THE MAYORAL ELECTION.

Evening Star, Issue 3556, 16 July 1874, Page 2

THE MAYORAL ELECTION.

MR RAMSAY AT THE MASONIC HALL. Mr Kbith Ramsay, who is a candidate for the office of Mayor of Dunedin during the ensuing year, addressed a meeting of the ratepayers at the Masonic Hall last evening. There was a good attendance, the very unpropitious weather notwithstanding.

Mr James Marshall was elected chairman. In opening the proceedings he said : I conceive it, gentlemen, to be no part of my duty as chairman to say many words. My duty is simply to introduce the candidate, Mr Ramsay, who will no doubt say all that is necessary. With your permission, however, I will make a few remarks in reference to the position I have taken at this election. It is a somewhat prominent one, and it arises from the estimate I have formed of Mr Ramsay’s character after a number of years, during which time I have been closely connected with him in business. I have had many opportunities of estimating Mr Ramsay’s ability and worth, and, gentlemen, that estimate has been no mean estimate ; whether as a man of business, or as a friend.—(Applause.) Therefore, I am quite certain the ratepayers, if they return

Mr -Ramsay on this occasion, will not mak a mistake. _ I believe him to be a man of strict integrity, of good business habits, and, what also is a good feature in his chraacter, he is a man of his word. —(Applause. ) These, gentlemen, are the only remarks I consider it necessary to make on the present occasion.

Mr Ramsay, who was received with great applause, said ; Mr Chairman and gentlemen, I suppose it is owing to the inclemency or the weather that I have not a larger attendance here this evening. At the same time, I have to thank those present for their kindness in coming here, from different parts of the City, on a night like this to hear my views. I will at once proceed to deal with the important questions affecting your interests as citizens, and the first matter to which I will draw your attention is

THE WATER QUESTION. It will not serve any good purpose to inquire into the past negotiations. 1 think it will be sufficient if I confine myself to the present position of affairs, and go shortly into the question of the cost of the works to the citizens, the revenue, and the amountthat will require to be expended. The cost of the Waterworks to the City in round numbers, is LI 16,000, and the revenue derivable therefrom is L 10.300 per annum. Then there is the interest on LIOI.OOO at the rate of six percent., which will amount to L 6.060, the interest on L 15.000 at eight per cent, which will be L 1,200, and the interest on the sinking fund at one per cent, LI, 160. The total amount of interest will be L 8.420, which, deducted from the revenue, leaves a balance of LI ,880 to carry on the works, and for the reduction of the rates. In three years after this, L 15,000 worth of debentures will fall due. and these will be paid off by Corporation debentures at six per cent. This will reduce the interest by L3OO, and L 1.160 a-year sinking fund at one per cent, on the total purchase money will be a saying to the citizens. Forty years after •'n i* e of the purchase money will be recouped. . Although the sum given for the works may seem large, I think you will agree with me that the Corporation did the best that could be done under the circumstances. The Company, although an iniquitous monopoly, were surely entitled to carry on. They had powers given them by Pai Lament, and I believe that nothing short of something grossly iniquitous upon their part would ever have induced the Legislature to take away from them their powers. I do not wish in the slightest degree to detract from the services rendered by Mr Robert Gillies in this matter, but I think that I should be doing myself an injustice if I did not state that 1 myself aided to a great extent the satisfactory settlement of the question.—(Applause.) Had it not been for the interviews with Mr Gillies, and the assistance I have rendered, we should have been as far off the purchase of these works as we were years ago. The next matter to which I will refer is

