The Mayoralty

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 278, 27 April 1914, Page 8

The Mayoralty

TUB -MAYOR OPENS i'ilil'

BKl'l-Y TO .UK. WILSON'S STATE MEXTS.

Tlic Mayor (Mr. <!. \V. Browne) asks us to publish the folio-wing:— To the Burgesses.—Ladies mul (Jentlemeu. —I deeply regret that owing to illhealth I am unable to meet you in publie meeting, and give you a resume ot borough matters and fully reply to the, statements made by Mr. J. E. Wilson charging the councillors and myself with scandalously wasting the public funds, and attempting to place the Council and myself in a false position in regard to carrying out certain work. With your permission, Mr. Editor, I wish lirst of all to refer to the purchase of the land at the intake. The facts are that during the year the Council instructed the engineer to prepare a scheme to provide the necessary power to keep the new machines up to j their rated maximum output, with pro- | vision for further contemplated extensions at the power-house. The scheme, provided bv .Mr. Skitrop was submitted to Jlr. P." Black, M.1.0.E., Wellington, who upheld and strongly supported the engineer's scheme in preference to erecting a weir across the Waiwakaiho river as recommended by Mr. Climie. The Council then instructed the engineer to proceed with the work as soon as the necessary lands were obtained. Various owners, besides Mr. Williamson, were interested in the lands required by the Council, one owner wanting £25 for a small piece (about a quarter of an acre) which I succeeded in purchasing for about one-third of the price asked. Other lands on the opposite side' of the river were purchased at £l6 per acre, no exception being taken to the price paid. Early in October Mr. Williamson made an offer to the Council for the three pieces of his land, as shown on the plan submitted to him, amounting to about

(i'/i acres. Ilis terms were £250 (not £730, as stated in the press) for the land, the Council to construct a cart bridge and form a road round the hill to give access to the land adjoining the Waiwakaiho riecr. The whole Council

were unanimous in turning this offer down. Mr. Williamson then "withdrew this offer and submitted another, agreeing to take £250 for the land, foregoing the bridge and road. Mr. Williamson also submitted an alternative offer of selling to the Council the whole of the land (about 35 acres), which included full control of the two rivers, tile Maiigumahoe and the "Waiwakaiho, a very desirable. position for the Council to be in.

putting us, .'is it did, in a )>osition tr prevent any pollution ol the watei The offer made by Mr. Williamson, aftei lie had the land valued l>y a firm of lam agents in Xow Plymouth, was £lc per aero. I' had another interview with Mr. Williamson, and succeeded in getting him to amend his offer to £l-! 10s per acre. Councillor Clarke, who has a very intimate knowledge of land values around i\cw Plymouth, advised thi Council that the price was a very fail one. The town clerk strongly urged the Council to acquire the land at the price, ft is quite true T supported purchase, as I believe now, as then, that ii the Council had taken tno extreme stej of severing the three pieces of land and practically removing the. water 9upp]y of the farm and picking the eyes out of that portion of Mr. Williamson's estate, the Compensation Court would have awarded fully as much as the Council was asked to give for it, and perhaps mulcted us in costs into the bargain. The land will be leased hy Mr. Williamson at 15s per acre for five years, thus ensuring to the Council good >.'■ terest on capital expended, and, if after that period, the Council do not feel inclined to let again the engineer is emphatic in his statement that it will be worth the price to the Council for grazing purposes. (It must he borne in mind that the Council own sixteen horses that have Lo be regularly spelled). The question of the stone deposits on the property never came into, the Council's consideration at the time of the negotiations for Hie purchase of the land.' 1 wish lmrgesse.i to remember that had the Council put into operation the provisions of the Public Works Act. Mr. Williamson still retained full power to reinstate his claim for the bridge and l'oad as set »ut in his first offer to the Council. The dam to be erected at the Mangamahoc, providing for a storage of 10.000,000 gallons of water, tuts the estate in half, and would entail a fairly lengthy bridge to span it, The owner would have had a strong ease for the fullest compensation. The engineer reported that a wire rope would suffice for our purpose. To state the position (briefly: The price paid for the total area was £51.1, at £l4 10s per acre. Mr. Wilson charges the Council with wasting £3OO i.e., by paying £3OO more than was necessary. Now, had the Council acted upon Cr. 'Wilson's suggestion, the 6'/< aeres would have cost £21.5, plus costs <>i severance, etc. We might also have Mad to pay the cost of a road and bridge to give access ti; .>;r. Williamson. T'lis would probably have brdught tße total to a price asked for the whole area, namely, £;ils. 11', however, the cost of the 6'/, acres eoind have been kept to the t>lo (ail unlikely thing) then the l remainder of the area has cost the he''- j ough only £lO ;>.r acre. As this is to be let at las per ncre per annum, I think ym will agree that it is not a bad Imsi- I ncss proposition. Tint there is more than this: there is the fact that the oorough, by the purchase of the extra h.nd. will prevent any pollution of the water, and this point alone would probably have justified the Council in incurring (ue ex(r:\ expenliture involved. Tllli CARUI.VdTOX ROAD. |

