THE MAYORAL ELECTION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXIII, Issue 74, 16 April 1901, Page 2

THE MAYORAL ELECTION.

MR. R. COOK'S CANDIDATURE. A meeting ef supporters of Mr. R. Cock in the forthcoming mayoral election was held i« tbe Farmers' Club rooms on Monday afteraoon, about twenty gentlemen being present, Mr. W. L. Newman who was voted to the chair, explained that the meeting was held far the purpose of forming plans to properly forward Mp. (Oppk's candidature.

Mr. Ceck, after stating that he was not in any way connected with the Ratepayers' Association, said one of the most important matters to be dealt with in the town was that of drainage, and the expenditure of the loan for j£6O,OOQ which h&f} been carried at the poll. If elected he would see that it was expanded in tbe direction in which it had been allocated. Drainage we must have, and if the £60,000 were ( net enough we should get an amount sufficient to carry out the work. Referring to the Post Office, Mr. Cock said he thought the majority of those who had been nominated for the Council were, as he believed, in favour of submitting tbe question of the Arikistreet site tq arbitration jn regard to ithp valuation of the land, and hn was sure that the price fixed by arbi'rators would prove satisfactory, Tha present | Post Office was a disgrace and tended to give visiters a bad impression of the town. He referred to the new office being erected at Waagauui, •slely through the cembioed agitation of the townspeople, and would impress upoa the New Plymouth people the Heed for united action in urging the claims for a new and up to-date office hera. He then referred at some length to harbour matters maintaining that if the old Board had remained ia office, and continued the policy of employing prison labour en extension works, he believed large steamers would now be entering the harbour. He contended he have served the country quite as much as ths town, as he had larg* interests there.

Mr Alexander asked if, in the event of tho loan proposals having to go before the ratepayers again, Mr Cock would favour including provision for electric lighting. Mr Cock replied that the C.uacil should get elsotric light or acquire

gas works. This latter course had pi oved remunerative to other councils. Reverting to borrowing, Mr Cock said he would ba inclined to go in for a [sufficiently large loan to enable works to be prosecuted during several year? to come that would serve a largely extended l orougharea, which he predicted would, within the next tea years, include Fitzroy and Vogeltown, and the district exl ending to th"» breakwater. He would not favour expanding at present the whole of moneys raised for public works, us labour and material were too dear. He would interest himself in seeir.g that the back stre ts received proper attention and improvement. The borough would benefit by such works through the enhanced valuts given to propar ty. Sever il ether questions ware asked and answered, and those present proceeded to make arrangements for forwarding Mr Cock's candidature.