided.