THE MAYORALTY.

Evening Star, Issue 3554, 14 July 1874, Page 2

THE MAYORALTY.

MR WALTER AT THE MASONIC HALL,

Mr H. J. Walter, one of the candidates for the office of Mayor, addressed a meeting of citizens last evening at the Masonic Hall, Mr R. H. Leary was elected chairman. Mr Walter, after alluding to the state of the weather, which had no doubt tended to render the meeting somewhat less numerously attended than if it had been favorable, explained that he had been asked for the use of the Hall that night f->r devotional purposes, He would have freely given it, had not his arrangements been made. He therefore explained his position to the gentlemen who waited on him, and hoped they were satisfied with his reasons. It was said the election was going to be a “ faction election,” He had no desire to identify himself with faction, and the idea must have • risen entirely out of the mind of the writer in the •■'Tab. If he hoped to injure him (MrWalter) in his position, he hoped he would be mistaken. Most would he aware he had served the J ity two years before losing his election During that time, most important questions —the gas and water questions—came before the public, and he took an active part in both. He coul I trace his first

election to defendi g two large gas c nsumers, whost supplies had been cut •iff Mr Ramsay charged him with a .missiatatement when he ( Vir Walter) claimed to be senior member of the Council. But it was perfectly true as he was a member of it two years before Mr Ramsay entered it, and to say that three consecutive years is more • than four m the aggregate is au insult to the undei standing of intelligent men. During the year he was out of office he got the Corporation account removed to another Bank. Mr Fish would be able to set the people right if he made a misstatement. A gentleman from Fiji came to his house, and remarked that the Corporation were paying too much for their overdraft. He (Mr Walter) mentioned the- matter to Mr Fish (then Mayor), and he took it up in bis usual energetic spirit. The account was changed a short time after; By that change the City had gained about i 200 per annum. —(Aojlaus •.) The B ink of Otago wanted to take the account back, hut being in the Council he set his face against the Union B-nk being made a tool rf —(Applause.) One mat ep be opposed from the commencement was plurality of votes He oppo ed t from the very moment it was mooted in the City Council and called it an iniquitous attempt at municipal legislation

Happily for the City the plurality'of votes would be a thing of the past. Had it be n c -rried, any three hundred ratepayers possessed of rateable property to the amount . f * 150 per annum or over, could swamp eight hundred and ninety-nine small ratepayers —(Hear, hear.) Were such the case, he sbould not stand the ghost of a show at this election. Cver since he had been in the City Council he had endeavored to keep their reserves intact. When an effort was made to close the gateg of the reserves unjustly against ratepayers, MrGafgiJl and Mr Fi-h {■hen Mayor), and he, took an active pn*t in the matter, and tried to prevent the carrying out of the attempt. It was a common practice for a couple of runners—aglish or anything else—to apply for the North Dunedin Reserve for the purpose of perpetrating little swindles. Now, with th exception of one Society, which is entitled by agreement with the Council, no one can get the g. ound on such terms, to the exclusion of the public, fn asout eight months’ the agreement ihat was entered into with the Gas Company for the supply of gas to the citizens at 12s 6d, and to the Cprp nation at L 8 per lamp, would terminate, and the Corporation, by giving three months notice, purchase the works by arbitration He would endeavor, if e ected Mayor, or even if lie had a seat in the City Council, to get

