THE MAYORAL CAMPAIGN.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3174, 27 April 1909, Page 5

THE MAYORAL CAMPAIGN.

MR HOLLINGS' ADDRESS.

There was an attendance of several hundreds of people in the Town Hall, last evening, when Mr F. L. Boilings, the present Mayor, gave a speech in support of candidature for a further term of office. The chair was occupied by Mr G. Heron,, who briefly introduced the speaker. Mr Hollings first thanked the Chairman for being so considerate as to take the chair on that occasion, terming Mr Heron his "political godfather," The speaker said that it was just twelve months -ago that he took office after fighting a very strenuous and very close election, so close as not to warrant him in suffering from swelled head,and to imagine that he was justified in launching out strongly as a candidate for Parliament or some other elevated position. 1 The position he occupied at the poll showed him that he should proceed with care, and now he was before the audience and the public generally to show how he had accounted for the people's trust in him during the year. After giving a brief summary of the work done by the Council during the year he proposed to 1 give Cr Hunter the platform to criticise both the speech and the speaker's policy, after which he proposed to make a brief reply. The ' speaker had for some time been trying to find out what Cr Hunter was ' complaining of during all this time, and perhaps this would be discover- < able that night—it had not been up till then.. (Laughter.) When, the : speaker assumed office everything connected with the Borough business ; seemed to be in a state of chaos, and even the retiring Mayor had told the speaker that he did not envy ; him his task for the coming year, and this opinion the speaker found to be amply justified. His audience would remember that there was trouble in the financial department through the estimates having been overrun, the drainage works were in a most unsatisfactory state, and the waterworks were far from being in the condition the town demanded. In short,, everything was in a mess. He hoped to show that during his term of office all these and other difficulties had been overcome, and the administration and the affairs of the Borough generally were now in good working order. He did not for a moment claim that to his own efforts alone were these good results due, as he bad been loyally supported by a large I majority in the Council, men who hadoptposed and voted against him at the election, but. who stood by him in his efforts to place the administration of Borough affairs in the position they now were. He also paid a : tribute to the loyal support and valuable co-operation of the Town Clerk ■and Borough Engineer (Mr W. T„ Mansfield), claiming that it was i largely due to that gentleman that so much valuable work had been accomplished. This fact should be evident to every ratepayer, as the town now possessed better footpaths, its waterworks were in a more satisfactory state, as also was the drainage of the town, while in addition the overdraft had been substantially reduced. At the beginning of the year the overdraft had been £5,530, while it now stood at £3,491, a re-

duction of £2,038. These were on the figures of the Town Clerk and Borough Engineer, and who was likely to know better than that gentleman? These figures had, however, been challenged, and the speaker, as chief of the council, would call Upor, the challenger to prove them to be untrue if such were th§ case.' It was a serious thing to suggest that the Town Clerk had issued a false balance sheet. When the speaker had first called on Cr Hunter to come on the platform and controvert the figures he had refused, but finally he was, as it were, "dragged out," only putting in his nomination paper at the last minute. Referring to the figures contained in the balance sheet, the speaker said that all outstandings were paid down to i the end of March, so it could not be alleged that the credit was due to the withholding of Borough accounts. Rather the [contrary, as the Town Clerk had insisted on all accotifits being paid to date, and another point in favour of the speaker's balance sheet was that a sum' of £ll6' was received just too late to be included in the credit balahce, which would have made the total'oVer£3,ooo, when extra expenditure of £l,3l3'for the year was deThen the outstanding rates had : b6en reduced from £1,654 to £420, and while' on this point the speaker contended that it was obviously wronj> to allow rates to accumulate in the manner they had been ! in the past. It all' very well for Cr Hunter to' claim that he was responsible for the new system of presenting accounts toi the Council, | but it was to the Town Clerk, and to him alone, that the new system was due. Cr Hunter,'as a matter of fact, was usually found to be too busily engaged elsewhere on the night of committee meetings to worry about such matters, while on ihe other hand the speaker made it his business to attend them. It was by this new system of accounts that the Council had been able to keep such an excellent check on its expenditure. The speaker then produced a statement, which he "stated

showed t&Pt the Effliounfc spen>J on maintenance during the past vsar, £1,582, was less than that spent Sn any year for the past years. Perhaps Cr Hunter did not appreciate the onerous side of the - office of Mayor, and if he did not the speaker would tell him thail just as he (Mr Hollings) assumed office the Council's banker insisted on the overdraft being at once reduced. Referring to Joan expenditure, the speaker said that of the amount available or expenditure on the street lr .n schedule there was still £92S to be expended. And then the town hnd seen what good use had been made if the expenditure in the work done in Queen, Hall, Pine, Villa, Donald, and Kuripuni Streets, and in Lincoln Road Some of these works had oo parallel' in the Dominion. Passing on to the work done at the waterworks,. Mr Hollings said that it was of a comprehensive and important nature,, and had been carrid out in sueh ai manner as to leave little cause for complaint. A direct pipe line had been put in from tho headworke to the river, and in the town its-elf sluice valves allowing for concentration of pressure in time of fire had been installed, which werr> of extreme advantage to the town. Mr Hollings went on to refer to the rejecting of the drainage loan pnt to the ratepayers during his term, expressing no regret at its rejection, but on the contrary expressing Mia opinion' that this course had meant the present recent satisfactory works done by the Borough Engineer at the outfall. Cr Hunter had all through ridiculed the proposition put before the Council in reference to this important work, and he had speciously insisted upon every minute detail of information in reference to it. Regarding the saving Cr Hunter claimed to have had effected st this work by the leaving out of a certain; portion of the work, the Borough Engineer had recently told the speaker that after- all this work would have to. be done, while there had also been= entailied: on the Council considerable extra cost necessitated through the Council' adopting Cr Hunter's idea. Referring to the Gasworks, the speaJcer said that this business was oraa which the town could regard as ira a most satisfactory state, and im the hands: of an efficient, economical, and conscientious manager in Mr J. W. Bladcman» The estimates of the past year were touched upon briefly, the speaker pointing out by way of contrast that while last year the estimates were put down at £7,.720, while <£7,810 was required, the previous year .saw the estimates at £7,292, while £9,200 was expended. On these and the other facts which he had put before the meeting, he claimed that his administration was a successful one, and one which he , thought fairly entitled him to trie . further confidence of the ratepayers. I Mr Hollings then closed his address, and invited Mr Hunter to accept the challenge extended to him to debate municipal affairs on the platform. (Applause.)

A WAR OF WORDS. ] THE CANDIDATES VENTILATE THEIR GRIEVANCES. HUMOROUS—IF SERIOUS. The debate which followed the Mayor's speech consisted of two addresses, one of about three-quarters of an hour's duration from Mr Hunter first, and followed by one of about the same length from Mr Hollings. The Chairman, in a humorous vein, suggested that such a class of jp blic pieeting demanded a chairman rather more conversant with the rules governing pugilistic duels than he himself was, but he asked the candidates each to confine himself to a speech covering no longer than twenty minutes. Cr Hunter received a flattering and friendly reception from the audience on walking on to the platform. He went straight to business after the Chairman's injunction, and opened by criticising the short length of notice given by opponent for the present debate, "especially as it was on Thursday last that he—the speaker—accepted the challenge. He would like the M«»yor first to explain about that credit of £2,038. It had become quit a nightmare with the speaker —he could see it in his sleep. (Laughter). Cr Yarr had shown the figures to be one amount, and the Mayor shown them to be another. Yet both claimed to be correct. The speaker was x*eally bewildered over it all. As for the £2,038, he himself could not, try as he might, make it any more than £l,loo', and that was how the present meeting came about. The Borough finances were marvellous things,/ and a Philadelphian lawyer could nbt elucidate them. Roars of launhter were caused by Mr Hunter asserting, with suitable gestures, that his opponent, when' he knew the speaker was intending to retire, waxed courageous, and with a great show dragged and nagged until he—Mr Hunter—came out. The Mayor had said that the expenditure on maintenance account during the past year had been less than for five years past. The speaker held in his hand an authentic document showing that two years ago the expenditure was £,1200, as against £1,581 last year. (Laughter and applause). He twitted the Mayor with being unfair accusing him of

knowing nothing about the Boroagfe balances,, while at the same time nothing was put before the Council for Councillors to work on. He declared that the Mayor had also been sonsistent in his remarks about the outfall improvements, as on one hand he said it was a success and on the other a failure. As to being called an obstructionist, he wished the Mayor to answer definitely why the four following questions introduced into the Couiicil by the speaker and carried were supported by the Mayor:—(l). That new business be brought up only in open Council; (2). that the Engineer report direct to the Council; (3) that no authorisations be issued in future except by the Town Clerk; (4) that the accounts be presented fortnightly in their present form. Further, he wished the Mayor to answer why the sum of .£1,500 on maintenance account and £l,lOO odd on sanitation account had been expended without the Council being consulted. The system in the Council was simply rotten, and the speaker demanded answers to the propositions be had enunciated.

. The Chairman here arose and gently intimated to the speaker that his allotted twenty minutes had extended into a good half hoar. The audience vociferously demanded more, insistent cries of "Go st, John? Keep going, John," being 1 general, amid universal laughter and applause. Mr Hunter, with an emphatic shake of the head to the Chairman complained that h 6 had "only just got started," a reply which elicited cheers and other demonstrations uf approval. The audience was evidently in a waggish humour, and Mr Hunter went on again. The next query propounded for the Mayor was why had loan money been wasted in Kuripuni street? Mr Hunter went on to declare that the Finance Committee meeting of the Council was a perfect farce, and to make numerous kindred allegations, the audience demonstrating keen approval of some of the sallies of the speaker.

At the expiration of about 45 minutes from the commencement of Mr Hunter's speech Mr Heron again rose and attempted to induct* Mr Hunter to conclude his remarks forthwith. The Chairman's remarks and Mr Hunter's reply were quite inaudible, as their words wer« simply drowned in yells for "More, John," and demonstrative applause. In the midst of it Mr Hunter sat down.

Mr Hollings waa received with applause on rising to reply. He said that he felt he was not called upon, in view of the exhibition just given by the audience, to reply to criticisms of his opponent. (A voice: Has he got you wet?) The Mayor replied that he was not afraid to, but he waa surprised at the lack of courtesy accorded the wishes of the chair by Mr Hunter, who was really his guest that night. He was only sorry that Mr Hunter had not come forward with a policv instead of making his speech simply a tirade of abuse against the Town Clerk. (Cries of "No! No!") He himself would, however, while ever a public servant was attacked, and unable to take the platform, defend such servant. He characterised iVr Hunter's assertions as to the balance sheet as scandalous^ Mr Hunter here rose to make some interpolation, apparently in explanation. The Chairman also arose, and for about a minute the audience yelled with delight, while the Mayor stood silent before them, with the Chair-* man standing meekly tjn hand, and Mr Hunter mqtpjy on the other. It was for the moment to [ choose who the speaker really should be, but finally M? Hunter subsided Jnt§ his an 3 she Chairman followed suitj

Mr Hollings continued his speech, requesting a patient hearing to the end, and protesting against Mr Hunter interrupting. He answered a number of other allegations made by the latter, and concluded by outlining a policy of progress, involving the raising of loans for drainage extension purposes—probably into the present outfall—and for the permanent forming and making of ihe remaining arterial roads in the borough. He specially mentioned the generous gitt of Dr. W. H. Hosking for a pubic bath for women and girls. (Applause). Other questions of moment were referred to in the policy speech which were, the speaker claimed, reasons why ha merited a further term in the Mayoral chair. (Applause). The meeting concluded without any further striking incident in the Hall, but when Mr Hunter emerged outside a crowd of about two hundred rather demonstrative persons seemed anxious for even more speech than they had been treated to, and after giving a prolonged cheer for Mr Hunter they quietened down, expecting a speech. Mr Hunter made a commencement, but an interjector caused the crowd's displeasure, and while the latter individual was being jostled about unceremoniously, the candidate quietly slipped away, and the crowd dispersed.