THE Y.M.C.A

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2481, 21 April 1909, Page 6

THE Y. M.C.A

[ OPENING OF DEBATING.SOCIETY. A mock Mayoral election ; was hold to ; open the- 1909 session og the Y.M.C.A. Deb'atihg; Society last evening.; , The ’ Rev.' AY.. Lamb occiuhcd the chair, and the hall was woll.filleld by members and their friends, incuding- a argo proportion' of allies; - The candidates were-: : Messrs TJI. J. Browiilee, C. G. Bloore, and 38. Grubb. Each candidate was allowed to. speak. for. 20. minutes, and. the members of ! the audience were allowed to ask questions. Each candidate ~vras nominated-'by two supporters, and. } a deposit .of : £l6oo was 'stipposod to be lodged on behalf of each.- - The', Chairman, ink introducing the candidates, said the spirit displayed. in the‘ debates"lfist' year gave rise ( to .amofet happy series of subjects being discussed. He hoped tho same good order of things would ■prevail during tho debates, of the coming winter. Lots were drawn for the order of speaking/ ME ' Bloore speaking first; - The candidate .said - that,-' the time, was now at hand when the appellation of “Sleepy GisbornV-hcould no longer be tolerated, and it now behoved the people to choose », mayor whom they could respect and honor. The gospel of work was his religion, not work for a day, but for all time, in the, interests of his fellow, men. He desired to establish a mavoral office full of dignity, that •wo- id be h precedent for future mayors •to follow.' His, idea; of Gisborne , m the future was dustless, mudless, and veil lighted;..where the air would • contain no odors from back yards, .but only the pure breath from the sea and the hills ■around; ! Dealing with .the question or 'sewage, he agreed with the proposaNto •lay all the schemes, with full data, before a committee of expects, and thought that tho ratepayers vote should- be. the final word said on the question. It was quite probable ; that the ratepayers would object to>-any scheme costing over £IOO,OOO and-for that reason the financial aspect of tiic schemes should.be placed before a board of actuarial experts. The various sewage schemes at present • under.considei ation did not propose-to deal; with surface water or household slops. To dcai with surface water .it would be first necessary t-o properly form the roacls, ■and drain them by laying down concrete channels.- He would favor all v 0?L Mono on the roads being-done, at night -when traffic would - not- he interfered with. Ho’ believed in .municipal: sea - baths," the municipilisation 1 ef, the .gas works, and the beautifying of the river hanks. A borough- engineer .should he. engaged, and- a "sports grouhd shoiu.ci be purchased.--‘ (Applause.) n rv: vinat Mr : Grubb said he wa's-not aw orator.,. hut a plain, blunt, working man,, who believed in making things go. 0P them to consider the-work- done.-, by. the retiring-mayor, and the plans .and schemes that had-been generated inf hiS: fertile brain. They had.; been•-. multitudinous,- and the world "Would never know another mayor like- -Wllliamf Douglas Lysnar.-t- The I Candidater. then went on -to deal, -iin !• poetic Mlauguage, with- the- beauty Lfc-the landscape l on the AVaikanae "creek ah sunset, and said- it. was the 1 duty of /the Mayor of Gisborne to-preserve the triile rural aspect 6f the :town: and tp: plant: a few daffodils or a/ modest violet around the heaps of : rusty-: tins : that .broke. the monotony, of the!>viewThe . slum-houses should /also, be n planted arounds with ferns; and creepers, .and every inducement given to' the resi- / dents to return-to tlie- simple life.. Gisborne was fitted to be an attractive resort- for tourists, for there-was no more beautiful sight/in New Zealand, than the Taruberu- river at - low -tide. When he ; was installed asl Mayor .of Gisborne he would see that, the banks of the river were lighted with electricity. The odour from the, stream was strong eiiough! to drive pedestrians , away, and that power should, be profitably used to drive n dynamo,; (Laughter and applause.) ,?< : -•-., <} ■ . .ME. H r , J. Brownlc-e . followed,, and Said that the; reason he was, a candidate was that he thought. it . rightthat. lie. should return something to the people for-what they: had done aor him since he csjneVto. the:-town. He recognised that- the' Mayor of a town should be, ajtactful man, able to bold the con-.' fidence of The, Council -and the/confidence of- the people. Tlie -Mayoiy should possess ideas as to. how to plan and, arrange things,, and be had been drawing • plans for many, years. (Laughter.j Dealing with drainage, tlie candidate said, it was useless. to. -initiate a, scheme.,so:costly that the freight of interest, would cripple all progress, and he/held that ,m. efficient system of/ sewage, could. be obtained ‘ for' about' one--; third of the money - that, was now i'Cr qiiirod for tlie Shone system! He would also favor a, scheme for dealing with surface water, and the ’raising of a loan for,, forming the ’ arterial toads. ,'. The wprk, however,.should he of a 'perina-. nent nature, be,cause it would'.be nnfair to!’ask..posterity .to pay' for what worn but. IJe.,agreed, that r thei; gfiswotks .shouitl. be 'municipal plop city. Tlie ; gas,supply of Gisbbrne was at prev sent g.monopoly, and" jt,was not right that a monopoly , shohld exist over a necessity, of life.' ] Ho', believed in rat-* ing upon unimproved valubs, and .t-nat-the .ratepayers should hayef an opportunity to ’express aii qpmion pit tho subject.. He was of opinion that an outer harbor /would benefit' the. 1 town, if' the, people could stand the costf but he!' .agreed that jUUtil' an outer -iiatbor was built the fivpf channel r>&' kept bpbh.;, •*; ;*» ;" - A: hiimber of questions were ansivered by,/the‘candidates' ‘ : "," ; ' ’ 'Thej 1 poll refeujtccl '.as follows!; Brown- , leo 67" votes, Bloore : 44 Votes,"Grubb 37• votes. “Mr, Brownlee' was tliein declar-/ ed ; elected, ,v ahd wab investedp; by- the' chairman with'/fi ‘ Mayoral'' chain" amid great laughter and ’ applause’. / m ° Mr. . Brownlee returned, tha-nksj ahd the Tpbeting'tvas' declared . Closed-. .•:!/,