the Corporation ro enter into a contract with the Gas Company for a lengthened period at present prices, which would be far better tbau buying tfi© If the Gas Company attempted to take advantage in the City, it would then be sufficient tiipe to take stepsinthedireotiouof protecting therfi elyea. Wien he was put in the Council—two years before his opponent entered it—the pric; of gas under two contracts that existed was LIT 10s and Ll4 10s for the street lamps, while to private citizens the price charged was 2,55. Now, those who are enjoying the redaction in the prigs to 12s 6d must admit that they are indebted to the Mayor—at that time Mr Fish—and to fchp members of the Gas Committee, who took up the matter fearlessly, and did not care or listen to the groundless imputations endeavoured to be cast upon them. He had had in view the important matter of the improvement of our reserves. The South Recreation Ground had been improved, .nd, in course of time, wouid be something sightly to look at. While in the Council he was the means of trees being planted in the Leith Ward Reserve, and he considered it quite as necessary to improve our reserve as it is to improve the streets. By all means let them make the streets first,—(Hear, hear.) In Dunedin, were thirty miles of streets (and 60 miles of footpaths, although not all made ; four and a-half miles of footpath kerbed, channelled, and asphalted; all of course done at a large expense. No city in the Southern Hemisphere had done so much as Dunecliu with the same resources. Before producing figures with reference to the Waterworks, he might state they were indebted to Mr Robert Gildes for the purchase and settlement just made. He was most indefatigable when he took the matter in hand on behaif of the Corporation, and he at the same time got a good price. The Corporation were very cautious in dealing with him in the matter, lutit terminated successfully, tie was glad he was on the committee. U letters were written to the Corporation which might tend io disturb the negotiations, they endeavored to deal with no more than the plain business portion—(hear, hear)—nd thus prevented anything unpleasant or acrimonious in tb,e matter. '1 fie various sumat which the Waterworks had been offered were L 98.750, which was Lls per share, pud . in addition were sundiy odd debts to be paid, i hat was thought too much. The second offer was L 104,400, and some debts. The third off r was LI 19,975, and sundry liab lines, which the rates would settle. As the sum seemed large, the diffeience might be accounted io'r by the fact that 85b shares had since been issued, upoh which L 8 had

been paid. The money had been expended, so that we actually got value for our money 'he actual increase was L6,orto upon the last offer, and considering the increase in the value of rateable property during the past year, and the Waterworks receiving about 1-900 over and above what they received during the previous year on the whole, they had done well in settling this matter. In his opinion if the purchase had not been concluded, the City would have to pav a great deal more in the course of time. Parliament would not hav* taken the towers of the Company away from them and we should have had to pay Parliamentary costs and enter upon a ruinous competition had we been compelled to construct works of our own. The Council, having succeeded in securing the waterworks would now see the nec< ssity of constructing public baths. Indeed, he though* if it cnu’d be made compulsory for persons to make use of water a little more frequently it would b - far bettor for everyone. In India, the Hindoos and the Mahommedaus observe the bath as a religious rite ; and it must have a tendency to check disease in any country. He was not ip the Council above five or six months be-

fore he moved in that direction; but, between the Company and the Government, the Council were sent backwards and forwards like a shuttlecock. He hoped now to see some baths in a central place, where hot, eold, and shower baths could be obtained at a nominal rate. —(Hear, hear.) He was very glad that the Otago Harbor Board had been appointed, and that two members of the Corporation and the Mayor—whoever he might be—would be a member of the Board. I* would be gratifying when vessels of from 800 to 900 tons would be able to come right up to the jetties. -(Applause.) Some time ago he moved that L 5.000 should be borrowed to be laid out on the Town Belt. There were no less than 500 acres of land available, while people were-goiug to enjoy themselves at the Heads or Port Chalmers His wish was to improve the Town Belt, so that instead of rushing away, people would be able to go there and enjoy -themselves just as well at a great saving to their pockets He proposed that ' the sum named should be borrowed, but it was thought too

much, and it was decided that L 2.000 should be borrowed for the purpose, on debentures for thirty years, so that the generation which came after them will have to pay a portion of the interest and sinking fund. But for the absence of two of the members in the Provincial Council, the loan of L 1,000 more would have been obtained from them. He honed fo get some furthemoney from the Government for thi- work. He believed he did a right thing, and he was prepared to either stand or fall by it.—(Applause ) To show ths vast importance of the works lately carried out, he read a few figures. (Mr Walter read a number of figures, showing that various works had been authorised or completed to the value of U4J.,000 ; that the annual income from all sources was L 22.220; that the liabilities were L 90,700, which was provided for b\ bonds issued, cash on hand, and rents and rates receivable.) From the statement of receipts and exdenditure, he thought the Corporation would bear comparison with any in the Southern hemi* phere.—(Hear, hear.) The rent-roll wasequal to that of any City in the Coloni s. When they looked at the statement of assets and liabilities, they must, as citizens, feel proud of the position of the Corporation. With regard to the contest, many friends, irrespective of his position, would assist t< get him returned. But there was a class o persons who, like other men, sometimes overstepped the bounds they should keep within, and damaged the cause they desired

