MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 April 1919, Page 8

MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.

FINAL RALLY OF LABOR PARTY. The Labor Party held a final rally of their forces in the interests of their candidates in connection with to-day's elections at the Empire Theatre last night. There was a good audience, and the various speakers were accorded an attentive hearing. Mr. P. B. Fitzherbert presided, and all the nominees of the party were on the platform. As a prelude to the addresses, the chairman recited the adopted programme of the party plank by plank, with sundry comments thereon, for the purpose of» showing actually what Labor stood for generally, and he claimed that there was no other party in New Zealand at the present time that knew exactly what it wanted and was able to formulate its ideals into a definite programme. The several candidates then addressed the meeting, each confining himself, in the main, to some one object for which Uie party was striving. The first speaker was Mr. W. H. Fitzpatrick, a candidate for the Borough Council and Harbor Board. He opened out with a reference to the ominous silence of "the other party," and ,said that, so far as they were concerned, the electors were asked, as it were, to buy a "pig in a poke," as no one had come forward to say what r.ny of the other candidates stood for. On the other hand, the Labor candidates stood for the principles expounded by the chairman. "And what do you think of them!" asked the speaker. A voice: Pretty good! Continuing, Mr. Fitzpatrick said, as 1 lie was the candidate for the Harbor | Board, that was the subject for him to | deal with in particular. After urging the great necessity for developing the harbor facilities to the fullest extent, and stating that the progress of the province depended on that development, he said that a much-quoted motto in some business places was: "Do it now," and that was what the Labor Party stood for—"immediate action"—not only in regard to the harbor, but to all social and economic reforms. He stressed the importance of having men on the Harbor Board who were personally acquainted with the practical working of the waterfront, and based his claim to election principally on the ground that there was no man in New Plymouth moie closely acquainted with that work, and that, as it was within the bounds of possibility that harbor boards would, in the near future, have the complete control of, the handling of all cargo passing over the wharves, practical men should be on those boards, and, therefore, he should be elected. The' great weakness of all local bodies was the want of men on them who had practical knowledge of the works to be undertaken. He said the workers of New Plymouth needed to wake up, and concluded a forceful speech with the appeal: "For God's sake, don't be asleep to-morrow!" (Applause.)

Mr. R. J. Clarke, a candidate for the Borough Council, addressed himself to the problem of the housing of the people. Nothing, he said, retarded the progress of the town more than the lack of houses. The best body to deal with the difficulty was the Borough Council, and his party advocated the borrowing of a sufficient sum of money to build, say, for'a start, about fifty houses. The rent should be just sufficient to pay interest, sinking fund, and some "other small charges," and the houses would remain always the property of the municipality, so there would be no danger of a tenant having a house sold over his head and having to get out, as was the case under the present private enterprise system. Mr. (J. T. Langley, the party's nominee for the Hospital Board, did not address the meeting, owing to a throat affection, but the chairman explaine d that, while advocatuig general efficiency in hospital administration, one of his strong pleas would be for better payment of the nursing staff. (Applause.) Mr. F. Robinson, a council candidate, jsaid he could not help feeling that there •was a strange repugnance in conservative circles at the idea of the work •., Staking any part in the government of the town. There was no party that had been more maliciously misrepresented than the Labor Party. It had been said 'that the party was solely destructive in its aims, but he claimed that, first and :foremost, it was a constructive party. He proceeded to deal with the necessity for extending the. schemes of municipal .enterprises. He said the electric lighting and power department of the New Plymouth Borough was probably one of ths best of its kind in the Dominion, and lie urged its further development. In iregard to the proposed purchase of the I gasworks, he said the party was against j luying anything that was of no use. I He'said the electricity department should 1 be so developed that there would be no ■ iceed to buy the gasworks, which, in a | few years, would be on the scrap-heap, i The electricity department should also i deal more largely in utensils and appliI sltces, as well as in the supply of curI Tent, On the matter of tramways, he [.urged cheaper fares to popularise the 'trams and workmen's and school children's concession tickets. (Applause.) '' Mr. W. Nash, the last speaker, and a council candidate, first referred to some ,press statements in regard to rating on (unimproved values, which he charaeteilised as deliberately untrue, or the result jof culpable ignorance. Passing then to |he general question of local politics and (he relation of the Labor Party thereto, he gathered up the loose ends of the previous speakers' remarks and sought I r i summarise the addresses. In the matter I of housing, he instanced some of the conditions prevailing in large cities in ; the Old Land, and said the same thing j »vas developing in the chief centres in j New Zealand-.'. Ho,.„.said that in one faiburb.of York. tjher* were 01 houses to r.n acre, and in London there were 34!) people to the acre. He then dealt with tne ( h.ousjng problem as solved at Bonrtiviljje, puid said the rents there were as .low as 4s per week and the" maximum'' I.was 8s 6d, for which a man got a good I 7-roomed house, and sometimes a shop. ■}J.e contradicted the idea that all the residents in those houses were workers ■ iin Cadbury'a factories, and said that i only 41 per cent, were so occupied. Tho ' supreme thing to do for life was to I lengthen it, and that was what the I housing scheme aimed at. He then dealt c ith the need of proper milk and food supplies, and said that, as private enterprise had not properly solved the diflijulties relating to these, the municipality should take a hand in them. He referred to something that had been said in ' regard to the borough's Toko endowment* being used to ease the rates, and

uflid Ms party would be opposed to any RuPfc. tiling. The Toko reserves belonged in the';4.6Tougl|, ainl if any benefit was to 'ie dnrj,yed from them It should be shared by the., whole of the renldentf", and not i\ fpW ratep;i} T ,"r9. (Applause.) A {aw questions were askell, and, on tto raotioa of Mmbi f, J, Lyons and

J. Clavkc, a hearty vote of thanks wan accorded the speakers and the chairman.

THE LNGLEWOOD MAYORALTY. (Published by Arrangement.) To the Editor. Sir,—lt is strange, at times, how the people are "fed" with information. Regarding the forthcoming mayoral contest at Inglewood, 'Mr. Sutherland has been represented as having very little time to attend to any business not bringing him pecuniary return. The truth of the matter is that he, has done a very great deal of that very work which has in it nothing of monetary or other remuneration, and it is fair and just to tell the public a little, at least, of his free services for worthy objects. Ever since the war started 'Mr. Sutherland has been to the fora in ali matters for the benefit of the soldiers, and has given freely of his services and his time at the various patriotic functions. It will surprise some to learn that he has supplied the musical portion of the dance programme, contributed items, played accompaniments, etc, at considerably over 100 functions, many of them at great distances in the country, and often at great personal inconvenience, and always free gratis. He has also taken a keen interest in local affairs, school committee work, sports matters, etc.. and is held in considerable esteem by all his associates for the prompt way in which he places his services at the disposal of any worthy object. If he can afford the time as indicated, there is no need to try and belittle him in this respect- Hia admirable business ability will enable him to successfully discharge all municipal business should the people elect him to the post of honor for which he is so well qualified.—l am, etc., I FAIR PLAY.