THE MAYORAL ELECTION.
MR. BURGESS CONSENTS TO STAND
A CAUTIOUS POLICY,
A representative deputation of Now Plymouth citizens waited on Mr. Burgess yesterday morning with a requisition that lie should again consent to be nominated for the Mayoralty for the ensuing two years. The deputation in-cluded-Messrs J. D. Sole, Newton King, J. B. ;Gonnett, W F Brooking, W. P. Nicoll, C. Carter, W. C. Weston, A. E. Sykcs, Dr Walker, N. K. McDiarmid. J. 11. Haydeii, A. Goldwater, Archdeacon Evans, J. C. Morey, \V. Jenkinson, F. Cornwall, F. S. Johns, E. Griffiths, E. P. Webster, A. L. Humphries, Avery, F. C. Bcllringer, W. Sole, L. M. Montcith," J. R. Hill, L. C. Sladden, A. Palmer, A. Mcllardy, W. J). Webster, ,T. Boon, J. Abbott,. W. Ambury and D. K. Morison.
MivJ. D. Sole, president of the chamber of Commerce, stated that the members'of the deputation all recognised the good work done by the.. Mayor during his term of office. Though some of them may have differed at times, yet he pointed out the man was not born who would please everyone. It would, he considered, be a huge mistake at the present juncture to elect a new Mayor,' because when the number of councillors was reduced to eight it would be essential to have a competent head, and one iexperienced in council matters. They also highly appreciated the good work'that Mrs Burgess had done in patriotic matters, and though they knew that even if Mrs Burgess did not a'cept the office she would' continue to do the work, they thought that she should be allowed to continue it in her present position.
• Mr. W. F. Brooking, as president of the Employers' Association, stated that he was voicing the sentiments of all present. He quite realised the timo that the work would take, but it was said that if they wanted public work well done they must go to a busy man, and it had proved so in this ease. They appreciated the work done. It had been a busy time for the Mayor, but- they wen> anxious that the Mayor should agara Stand, as there wore several municipal works approaching completion which they would like to see him finish. Theyftlso appreciated the Mayor's cautions finance. This was no time to undertake new work too rashly, nor to undertake new things which they could Viot | see ther way clear to carry out. Tile fates were mounting up, but the speaker thought that good value had be|ff"recoived in many instances. .They would also like to see the works in hand Wfrijid out to the Mayor's satisfaction. Hie Mayor, he said, could see from the deputation present the interest that was taken in his coming forward again. Mf. Newton King said that no one knew better than he the solid work Mr. Burgess had put in and how his own private business had suffered thereby. 'Mr.. Burgess had taken office during troublous times, and that unfortunate state of affairs still continued. The speaker agreed with Mr. Burgess in his policy of caution. Money was plentiful just now, but one never knew what it would he to-morrow. He also paid a tribute to the work done by Mrs. Bur- :•<!■'=. work which would never be" for-j
. lr .\ Burgess said that he.niight have , - -;1 tlip deputation the trouble oi ; waiting on him, but candidly he was praying earnestly to be left otlt. He had jun, wish to stand again, and if he. did so he would make the stipulation that if the war was over, or matters were on a satisfactory basis, he could ask leave 'to retire in fifteen' months. He also wanted the ratepayers-to understand that ho did not go back with any biy progressive idois. Tf the ratepayers wanted that, then t'hey "heed not put liim in. Ho did not know what council ffould he returned, but if it brought forward a hi? progressive policy he would iirpinptly go out. He was hot seeking tlio position and ho would not take it with his hands tied. He agreed that this was a time for caution. He referred tp< a sub-leader that appeared in the Xews in which it stated that the cost of {he- improvements to the main street and footpath in Devon street should not be charged against' the tramways.' This had not been charged against tlie tramways in the books,'though it appeared in the returns. Personally he thought that a certain portion of it should have been charged to the trams, because on account of the trains the street had to . be remade and remctalled from end to cad, which was much more expensive than would have been the ease had the road been remctalled in. the ordinary way. If a private company asked for a concession to lay trams in the street they would certainly have been asked to pay a certain sum for damages to the street. It was, he said, no use making everything out too flowery. But for the trains not half the work would have ITeen needed on. the road. It was also, he said, useless continually bringing up the Morley street extension. It was impossible to get the material, and if they did the rails would cost about 100 per cent, more than pre-war prjees. He had been told rails could be procured in Australia, but he did not think they could, as he understood Australia shipped its' iron to Hwglanil. The paper also stated that it was pleased to see the Mayor favored a.comprehensive scheme of tram extensions. Well, he! said, he might be a bit absent-minded, but he did not remember having said anything that would convey that idea. He had certainly not srtid anything 'against it, hut he hnd never given the matter five minutes' consideration. He would let them understand that if tlfe articles in both papers expressed the idea of the ratepayers to begirt a further borrowing scheme, they had better not put him in. Ho was not going, to' support, anything of the k.nd until things looked bette,-, and that might take a few years." He pointed out that New Plymouth with a population of Sinon owed a total of .€325,000, of which <E 134,200 had to be refloated in 1022, so that they did not want a big policy of tram extension until they saw what would happen. He wanted a free hand, and would not be pledged to anything of that kind. It might be that the. ratepayers would elect a council out for progress, and he wanted a free hand, so that if he did not approve of the proposals he could'retire. Ifthoy wanted a progressive. mnir,'thcy must elect someone . else. They had got a tram service, and an ocean liner had been here., but that ;!i(l »Pt Jfl/ke a city, pr pay our debts, riioi'e was no needfof pessimism if we proceeded carefully, and.' as a business man, he always liked to see where tlioy .-•'fluid get before they went, further, His pliey was to see the loan reduced, Rome lyci-rs ago hp might have stood for pro. gi-'ss, hnt npt iip\y. Ha was willing to !sia-d for. the ppsitjpn til] tlif> war was over. He had never sailed under false i colors, and he never would. If the people wanted an extension of the trams with.':
in the next two or three years thp.y must put in a progressive man. What Mrs Burgess had done, he remarked, was purely a labor of love. .- In concluding he stated that the position was that if they wanted to go in for the work in the careful old style, he was willing to accept, otherwise they •must put in a progressive man. Mr..King: We'll take all the risks. The Mayor remarked that up to'the present he must admit that he had not received much criticism. Ihe deputation then thanked the Mayor and withdrew.
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Taranaki Daily News, 5 April 1917, Page 8
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1,316THE MAYORAL ELECTION. Taranaki Daily News, 5 April 1917, Page 8
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