to he p. It was said that because he was an notel-keeper, he was not to get the support of the Good Templars. Why should that be ? He had been in the same establishment ten year-* and a-half. Many persons looked down up >n those in his trade, and classed them with drunkards and sots Why should he übmit to be placed in that category ? It a man was in a business looked upon by some as obnoxious, and succeeded in carrying on hat business well, and to the satisfaction of the citizens amongst whom he lived, so that nothing could be said against him, ttai per- on deserved the respect due to him as a man at least. (Loud applause.) He did'not claim for himself what he was not deserving of His opponent and bis friends would no doubt attempt to make use of his calling ata stepping-stone to obtaining a large number <>f votes ; but look at the position Mr Ramsay occupied. He would now address himself to the Good Templars. The pertna nent chairman of his opponent’s committee was one of the largest brewers in Dunedin. Mr Ramsay, too, was as much interested in the objectionable trade, by virtue of being a Custom-house and shipping agent, as he (Mr '■VaJter ), As an hotel keeper during ten years and a-baif no complaint had ever been made as to the conduct of his business. (t.'*ud applause.) vir Pox, one of the greatest

authorities on the subject, and one of the most indefatigable of < -ood Temnlars in New Zealand had taken up this cause, and had been fighting itfor yea-s,and hj« had beenfortunate enough to have been introduced to him Although the. disagreed upon certain points, he was consistent, and he would show by his words that if the Good Templars 'did not vote for him (Mr Walter) upon this occasion, they could not vote for Mr Ramsay (laughter ) Mr Pox, in a speech o» the Justice of the Peace Disqualification Bill, said-*-** Ih a question of this kind no distinction should be drawn between the publican and the merchant who sold the spirits, and who was interested in publichouses either as owner or mortgagee, or by supplying them with spirits, for though the judgment of the latter might not be so warped as that of the former, still he was too greatly interested, even by supplying the house with liquors, and much more if he were the owner. He did not mean to say that these interests were identical ; but the man who sold poison over tha counter, and the man who sent it to him to retail, were both interested in the same direction, and that was an interest that might pervert the judgments of the most respectable persons in the couatr,His opponent, in connection with shipping, did not take the trouble to inquire where the cargoes were to be bent toand very likely these little boats put their bows into some rivulets and peninsulas; and it might not be a Very great stretch of the imagination to say that sometimes the sensational telegrams in the.papers about the doings of Kowaru or Te Kooti might have

been given-rise to by the noxious stuff sent from here, which got into those people’s hands in that way. —(Loud laughter and applause.) Mr Walter read another long extract from a speech by Mr Fox, in which he expres ed his respect for publicans who carried on their business with propriety ; considered they ought to be regarded equally with those who did their duty even in the highest profusions and that, were it not for them, “ the physical comiorts ef the people would be much curtailed, and frequently their lives would be m .de rather a burden than otherwise.” Mr Fitzherbert said*: “It would be casting a stiema on them which was not merited. He had a vary great regard .for the business of a publican if properly conducted, and he knew of many persons who had adorned their business Just as much as other persons who held positions in what might be considered a higher profus ion. There was a great deal of hypocrisy mixed up with this question. Were they to put a ban upon, the man who sold a glass of spirits, and not to interfere with the wholesale dealer?' If- they were to advocate ahkolufe ptirism, let theta do ao to

the fullest extent. let them be enabled to carry out their argument in the face of the world, and he would tell them what they had to do.” It was a great mistake f«r total abstainers to try to keep men down who were engaged in this business. Instead of keeping men in that business down, the attempt should be to elevate them.-‘-(Ap-plause. )

>everal questions were ask*>d, which Mr Walter answered satisfactorily, and the usual vote of confidence, proposed by Mr Sherwin, and seconded by Mr Hall, was carried unanimously.