THE GAS QUESTION. For the last two years we have had some* thing like a respite from the discussion which was formerly called the everlasting gas dispute. The respite to which I have made reference was caused by the C orporation entering into a contract- -the particulars of which U rv 6 aware —to supply the gas lamps in the City at L 8 per annum each, and to supply gas to private consumers at the rate of 12s 6d per 1,000 cubic feet. I notice by the speech made by my opponent, that he states that the reduction was made before I entered, the Council. 1 cannot understand how such a statement as this can be made, for to Mr Livingston, who was a member of the Council, and to myself, the citizens are inciebted for this There was a strong feeling upon the part of some of the members of the Council—Mr Fish amongst the number—to enter into a competition with the proprietor of the Gas Works, Mr Hankey. I did everything m my power to oppose this, and pointed out that if they entered into the competition the result would be disastrous. The present contract will expire on the Ist of March, 1875, and then the Council will have to settle what is best to be done. There are four courses open; the first is the renewal of the contract at the present rate, and the second is for the Corporation to purchase the works by arbitration. There is a provision in the present contract for the buying of the Works, the Corporation to appoint two arbitrators, and two to be appointed by the proprietors of the Cas Works, these four to appoint another, the decision of the majority to be binding on both sides. The third course open to the Corporation will be to enter into a new contract at an enhanced rate, and the fourth will be the erection of new Works by the Council. I am in favor of entering into a renewal of the present contract. No doubt, many complaints have been justly made at times with reference to the quality and quantity B as » but still, I am prepared to say that the utmost endeavors have been made to supply a good article to the consumers. u uderstand, from what has been said by Mr Laruach, the representative of Mr Hankey in the matter, that it will not be possible to renew the present contract.' He states that the present rate charged for the supply does not pay, but notwithstanding tniß| l think that the endeavors of our councillors should be directed mainly to a renewal of the contract now in existence, I think, with the possession of the Waterworks, and with the very many interests they have to look after, the City Council will have enough in hand without having the responsibility of the supplying of the City with gas,—(Hear, hear.) Another matter to which I will refer is THE MAYOR’S COURT. When I brought this matter before the Council I did so from a financial point of as 1 found that this Court did not fulfil the expectation ©f those who introduced it into the City. It was introduced tor the purpose ®f supplying additional revenue to the citizens, but I found that instead of this there was a loss of revenue through the existence of the Mayor’s Court. The fees and fines had been less than received from the R.M.’s Court, and I went to the length of moving the abolition of the Court, as there was no reason why it should be in existence. I never heard one good substantial reason why wo should have two Courts of Justice in Dunedm.—(Hear, hear.) Will anyone tell me that justice will be better administered by a Court presided over by a man unacquainted with law, than by a magistrate with legal knowledge ; or is it fair ? I will ask, to any gentleman coming forward to contest this I election, and otherwise fully qualified, to object to him on the ground that he is not fit to discharge magisterial duties ? Would such a state of things be in the interests of the citizens?—(Applause.) As a Justice of the Peace, if I am elected to be Mayor of Dunedin, I will not object to dispense justice in the case of drunkards, or in cases of breaches of the City bye-laws. Any man endowed with ordinary intelligence can do this, and upon trivial matters of that sorb ad j“ dicate ; but I confess frankly that I would not be qualified to dispeuse justice, and would not attempt it in a Court where criminal cases were disposed of. and where legal knowledge and legal trainl mg *ere indispensable.—(Applause.) Th« ayor of thia Cit y- “ declining to contest the present election, said " u/\/r old - \ ha £ F a y or of this City should be Us Magistrate m deed as well at> in name, and

that, amongst the many onerous duties he has to perform, the chief is that he should sit in the Police Court daily, and dispense (or help to do so) the administration of justice in criminal cases and breaches of the City Bye-laws. I beg to differ with him. I hold, gentlemen, that the chief f duty of tho Mayor is to devote every moment of his time to the duties of his office, which will be more to the interest of the citizens. I hold that two Courts of Justice are not wanted here ; and I trust the day is far distant when we shall find it necessary to havn two Courts of Justice in Dunedin • never, I hope, so long as the Mayor is elected by popular suffrage, and may he ever be so elected if it is the will of the people ho should be.—(Great applause.) I will now” refer briefly to

THE TOWN BELT QUESTION. ii U j Te aware this is what may be called a pet scheme of Mr Walter’s; but in B»ymg this I do not mean to say that I have not to a great extent supported him. I consider the improvement of the Town Belt, in accordance with the plans submitted to the Council and adopted by them, will prove a great boon to the citizens. At the same time I may state that I have endeavored in every way in my power te prevent the Corporation getting a loan for the purpose. I think the work one of great magnitude, and that there are other works that require more immediate attention. A majority of the u “ cil affirmed the desirability of improving u 6 T? WQ I moved that a Committee should wait on the City members of the Provincial Council and the Government to secure the co-operation in getting prison mbor for the improvement ©f the Town Belt. This resolution was carried unanimously by the City Council, but, for some reason or other, it was never

carried into effect. Mr Walter tabled a notice of motion for the borrowing ef L 6,000 for the Town Belt improvement; and this I met by ah amendment that the Council should spend' any sum on the Belt np to L 5,000, on condition that the Government spent Ll for Ll. This amendment was carried. After it was carried Mr Fish was absent, but he came in shortly after and endeavored to upset the matter. He stated that the carrying of my amendment was simply shelving the question, and that another amendment should be put. One member of the Council, who had supported me in my resolution, then turned round and moved as a further amendment, that L 2,000 should he borrowed for the improvement of Ihe Town Belt, and, upon the occasion to which I refer, this sum was voted.—(Hear, hear.) This sum has been very well spent, and I think we ought to pause a little. (Applause) I should not like to see the L2,Q00 wasted, but if the case is fairly repre* sented to the Government, I have no doubt we should be able to obtain some assistance

