THE MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.

Cromwell Argus, Volume 2, Issue 88, 18 July 1871, Page 5

THE MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.

NOMINATION OF MAYOR

The nomination of candidates for the Mayoralty of Cromwell took place in the Municipal Council Chamber at noon on Thursday, the 13th inst. Mr R. E. D.igg, who had been appointed Presiding Officer by the Council, opened proceedings by explaining the object in view to be the election of a trustworthy and competent peraon to discharge the duties of the Mayoral office.

Mr W. Shanly proposed, and Mr Dagg seconded, the nomination of Mr W. Smiiham.

Mr J. P. Taylor was proposed by Mr G. W. Goodger, and seconded by Mr D. A. Jolly. Mr Smitham said he had had the honour of presiding over the municipal affairs of Cromwell for the last twelve months. Last year, on taking office, he found the business of the municipality in a very unhealthy condition ; indeed, oving to the careless manner in which its affairs had been previously con- , ducted, it was a task of much difficulty to get the machinery into efficient working order. However, he was fortunate in securing the co-operation of a Council devoted to the I regeneration of the then existing state of things; and, with their valuable aid, CromI well had been raised from the position of inI feriority it occupied when compared with the I status of other corporations at that time, and J now figured in the foremost ranks of Otagan ; municipalities. Through the exertions of j himself and the members of Council, a new Post-office had been built in the town ; a Supreme Court and Gaol had been agitated for, and there was every reason to believe that ere long those buildings—so necessary for the whole of the Northern Goldtialds—would be added to the architecture of Cromwell. When the present Council began its ! duties, the water supply of the town was ex- | citing much attention, and was in a most unI satisfactory condition. They did their best j to place it upon a better footing, and to make j it of more general utility than it had been. | If their efforts had not been wholly suceess- ! fill, he thought it would be conceded that j they had at all events effected a change for | the better. There were many more matters | he might bring under notice wherein he had | successfully advocated the interests of the j district ; he would not, however, detain them j b/_ describing these matters in detail. The | citizens had had twelve months' experience j of his capabilities, and his acts wore before them for criticism: if he had not always j found favour in their sight, he still could as- | sure them that he was actuated by the best j intentions towards Cromwell. He had been solicited bv a number of the ratepayers to allow himself to be nominated for re-election, and he had much pleasure in complying with | their request. He might remark that when j the present Councillors were inducted into | office, they found they were burdened with ! debts incurred by their predecessors. The | books were in a lamentable state of confusion, j and it had taken them fully three months to j post them up and make them intelligible. It | afforded him great pleasure to state that they i could now point to a satisfactory state of li- ; nanc }s ; and for the information of the public, he would just show how the Council stood | with reference to money nutters :—On Au- | gust 1, 1870, there was a balance in die Bank I in favour of the Corporation of £37 lis 9d ; I and up to July 1?, 1871, there had been paid ! in to account the sum of £317 lis 9d ; thus ! miking the total sum which had been availj able for the past year to be £355 3s 6d. J That sum had been expended in the follow- : ing manner :—Re-constructing Town Race. ; forming culverts over same, &c, £33 12s Od ; I paid to Connelhn and party for water supply I of previous year, £B2 10s ;' wages to man for | looking after the race, £23 4s ; making a | total of £154 6s Gd laid out on this work : in I contracts (forming Murray-street, and kerb- | ing and channelling Melmore-terrace), £o3 j 103 ; in discharging "the liabilities of previous | Councils, £45 8s; in other expenses not spe- ! cifically mentioned, £35 13s (id. The total, ; £144 Us (kl, with a balance in the bank of j £l4 10s. exactly made both ends meet. The j Town Clerk had in his possession moneys ■ collected amounting to £SO 10s ; this, with their credit at the Bank, the Government I subsidy of £2OO, and a few more items to be j got in, would leave them in the possession of j £314 to carry on the business of the forthcoming municipal year. He thought on the whole there was much reason for congratulation, and believed he might safely leave his candidature at their disposal. | Mr Taylor stated that on" the requisition of a number of citizens he had come forward to contest the Mayoralty. He fcl fc that those persons who honoured him with their confidence, and who deemed that he would bo of service to the town if fortunate enough to secure the position in which they wished to place him, had sufficient grounds for doing so. Although the present Mayor and Councillors had certainly done a great deal of good during the term of their administration, and although he would be sorry to detract from their zeal and ability in any sensible degree, still there were many things left undone which were of material consequence to the town. The matter of water-supply, he thought, was in | an unsettled < condition ; and to bring about j a more cfTisiont and comprehensive water system for the municipality was, he coni sideved, ah object of the greatest consequence: i no pains should be spared to secure so desir- | able a result. This was a thing to which he j was prepared to give time and special atten- ! tion. Plenty of clean water convoyed through good serviceable pipes could not be too : highly appreciated by the inhabitants ; and, j if necessary, father than forego the hsnefitr, that would accrue to the people through

having plenty of aqua ptira at their oommaiul, ho would bo prepared to borrow money to enable them to initiate, complete, and inantain all works necessary to attain the desired object, lie certainly was not so o ; Jd a resident as Mr Smitham ; but yet he was not altogether a " new chum" amongst theiu, and certainly was not so in relation to matters affecting the sanitary and social improvement of towns. He had had a pretty fair share of experience in public business while living at St. Bathans. During a period or many years he had ever been foremost in trying to push that township forward, and had been as useful there as Mr Smitham seemed to be in Cromwell: he therefore did not come before them as a novice. He dwelt on the importance of the duties pertaining to the possession of the Civic Chair ; deemed that the holder thereof would not be always cushioned on roses ; spoke of the necessity of keeping the recreation ground open ; touched upon the desirability of the Council exercising proper supervision over the coal-workings within the municipality ; and finally said that if elected lie would rise every exertion to justify the confidence reposed in him.

After some remarks by Mr Goodger, Mr Shanly said that Mr Smitham had done more for the town than any other one who had filled the office of Mayor; lie was the most eligible person for that important position, and the choice of the ratepayers could not fall upon one better qualified for the duties ; and he (Mr Slianly) trusted they would bear this in mind when recording their votes. He hoped to see Mr Smitham again placed at the head of the Cromwell Corporation.

Upon a show of hands being taken, the numbors were found to be in favor of Mr Smitham. A poll was then demanded by Mr Taylor : to take place on Friday naxt, 21st July. ~ ..

A vote of thanks to the Chairman brought the proceedings to a close.