MAYORAL ELECTIONS.

Evening Star, Issue 4179, 19 July 1876, Page 2

MAYORAL ELECTIONS.

MR REEVES AT THE BRITISH HOTEL. Mr Reeves addressed about forty electors at the British Hotel last evening, Mr Hogg in the chair. Mr Reeves said the Mayoralty in the past had been an office full of responsibilities, and he looked forward that in the future, as years rolled on, the office would be a still more responsible one. With regard to his claims to the office this year he thought they ought to be strengthened by the fact that he had given anotW year's labor in the interest of the City. During the last three years he had had the privilege of representing the largest Ward in the Cito (Leith Ward); and whilst he had eMeaVofed to do his duty strictly for his own ward, he had never been backward in forwarding the interest of other wards where he considered it advisable to do so. With regard to Bell Ward, he had Worked amicably with Cr. Woodland .in the various questions" Whieh haM come before the Council. This year the views of the other candidates were in harmony with his own—tnei'g Ming iiow no exciting topic on which any candidate might enlarge. The Corporation were now in possession of both Gas and Water Works, and he believed both purchases Wolild prove a large remuneration to the citizens. The water supply was not as

extensive fts Was desirable,- and, with a new of extending {tig stipply, the Council had consulted Mr Gordon, of Victoria, and had received from him a further report as to the extension of the Water-Supply for tile City. It would be remembered that last session the City . Council to extend their powers so as.to enable the Corpo&Blb'fl to obtain water from the Water of Leith by the piiftJMgS of the in-

tercsts of riparian proprietors. Unfofttl nately a clause was inserted in the Bill jVhjSh frtily provided for their getting the vvatci lor ilidtiths ftft.er the passing bf the Bill. That time Woilm eKpii'6 (m the 20th September or October next, and if the did not like by that time to take the Leitii they Would lose their labors and the .large, amount of fiioficy it cost in pdSsihtf the ..Bill through the Assembly—something like lAO9i Mr Gordon, in his report with regard to increased sfcpply, ad■Vis*?d that two tributaries of the Waitatl be

taken into th§ pfsswt reservoir. By this means, they would havfi a Sttpply sufficient for 45,000 inhabitants ; and by taking in the VVdier" of Lsith, Mr Gordon considered they would be enabled to have a supply adequate to 95,000. But the expense of acquiring the Water of Leith would be almost prohibitory at the present time, and the view he (Mr Reeves) took of the matter was that the Corporation should take immediate steps with regard to being supplied by the two tributaries of the Waitati. At present they had sufficient water to supply the City, but were not equal to any large demand being made on them for the purposes of machinery.-. The new Council should take immediate and active steps to have the water supply increased. Mr Gordon had not touched on the question of filtering water, but he (Mr Reeves) hoped they would be able to adopt the system known as Poster's patent, which was now in use in the old country, and by which in twenty-four hours two million gallons of water would be filtered. With regard to gas supply the purchase would prove one of large profit to the City. Unfortunately up to the present the supply had not been of a satisfactory description, generally speaking, but better results were expected. The charge of 103 for testing meters was too high and should be done away with. When the pipes and plant arrived from Home the Corporation hoped that every street in the town would be lighted with gas. It was necessary that pipes be laid to all parts of the City, not only for public lightiug, but for private consumption. Mr Reeves dealt at length, with drainage, recommending the harboring of their revenue as much as possible as drainage was an expensive matter which must sooner or later be proceeded with, and

spoke m favor of a paid Fire Brigade, with a paid captain and, say twenty men, who should hold two practice* a month, for which each man ahould receive LI. Mr Walter had charged him by insinuation with keeping him, as Mayor of the City, out of a seat oil tho Harbor Board. The Board consisted of eight members, two elected by the Exacutive, two by the Provincial Council, two by the Port Chalmers Town Council, and two by the Council of the City °f Dunedin. Now, did it not seem reasonable that, as the City Council had the privilege of electing two members, they would have elected their Mayor as one, if they considered him fit for the position ? He took it so. Did that look like hin keeping the Mayor out of the Harbor Board? Personally, he never voted for a nominee body. If he found his duties to clash with the Harbor Board in the event of his being elected Mayor, he would resign his position on the Harbor Board. By the logic of Mr he (Mr Reeves) had been the means of keeping the Mayor of the City off the Harbor Bo.trd, ergo he should be on the Board. According to that reasoning, the citizens had the cure in their own hands. Let them elect him, and then "they would have the Mayor on the Harbor Board. Again, he had been charged by inuendo with aspiring to the office of Mayor for the position of pay and profit. For three years he had served as a City Couniller, had acted on various committees—water, gas, finance, and legislative—and had worked just as arduously as the Mayor. In the face of that, he asked, could he be charged with aspiring to the Mayoral chair for pay Or profit.—The speaker was frequently cheered in the course of his remarks, and was loudly applauded at their close. Mr Jenkins wished to know why Mr Reeves, as a member of the Harbor Board, had proposed that the plans of the Engineer (Mr Simpson) for the reclamation of the habor—a work involving the expenditure of a.quarter of a million—should be adopted without having the opinion of other en, gineers ?

