STRATFORD NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 272, 21 April 1914, Page 3

STRATFORD NEWS.

FEOM QUE RESIDENT BEPOBTEB.

Office and Job Printing Works: York Chambers (upstairs)

Telephone No. 113.

THE MAYORALTY. MR. KIRK WOOD'S ADDRESS. PAST AND FUTURE POLICY. In spite oi unfavorable weather conditions, there was a large attendance of burgesses at the Town Hall last night to hear the address on municipal affairs given by Mr. W. P. Kirkwood, Who in response to a pressing requisition is again seeking re-election to the high office of Mayor of Stratford. Mr. R. Tile. K. Morisoii presided, and in introducing Mr. Kirkwood, eulogised the services of Mr. Kirkwood to the town, and said he did not know of any movement for the benefit of the place with which Mr. Kirkwood was not connected. Mr. Kirkwood, who on rising was siccorded an enthusiastic greeting, expressed the pleasure he felt at the large attendance, which showed the great interest taken in borough affairs by the citizens, whom he congratulated on-thus stimulating the efforts of their representatives on their behalf. NO-LICENSE.

Mr. Kirkwood found it necessary to refer, owing to a remark dropped by the chairman, to the question of nolicense. His hearers all knew how he stood in regard to this matter. Unfortunately an attempt was being made to introduce this question into the present contest, and the suggestion was made that on account of his connection with the Trade lie should not be elected as Mayor during the election year. If they thought he would use his position as Mayor to influence votes on that issue, then they must have formed a very low opinion of ihis principles.

IMPROVEMENTS. During the two years lie had held office, he claimed that better value had been received for money expended than at any other .time in tile history of the borough. He had always held that better value could be obtained by doing such work as was suitable by the borough staff than by contract. Proof of that was evidenced by the concrete channelling and kerbing now* being carried out in Broadway and Regan street. Today the borough had better streets and footpaths than in the past, and more of that work liad'been carried out than was possible under the old System. With the steam roller, scarifier and etonecrushing plant ;the borough was in a position to carry out the work economically. He reminded the burgesses that this plant, which had cost about £I2OO altogether, had ibeen paid out of revenue, without any addition to the rates, and would soon pay for itself. No doubt the purchase of a tar-sprayer Would be rendered necessary in the coming year. He enumerated the various forms of treatment, and expressed the opinion that the use of the patent preparations of tar would probably be found most economical and efficient in the long run. Owing to the corrosion of the main water service to the town, the capacity of the main had' been reduced to somewhere about seven inches. It might be necessary in the coming year to replace that main, in order to provide sufficient water for the needs of the town. POLICY OF SELF-RELIANCE.

During the coming year the candidate advocated a policy , of .self-reliance and expending the revenue to the best advantage. It was, of course, impossible to foresee contingencies that might arise, but apart from any contingency that might necessitate raising money outside the borough revenue/ He was in favor of expenditure on further channelling, kerbing, footpaths arid streets improvements. FINANCES. The finances of the borough, said Mr. Kirkwood, were in a vary healthy state, and, if it were necessary, the overdraftcould, with an effort, be wiped off entirely, but he did not consider that ••nrse desirable. The total indebtedness of the borough was a little over £40,000, while the capital value was nearly half a million, so that should it be desirable to raise any (loan during the ensuing twelve months, or at any fitting time, there was a wide margin to borrow upon without over-borrowing. He impressed upon the ratepayers that, in dealing with any future 10:..n5, the most essential works were the completion of the water reticulation and drainage. HIS OPPONENT-

| In referring- tq Mr. X. J. King, the candidate said it .-was not liin intention ■,to be personal in any way, but lie filaimed the right to criticise liis opponent's actions from .« public standpoint, and to clearly sliov .Mr. King's connection with the Electrical Supply, Co. Tlia speaker then referred to Mr. ifia/« reply to a letter of ilia in the local paper. "I was attacked," said .Mr. Ki.'kwood, '"by one of Mr. King; henchmen and to sliov the relation between Mr. King and the newspaper correspondent-, I referred to Mr. King as (in ex-rhaiman of directors of the Electrical Supply Co. That was the part of my letter that hurt M.r. King, 'but 1. hail a perfect light to make that reference." As a citizen who had done his share of duty ;;n ,i public capacity, the candidate said lie had the greatest respect for his opponent, but it was with sorrow he viewed the false position in which Mr. Kii:s was placed, for the reason that if he (Mr. King) were elected us .Mayor lit would have two masters to serve—a task that could not be accomplished witk justice to botfc. It was, said the candidate, rather a coincidence that the two principal gentlemen who presented Mr. King with the requisition asking him to contest the mayoralty were opponents of the speaker in former elections. One of them, Mr. Jonas Masters, on the occasion of the speaker's first election to the Borough Council, received the first defeat he had suffered in fifteen years of public life, while the defeat of Mr. McAllister would be in the memory of all present. It looked like the case of the whipped boys at school looking for a bigger bov to give the victor a thrashing'. Would the bigger boy in this case get a thrashing, too? The ' poll would tell. Tlie text of the requisition to Mr. King referred to his services as being urgently required to bring Stratford into the position it should occupy, "but," said Mr. Kirkwood, with emphasis, "I was under the impression that Stratford is in a remarkably good position to-day." The town was growing rapidly, and was much sounder financially and commercially than it had ever been. There was no ''boom" building, but residences had increased in goodly numbers, and were owned by the occupiers, thus testifying to good, solid

