MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2637, 31 July 1871, Page 2

MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.

Mr Wai.tek met the ratepayers of High Ward, at the Alhambra Hotel, on Saturday evening last. Mr W alter’s address was a repetition of those previously given by him, and in the course of his remarks, he refuted the statement made by Mr Ilamsay, that the

fiad ,not been attended to before Mr Mercer’s ~»ccs«Bion to the Council, Mr Walter following statement of worlds done ih Higb Ward, upon his motion —“ Memo of High Ward Works for year ending 30th June, 1870.—Proportion of day labor outlay, L 450 ; metal supply (maintenance) and carrying of stone, L 250 ; Robert Wilson’s improvement contract, various streets, L2S6 lls 6d ; asphalting, LB7 ; sundry drain pipes, &0., 4c., LOO; Moray Place, LOO; Crawford and Water streets, Ll 13 Is ; Fleet street, Lls; Jetty street, L272s 8d ; (Smith street, improvement by Government); Rattray street, culvert extension, LoO 13s; Liverpool, Water, and Crawford streets, LI2O.—LUOS. The work in Smith street, and other work done by prison labor ; was not included in this amount. The usual vote of confidence was carried. Mr Cutten, on Friday evening, addressed the ratepayers at the Odd Fellows’ Hall. He reiterated the opinions he expressed at the hustings respecting the drainage of the Ward and the kerbing and channelling, and expressed his opinion that the license-fee for hawking iLh and vegetables within the city had worked prejudicially to the interests of the inhabitants. The tax operated prohibitively to the, city being cheaply supplied, and the xxlarkets attempted to be established were abortions. With regard to the candidaieship, he would have offered himself earlier, but he was under the impression that Mr Thoneman would have offered himself, an!, in consequence, many of his friends had promised their votes. He considered the Waterworks should have been public property ; but neither the Corporation nor the Government would touch them. Such being the case, the shareholders who risked their money to have them established were entitled to fair compensation. He considered the gasworks had been frightfully mis, managed, and that it would be possible to come to satisfactory terms of purchase with the proprietors. Mr Gilchb st met tho ratepayers at the Hibernian Hotel on Saturday night. Mr Chiaroui in the chair. Mr Gilchrist expressed himself in favor of underground drainage. He condemned the defective lighting of the str. ets, and the quality of the gas, and considered the site of gas workfj to bo useful, should be mid-way between the North and South ends of the town. He objected to the proposed amended Water Rates Act, and to collecting rates in advance yearly, and considered the Mayor’s salary should be L2OO to L‘2so annually. Up thought the kerbing ought to he paid for in from three to live years, A meeting was held at the Caledoqia Hotel, Great King street, on Saturday evening—Mr Barnes in the chair—to hear Mr Findlatcr’s views on municipal matters!, After some preliminary observations, he ex ; pressed the opinion that the Mayor’s Court was beneficial to the City. He considered that there should be a bridge over the Water of Leith at the foot of every street in the ward. He objected to disfranchising a man because his rates were a month in arrest?. He condemned plurality of votes at Mayoral elections.

Votes favorable to the candidates passed in each instance.