Mr Rekvbb said that he appeared to be present in a dual capacity. Correctly speaking, he was not here to answer as a member of the Harbor Board, but at the same time he considered his actions were so clear that he was glad of the opportunity to answer the question. He moved that Mf Simpson's plan should be adopted because he agreed with it, and because two of the oldest shipmasters—Captains Sinclair and Edie—had approved of that plan. The plan had also been approved of by the chief marine engineer of the Colony. In answer to further questions, Mr Reeves said the building of a new Town Hall had been considered absolutely necessary by the want of office accommodation the arrangement at present in the Corporation offices was not at all satisfactory j there was not sufficient acoommodation for the vark>u» departments, If he was now 6iected Mayor he should consider it showed a great amount of presumption on his part if he again offered himself for re-election twelve months hence. There were only a few conditions which should entitle aMayor to offer himself for re-election—when during his term of office he had given the greatest satisfaction, when he was a man of large wealth and great charity, and when he was presented with a requisition signed by a majority of the ratepayers asking him to again come forward. He considered that if ne were to seek re-election without being publicly asked to do so he would be guilty of a great amount of presumption. A vote of confidence in Mr Reeves as the "most fit and proper person " was proposed by Mr James Toal, seconded by Mr M'Allister, and carried unanimously with acclamation. Prior to this meeting Mr Reeves addressed the electors in the Royal Hotel, and was accorded a unanimous vote of confidence. MB WOODLAND'S MEETINGS.

Mr Woodland addressed a large meeting of ratepayers at Patterson's Hotel, Walker street, Mr W. E. Couzens in the chair. After the candidate had explained his views and answered several questions, Mr John Gray moved and Mr Hawkins seconded that Mr Woodland was the most fit and proper person for the office of Mayor. This was carried unanimously. Mr Woodland afterwards addressed the ratepayers at the Mission-house, where also he was well received, and was accorded a unanimous vote of confidence. Mr Walter's meetings. ■(•■ Mr H. J. Walter addressed a meeting of the ratepayers last evening, at Baxter's Hotel, Maitland street, Mr James Spiers in the chair. A vote of confidence was proposed by Mr Smyth, seconded by Mr Walls, and carried unanimously. Afterwards Mr Walter held a meeting at tnb Mission-house, where several questions were put anu auswered to the satisfaction of those present. A vote of confidence was j Unanimously carried. SOUTH DUNEDIN, Mtt MALONEY AT THE OCEAN VIEW HOTLt. Mi- Malotley addressed a large meeting of ratepayers at the Ocean View Hotel last evening, Mr Barrowmaa occupying the ohftir, The C3ndkUte in the course of his address referred to the great improvements which had been effected in the various parts of the district since being declared a municipality. .Their total expenditure hitherto had been LS26, and they still had a balance in hand of L 976. Their total revenue for the ensuing year would be L 1.615, in addition to the balance referred to. In conclusion, the speaker urged that the person elected Mayor should, be one who had served, the municipality as a councillor, and therefore would have knowledge of the matters with which he would have to deal.

After answering a number of questions, a vote of confidence in Mr Maloney was put and carried. MR BRADY AT THE FORBURY. Mr P. H. Brady's meeting at the Forbury was well attended, a large number of ratepayers being present. Mr Brady addressed the electors at length, giving his views on municipal matters, and expressing his intention to do all that he cculd for every one who was a ratepayer and resident in the locality. His principal obj eot if elected would be to g© in for a proper system of drainage, so that the residents would be able to get access to their dwellings. A unanimous vote of confidence in Mr Brady was passed,