j progress, and Stratford iiad been made The borough had progressed well, and I the streets and footpaths were better j than ever. Where, he. asked, was the I a Public Works Departmental centre, j failure? Yet Mr. King, in his reply to the deputation, had stated that iStrat- ' ford had been standing still too long, ■ and that a forward move was necess- | nary. If M.r. King became Mayor, what j would his forward move be? Perhaps j a ibig loan, but if he held that in mind | the ratepayers would soon disillusionise , him on that point. Unless there was more borrowing, how would ho do more with the available funds than is being done at present? Surely he would not have the audacity to stand on this platform and try to induce the ratepayers to buy out the Electrical Supply C'o.s undertaking with a price for goodwill, and by that means provide a lot of money out of the huge profits of the 'concern? If so, they would know all about it. It was passing strange that Mr. King had never opposed him (the j speaker) except on the electric light i question. They were well aware that j Mr. King was ex-chairman of the company, but how many of tihem knew that he was also a guarantor? At all times Mr. King's general atitude wag m the direction of favoring the company, and he had opposed the appointment of a deputation to wait on the Government, j Mr. Kirkwood asserted that had Mr. j King been Mayor tlhe license would have : been granted to the company, and the ratepayers would now be lamenting the | ftwjfc. The present contest for the' mayoralty, emphasised the speaker, was not a contest between Mr. Kirkwood and Mr. King, but a contest between the Electric Light Co. and the borough. Replying to the question: What has the i present Mayor done? Mr. Kirkwood claimed that he had done all that it was possible to do under the circumstances. He had advocated a loan of £15,000 for water and drainage, but the ratepayers had turned it down as they had a perfect right to do if they considered that further loans were not required. As a consequence, all works had to be done out of revenue, and he defied anyone to refute the statement ! that during the .time he had been Mayor the borough had received better value . for the money spent in it than /in any other period since Stratford waa constituted a borough. The more pertinent question was: What i would Mr. King do? That they could answer for themselves. | ELECTRIC LIGHTING.

The electric light concession to the company for 21 years liad now only 5% years to run, when, according to the best legal advice, it would terminate. •The light supplied had not been at all satisfactory, and tlie Council in dealing 1 with the company- had been very lenient. In tihe interests of the consumers, the Council would in the future either have !to acquire the undertaking or enforce the terms of the agreement, "but he was quite convinced the Council would not take over the enterprise on the terms demanded by the company when the poll was taken. It would be absolutely necessary, as a first step, to arrive at an ! agreement -on the goodwill question, and in default of such an agreement • the policy of the Council should 'be to allow the concession to run out. Then the Council could control the generating. of electricity within fche borougfh to tlie great advantage of the ratepayers and consumers of electrical energy. PROPOSED ELECTRIC LICENSE.

In connection with tlie license fori which the 'Electrical Supply Co. was .applying, Mr. Kirkwood mid lie considered this was the most important matter that was before the borough at. "the present time. Its nature was such that it would be highly detrimental to tie interests of the burgesses if it were 5 granted, inasmuch as the term was for 42 years, and extend®! over both the county and borough. The Government had stated that it is prepared to favorably consider the issue of a license over | the county alone, but the company in- 1 sisted on both or none. The Council, on I learning tlie possibility of the Govcrn- | ment entertaining the application for a dual license had deputed himself and Cr. Richards to wait on tlie Minister and protest against a license being issued j over the borough, and whilst strongly j opposing the grant of a license over the ' borough they had impressed 011 the' Hon. i W. Frasfcr that the Council did not in I any xmy wish to interfere with -the ! issue of a license over the county, nor | Jad the Council ever done so. Tlie j belief had been carefully fostered by inI terestcd parties that no goodwill wr-s ■■ attachable to the license. Admitting j that the Public Works Act provides that j j there shall be 110 goodwill payable by . a local body if the undertaking be ' purchased after the granting of a license, ; yet in face of the .decision of .the Privy Council in the Hamilton gasworks ca.se,, j whereby the Borough Council had to pay ' ' £20,000 for goodwill, would t'lic bur-' gesses of Stratford be prepared to run: •! the risk of having tb pay anything up . j to .€50,000 for the goodwill to ' the' | Electrical Co. He stressed the point, j that neither the borough nor the Mnunty ! could, if they so desired, purchase sep- ! arately their respective parts of tlie • business, which would have to be acj quired as n whole—a course that anight be extremely undesirable. This factor j in the business the company had beeas. j keeping in, the background as much as [ possible. ' Assuming the borough did I purchase the whole undertaking, the .po- ) sitiou would be that, quite apart from i any goodwill that might be demanded j by the company for the business licensed j-for 42 years, they could demand payJ ment for goodwill for the 5% years they j have yet to run, for which, a little I while ago, they asked £4000..Me chal- ) leaded the company to oiler their undcrj taking to the borough without claiming ; goodwill, but was convinced they would j not do so. Had the terms been at all , reasonable when the company offered I the business to the borough they would I not 'have been rejected. There was yet 1 another point for serious consideration, j Supposing the license was issued and the i borough declined to purchase the busi--1 ness, that license rendered inoperative j the deed entered into between the borI ough and the company, who would be j relieved from performing the conditions | imposed by that deed, and lie claimed | that a deed between two parties should I he inviolable. THAT PETITION. I Referring to the signatures on the petition in favor of granting the license . to the Electric Supply Co. which was I sent round the borough, Mr. Kirkwood j said one of the canvassers made a prac- ; tice of calling 011 residents as often it s two or three times when met with a

