THE MAYORALTY.

Cromwell Argus, Volume I, Issue 36, 20 July 1870, Page 5

THE MAYORALTY.

y | MR GOODGER AT THE TOWN HALL, i- I | A public meeting of the ratepayers of Crom- ’, Veil assembled at the Town-hall on the evening ’ ;If Wednesday, 13th loatant, for the purpose of 'ilgiviiig the candidates for the Mayoralty an op. ‘ aortunity of expressing their opinions on muni,,Kipal matters. Mr Joseph Harding occupied the fthair, and called upon Mr G. W. Goodger—the R ( lnly candidate present—to address the meeting. ’« a Mr Goodger said he had called the present i 0 ilneeting with the view of enabling Mr Smitham fluid himself, as well as any other candidate who ■ fright come forward, to address the citizens, ■Bpi-ior to the day of nomination. He repudiated a the idea consulting Mr Smitham as to when c * the meeting should be held. He regretted, I however, that Mr Smitham had thought proper 18 I to decline attending the meeting, for he would ~~ much rather that that gentleman had been proIV sent, He (Mr Goodger) would now endeavour —; to explain his views on the various questions i» alfectiug the welfare of the town, and also to a, refute some of the accusations that had been ! brought against him by the supporters of his opponent. It had been said that he (Mr Goodger) wanted to monopolise the land on the Lower Plat; but had he not as much right to occupy a few acres of land to' keep his cattle on as those who had taken up ground for agricultural purposes ? If he had not fenced the Flat, some one else would have done so. Hail the ratepayers told him previously, that they objected, he would not have fenced the laud iu question ; and even a | now, if the ratepayers showed good cause why [ r I he should remove the fence, he would do so—- || although it would involve a considerable sacrifice lon bis part. As most of the ratepayers were . * i aware, he owned a large number of cattle, and I could make no use of them without a paddock. H He did not look upon the eighty or ninety acres s > I —the leavings, in fact—which,he had fenced, as 18 ; a great treasure. It was said that he had endeare 1 1 voured to negociate with Messrs Howell and s » I Loughnan for the lower part of their ran. In L i - reply to that statement, he would say that no : k |’Euoh project had ever entered his mind ; and a* even had he thought about it, he did,not sup-i-1 pose the ruuh ffders would entertain the proo- feposal: besides, so far as he could see, there was a- Mnothing whatever to be gained by such a transft [faction. With regard to his claims for the supreport of the ratepayers, he would remind them 10 khat Cromwell was his home; his capital was giuvested there ; his family had been reared there, j jaud knew no other home ; and if God spared his ; -life he intended to settle them in the district. ||He had spent money in many ways for the good Hof the district. For instance, he had laid out i|£3oo in the erection of a cattle sale-yard for the lT : (public benefit. The ground on which the yard [ Q . -was built he had desired to secure as a freehold, ' Shut he only wanted three or four acres of it to Ifbnild a residence upon. He had made applies "* gtion to the Waste Land Board for the purchase 1 ‘of the ground, but through the intervention of ’* persons in Cromwell, the application was *» irefusod. With regard to the statement that the 18 j|Council had done nothing since his election, he I ‘considered that more had been accomplished ijduring his term of office than in any previous f pmunicipal year, and instanced the success which Shad followed the Council’s recommendations in 16 ||the matter of repairing the roads to Clyde and [ (Bendigo, and with reference to the necessity for kf I placing a bridge over the Clutha between Cromjt | well and Quartz-reef Point. It had been said 1* i|that the town water-race was in a filthy condisr sijtion. He admitted it was so, but the Council ir [ Swerc now taking measures to remedy the evil, (Mr Goodger) believed he possessed sufficient ° |&ngineering skill to carry out a water scheme £ Ah&twould be a credit to any town. The imnow contemplated would be carried I [but if not found too costly. Iu reference to the [ Idispute between the Corporation and the raefe--0 owners, he was sorry to say the question was e [ not yet settled, but, it was no fault of his. Ho Shad had large practical experience, and would |gladly give the ratepayers the benefit of that ,F [ experience. It was for the ratepayers to say i- [ [whether or not he was deserving of re-election. T [l In answer to a question put by Mr Kelly, Mr [(Goodger stated that he was at one lime owner 3 |bf three-sevenths of Connellan and party’s race, g and had offered to sell his interest to the Corpo hj, I [ration for £IOO. The then Council did not see 0 "[the advisability of purchasing the water-right, Band the result was that the water-supply had a been a bone of contention ever since, nhj Mr Hayes asked the candidate whether he iq IjWas prepared to support the movement made for f|seeuring commonage. *j j Mr Goodger said he had done all that laid in “■ Bus power, both in and out of the Council, to get 1 Ska area set apart for commonage. The want of ,f la commonage was severely felt by the inhabiSants of Cromwell, and he would use his utmost wendeavours to secure an extensive area for that 0 ['[purpose. In the present state of things, the grunholders could, if they chose, drive every hoof /• gaud horn off the run without a moment’s notice. ! [The holders of the run had, he considered, been -■Sail along very lenient towards the inhabitants. “H Mr’W. Shanly wished to know whether Mr [(Goodger would be inclined, if elected, to remove r [ the fence h* had erected on the Lower Flat. e l l M" Goodger said it wo#d be rather a serions pithing)'.>r him to do ; but if the ratepayers said 0 ||he bad to he would accede to their wishes. f|{Applaus^)( I-1| Mr Barry remarked that the present Mayor e [was a good neighbour and a useful citizen, and ikoped hj« would get another year’s trial as Mayor, a Mr Kelly commented ‘at considerable length ! * Capon Mr Smitham’s refusal to attend the meet--8 ||ng ; upon his actions whilst he was a member s ||)f the Council; and upon the “ claptrap” that e Iliad been raised to calumniate Mr Goodger. The a ft’onncil had done as much work during the present Mayor’s term of office, and had been con--1 pucted as respectably, %s any other up-eountry r Snuuicipal. Mr Kelly concluded by proposing a 1 &ote of confidence in Mr Goodger. t Mr Lindsay seconded the motion. || Mr Goodger desired- to state, in reference to ||he allusion made by Mr Smitham regarding the ■ expenses of that meeting, that he held himself 3 Ipersonally liable for the expenses incurred, ami fever had any intention of asking the Council 'rfuO'iiPkey the cost. (Cheers). M The Chairman then put the motion. TwentyB seven hands were raised in favour of it, and f none on the contrary side; consequently it was ( carried unanimously. The meeting terminated with a vote of thanks to the Chairman.