FOUR PLANKS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 646, 24 April 1929, Page 11

FOUR PLANKS

PLATFORM OF TAKAPUNA’S MAYOR MR. WILLIAMSON'S ADDRESS The first address in his campaign for the Mayoralty of Takapuna was delivered last evening by Mr. J. W. Williamson at Belmont. A rather meagre attendance was presided over by Mr. R. N. White. .Mr. Williamson said it had not been his intention to seek re-election, but an influential deputation had persuaded him that it was his duty to sacrifice his personal interests for the sake of the district. When the present council took office it found an overdraft of over £5,000. Finances had to be stabilised and the drastic measures adopted by the council did not meet with favour in all quarters. He claimed, however, that the result of their labours in the field of finance had been that confidence in the future of the borough had been restored. “OBSTRUCTIONISTS” In regard to his two opponents, Messrs. Wilkie and Guiniven, Mr. Williamson said he was averse to personalities, but both these gentlemen had had their opportunities on the council and proved to be pure obstructionists. It would not be forgotten that Mr. Wilkie had initiated the proposal to purchase the now defunct tramway system. It was quite on the cards that if Mr. Wilkie were elected Mayor he would endeavour to negotiate the acquisition of the present bus system by the borough. 1 am emphatically opposed to municipal ownership of such undertakings,” said Mr. Williamson. Owners of lakeside sections in Takapuna were in an unenviable position as the result of developments in regard to the water supply during the past few years. Northcote’s attitude toward the compulsory purchase of the lake basin, and the abolition of all buildings thereon, was a most unfair one. It would be the bounden duty of whoever was elected to come to some finality in this matter. PLATFORM PLANKS Mr. Williamson said that the main planks in his platform wore: To keep within the existing rating limits. To determine as soon as possible the best site for the proposed harbour bridge and to give hearty support to the expediting of the proposal. To give the most careful scrutiny to the financial commitments of the borough. To oppose any proposal to acquire the existing bus service. He made no apology for refuting a canard that was in circulation regarding the large holdings of his family in. the Devonport Ferry Company and its subsidiaries. His late father had held 673 shares at the time of his death, but his executors had disposed of these in the winding-up of the estate. Neither the speaker nor his wife had at any time held any shares in those concerns. Mr. Williamson concluded with an appeal to the electors to return a united council, members of which would be prepared to work in harmony with each other and with the other three North Shore boroughs. “I have resided in Takapuna for oyer 40 years,” he said, “and I claim to possess a most intimate knowledge of ithe requirements of the borough.” Short addresses in support of the platform expounded by the Mayor were given by Messrs. J. W. Hayden, J. F. Oolegsrove, C. B. Lock, Bryce Hart, F. JO. Otway and C. IT. M. Wills. On the motion of Messrs. Amodeo and Downer, a motion of thanks and confidence in the Mayor and those associated with him was carried unanimously. “EFFETE” COUNCIL MR. WILKIE’S INDICTMENT TAKAPUNA CANDIDATE ' Mr. Alex. Harris, M.P., was in the chair when Mr. A. 11. Wilkie, a candidate for both the Mayoralty and council of Takapuna, addressed a wellattended meeting at Belmont last evening. Mr. Wilkie indicted the retiring council as being effete and having outlived any usefulness it may at one time have possessed. He said that in point of fact the “big stick” for the past two years had been Mr. A. M. Gould. The candidate attacked “the iniquitous ticket system” that the three ratepayers’ associations of the borough were endeavouring to use against him and his fellow candidates. “These associations of two or three people will find they cannot dictate to the electors as a whole/* he declared. Mr. Wilkie said that it was only after a definite declaration by the present Mayor that he would not seek re-election that he (Mr. Wilkie) had decided to come out. However, whatever the subsequent developments he did not now intend to turn back. “SLAVISH ADHERENCE” The candidate severely criticised the policy of the retiring council as regard* almost slavish adherence to the contract system for borough works. This had resulted in dire hardships to many borough workers, and had acted detrimentally to Takapuna business houses. Messrs. E. Ulley, A. L. Titchener and Captain Algie, three council candidates associated with Mr. Wilkie, also addressed the meeting. Mr. Algie said that the Milford Progressive Association had placed his name on Mr. Williamson’s “ticket,” but when lie found that the names of Messrs. Wilkie, Lilley and Titchener had been ignored he had resolved to have his name deleted from the Milford “ticket.” In a fighting speech, Mr. Titchener urged that Takapuna should control its own traffic problems, the px*esent arrangement of being in the hands of Devonport as the No. 2 Licensing Authority being quite illogical. All four candidates advocated the construction of the proposed harbour bridge as being essential if the districts north of the city were to come into their own. With such a means of transit, Takapuna’s destiny was sure. A vote of thanks and confidence was carried by acclamation. STATEMENT REFUTED Following upon the statement made last evening by Mr. J. W. Williamson. Mayor of Takapuna, that in the event of Mr. A. H. Wilkie being elected Mayor of the borough he would probably enter into negotiations for the acquisition of the bus service by the borough, Mr. Wilkie stated this morning that he flatly repudiated any such intentions on his part. He characterised it as so much interested and unfair propaganda.