to carry out the work. Upon two occasions, there had been an attempt to get a vote from the Government, and on the first occasion it was only lost by a majority of one. Upon the last occasion, 1 am sorry to say, there was a very large majority against the matter; nut, considering that we have so many streets unformed, and so many footpaths to make, any assistance we might get from the Government towards the improvement of the Town Belt would not be money wasted. (Hear, hear.) The Government subsidise the Road Boards pound for pound. The City of Dunedin contains a population equal to one-fourth of that of the whole Province, and perhaps contributes more than one-fourth o? the whole revenue, so I think we do not ask too muoh from the Government in this matter. The Town Belt is mere than a City benefit, for besides the convenience it it to those in the suburbs, it is really a benefit to the whole Province. In the Province of Canterbury, the Government keeps the Christchurch Domain, which serves the same purpose as our Town Belt, and if the Government there will keep the Domain for the citizens ef Christchurch, there can be nothing wrong in the Government here assisting us in the improvement of our Town Belt.—(Applause. ) I. will now proceed to say a few words regarding

THE DRAINAGE QUESTION. This with a great many in the City of 'Dunedin is the most important of all.—(Applause.) Most of you are probably aware that recently I have not been very hearty in my support of a system of underground drainage. My sole objection is that there was not a proper place for the outflow into the bay so loag as the harbor is in its present condition. I have used my utmost endeavors to have, the harbor put in such a condition that the sewage of the City may be safely deposited therein, and I am glad to say that we have been successful. I think the citizens are to be congratulated upon the formation of the Otago Harbor Board ; for, in a few years from now, the harbor will be open to admit large vessels from the Heads right up to our wharves. At the same time, the deepening of the harbor is so closely identified with the drainage question, that although it may be looked upon rather as a Provincial matter, it will prove a great boon to the citizens of Dunedin. At present the only sewer is the St. Andrew street one, but there will be one in George street in a few years, and the lower part of the City will be fully drained without fear of the consequences to the City that would arise if all the drainage entered the harbor while it is in its present condition.—(Applause.) I will now refer briefly to

THE CITY RESERVES—and I will particularly allude to those for recreation purposes, The first I will deal with is the reserve at the south end of the city upon which a very considerable deal of improvement has been effected. Youwill all, Xamsure, agree with me that the change that has taken place m this reserve during the last two years has improved its appearance, and rendered it something like a pleasant recreation ground for the citizens. The reserve known as the Octagon comes next, and upon my motion its improvement was taken in . ® , year ago this was an unsightly piece of Iground, but (now it has been laid l B raas ». an d will soon he planted ™ s ~ ru “ s , making a most pleasant break m the business part of the town. With reference to the Market Reserve, you will remember that some time ago there was a diseussion or dispute between the Government, the School Committee, and the Corporation,

as to the acquisition of a piece of ground there for the purpeses of a school. The majority of the Council declined to be dragged into giving any portion of the reserves for education purposes, on the plea that it was unfair to ask them to do so. Still there was no harm in the School Committee endeavoring if possible, to get a piece of our reserves for nothing; but upon my own suggestion an exchange was ultimately effected, or rather placed before the Government. I suggested that the triangular block of ground opposite the Railway Station, where the Fire Brigade Station now stands, should be considered a fair exchange for the land required by the Schoel Committee. This view was accepted by the Government, and the exchange was made, the Corporation getting that valuable site opposite the Railway. Station, whieh, according to the Proafrarer» is worth from L 3.000 to li4,oUu. then we come to the reserve known as the Chinamen’s garden. This will be vacated by the Chinamen in a few weeks and then I think it will be best to plough it up, lay it down with grass, and plant it with ahruhs. The last reserve is that upon which stands the Caledonian Society’s grand stand The Society has secured, as no doubt you are aware, a valuable freehold at the other end of the town, and the removal of tßjg

grand stand is only a question of a few months. As long as I have been in th* Council I have done my utmost to get this stand removed. You are aware of my connection with the Caledonian Society, and I tell you that I have used every endeavor to get this stand removed in order to leave the reserve for the purpose of the recreation of the citizens. There is a very ugly fenc > round the reserve at present, and some arrangement should be made by which the Society might remove this ugly fence and have something light and suitable in its stead. (Applause.) (For remainder 0/ Address see Supplement.)