Xow, as to the Carrington road widcn--11- and raisin;;'. .Mr. Wilson is entirelv a.-,tray in his inference that it whs I who was responsible for bringing down an amended plan for the purchase! of several hundred pounds' worth of extra ■ and, not provided for in the loan proposals. I tun hardly absolve him from blame for this willni misrepresentation, tor lie must, be cognisant of the position. I t \vas tin: engineer, not J", who sui'wsted file alteration in the plan. And the

engineer i'hl ,-<> for which art! .-.nlik'ieiilly shown in liii; repowhich 1--a* follows:- -'

December -I'll 3. When 1 first laid oil' tji>rri:u;i, 11 nn-: tor fnnn;itlou I thought it advisable to make the formation at least L'O links wide, as I was under the impression that this route had been selected for the Vogeltown tram-line, but when I beard of the prices asked for the land

required to carry out this work I made further enquiries, and found Carrington road bad only been suggested as the route, and as I am quite sure a better, less eostly and shorter eno can he had I. would* surest 1 h=;i the Carrington road formation bo 00 links wide, as per amended pians. The only land the Council would require to buy i.s a very small portion of Bauchop's property fronting on to the road. The grades as at first suggested are retained, hut the interactions are altered. I think it woubl be advisable to form that portion between Courtcnay ami Leach streets !>t) links wide; then at a later date, should it be thought advisable, to form that portion between Leach and Lemon streets. This could be. done by build in:.' a culvert the whole length to take the Ihiatoki stream. The. Coun-

cil own property oil the western side of the stream (as shown on plan) between Fiilford and I'cndarves streets, the street reservation being 100 links wide.

■ I am sure if Councillor Wilson will lefrcsh his memory he will remember that it was the only occasion on which I have had to differ from the engineer, and at my own suggestion the grades were extended and the filling reduced to-a depth that obviated the necessity of purchasing any land outside that provided for in the loan. In any case, lam not responsible for schemes submitted, by the engineer, and it is most unfair for Cr. Wilson, who knew all about the circumstances, or should have known, to [ now seek to place me in a wrong position i for the purpose of damaging my adnv.n- ---| istration and my candidature. I have jail along refrained from extolling my , services, seeking any kudos, or criticis- | ing the public and semi-public actions of jmy opponent. lam content to let my | past work speak for itself and to leave I the issue of this election in the hands lof the burgesses. It is for them in | show recognition or otherwise at the poll on Wednesday. Xam very sorry I cannot speak publicly, but this rav medical adviser will not permit. I require, I might add, no "sympathy" vote, about which Mr. Wilson" has had so much to say. I would never consent to remain Mavor of Xew Plymouth on sufferance. If I have not the confide"' e of the majority of the people of the town to proceed with the important works now in operation and about to be commenced, well, I will accept their judgment. I can only say that T have given the- borough the best in me, in lime, energy and ability, and have done so cheerfully, because first of all i owed it to the burgesses who placed me where they have, and because I have great faith' in Kew Plymouth and its future, and believing the town is worth working for and making the thriving and important town it must become iii the near future, I leave the matter at that. I am, etc., O.'W. BROWN* E.

Mr. -7. S. .S, Modlcy has volunteered to address a public meeting in support o f Mr. Browne's candidature, and reply te Mr. Wilson's criticism. The Mayor desires to thank Mr. Medley for li'is generous offer, which is all the more apprc eiated because of the fact of JTr. Mc.llev having contested the seat with him at last, election, 'out feels it will he unnecessary, and therefore has declined Mr. Medley's "sporting-" offer.

A medico in West Australia claims • to bare discovered n cure for consump- ! tion which will bo effective in six weeks. ;At regular intervals these claims are made, not only in the case of cnnsumiti tion, but with regard to cancer. Hat i time has confounded all these iuvesti- . gators and their fond theories. Several , .years ago ail Australian journal set out jto expose certain consumption specifics jand the sales of which were accelerated j I>v glowing testimonials allegedly froTi grateful patients who had been restored to health by the aid of these nostrums. Despite the revelation of what was nothing but n cruel and unconscionable imposition, the charlatan still nourishes exceedingly. Equally vainly lias the I world v. ! ":lit. a cure for cancer. When some of the more startling possibilities of radium were, uncovered, it was i thought by many scientists that here at | last was a discovery that would, lie of I tremendous and lasting benefit to stifi fering humans. While many incipient j cases of cancerous growths have been j declared cured, 'even radium has failed jto master the persistent malignancy, j The story of the millionaire who had .-in j amount of radium to the value of a j small fortune embedded in his shoulder j for the purposes of overcoming hi.s complaint is recent enough to make a fall recapitulation unnecessary. Xo cure was effected, and it is safe to say that both with cancer and consumption the only hope a patient has is to take either j disease in its more, assailable stages—- !■ before it is thoroughly established m the system. It is highly improbable I that the West Australian medico has I succeeded where so many scientists have failed,—Chrisfchurch Sun.