refusal, making himself a thorough nuisance. In one case the refusing ratepayer was rudely tolcl lie did not understand the position, another being told (hat lie wanted to rob the company. A lad, who declined to sign because she was sure hoi" husband would not do so, was told that the reason her husband ■would not sign was that he was a friend of Mr. Kirkwood's, but tho canvasser added that that was no reason why she should not sign, and under that persuasion she signed. Of what value, he asked, was a petition that had not been voluntarily signed? The people of Stratford, he contended, had an inalienable right to generate and supply electrical energy in their own borough, and they should never agree to part with that right. * He felt sure that a number of those who signed the petition did not understand what they were signing. IN CONCLUSION.

They were all desirous to forward the progress and prosperity of the town. It was in the hope that lie might be of some use in that direction that he had placed his services at the disposal of the burgesses. lie asked for their support on the sole grounds of policy and merit, quite apart from any side issues. ■■ Mr. Kirkwooil. on resuming his seat, was again heartily cheered. No questions were asked. Mr. ,T. B. Richards, in moving a very, hearty vote of thanks to the Mayor for his address, referred in terms of the highest praise to the excellent service given by the Mayor to the very many institutions with which he was connected. Mr. J. W. McMillan seconded, and the! vote was accorded, unanimously. ! The customary compliment to the chair concluded a jneeting remarkable; for its enthusiasm, the Mayor's utter-' ances having .been punctuated with ap-i plause. ; BERNARD'S PICTURES The new programme screened last night is certainly well up to the high standard of the management at Hib Majesty's Theatre. "The Diamond Makers" is a thrilling story, containing raajiy exciting situations. "In the Elemental World" is a drama that appeals with i great force to humanity. "Mr. Pickwick and the Shooting Party" is a delightful representation of one of Chan. Dickens' happiest conceptions. The scenic, humorous and other films are all of great merit, and' supaftl attract a ful house to-niglrt."'-'„?» • GENERAL KJtWS j Mr. N.fJ. King'formally Announces Ms candidature. ,|or the mayoralty, and intimates hi:!, indention of addressing the burgesses af 'the"Town 1&all on Friday, the 24th inst. You hardly feel the razor pass over your face when Stan. Sharp handles the shaving operation. Added to this dej lightful sense of comfort is the knowledge that every utensil is sterilised, and I everything absolutely clean. Next BellI rlnger'9, Stratford.

The pew winter clothing for men is attractive in many' ways. Wise men will buy now while the variety is big, and they will find "The Kash" prices made to suit them. For high quality and low price Mullen and Marshall <iasilv lead in Stratford.

Your photograph will please them all —some of your friends have been expecting one for a long time—don't be satisfied with one taken years ago. Send them a fresh portrait, jußt as yon are' to-day, in your everyday attire. Having your portrait taken is as pleasant as an informal call on good friends. Make an appointment to-day with Mr. McAlisteT, Stratford.

IT HAS NO EQUAL. I had cramping l pains in the stomaeTi and nothing gave me ease," says Mrs. A. Jones, Main Road, Mt. Clear, Vic. "As a number of my customers swear 'by Chamberlain's Colic and Diarrhoea Remedy I thought I would grve it a trial swd I got relief after the first dose. I think there is nothing to equal Cham-berlain-si Colic and Diarrhoea Remedy for pains in the stomach." •Sold by fill efcemists and storekeepers.

Prescriptions dispensed from an"- doctor.— Djvicfl' Pharmacy.