THE MUNICIPAL ELECTION.

Globe, Volume VI, Issue 698, 14 September 1876, Page 3

THE MUNICIPAL ELECTION.

A meeting of the ratepayers of the city to hear the opinions of the various candidates for municipal honours was held last evening in the Drill-shed. The meeting was convened by the Mayor in response to the following requisition : "To His Worship the Mayor of Christchurch:—We the undersigned Ratepayers beg moßt respectfully that you will call a Public Meeting to hear the opinions of the Candidates for civic honors, the more especially as there are several questions of great importance to be considered affecting the interests of the citizens generally. We are, sir, your obedient servants, Henry Sawtell, Clifford and Roper, W. H. Porter, and eightyseven other gentlemen." His Worship the Mayor occupied the chair, and opened the meeting by reading the requisition asking him to convene it. He said in consequence of receiving that requisition he had convened the meeting that evening. Personally he had no desire to address the meeting. It was his duty as Mayor to take the chair, and if there was any occasion for it he would, at the end of the meeting, vacate the chair and ask some gentleman to take it while he addressed ttie meeting. He should take the candidates as they were nominated, and first call on Mr Mr Jones said he thought that it would be better to appoint a permanent chairman for the evening, and would propose Mr Ick. The Mayor was a candidate as well as he was, and he thought it would be as well if he vacated the chair. . The Mayor said he did not desire to addresß the meeting, and there was no imoro priety that he saw in his remaining in the chair.

The motion for Mr Ick taking the chair was not pressed.

Mr Jones said that his past services were before them. He had endeavored to do hiß best to bring about an amicable arrangement with the Heathcote Road Board respecting the Ferry Road drain, which had been happfly accomplished. The Drainage Board Bill-he had also assisted the Mayor

and others to get, and he considered it was one of the best measures ever carried. He had been blamed for being on the Drainage Board, but he thought it would be to the advantage of the city if the members of the City Council were all on that Board. The chairmen of the Road Boards were their representatives, hence he could see no disadvantage ia the City Council members being on it. His object as a member of that Board was to see that all had the benefit of good drainage. During the six years he had been in the Council he had done his best for them, and would be happy to do so in the future. If they did not think he was a good representative, then he would be quite willing to retire. He had two sets of questions placed in his hands which he would hand to the chairman to read to the meeting. His endeavor was to cut down the rates as low as possible. As regarded rates, he must say that the Government should not have taxed them so heavily for the erection of their school buildings. They should have allowed them to spread over a longer period, and not charged them lOd and Is in the £l. The Mayor said the questions were not signed, and any anonymous questions should he thought be ignored. If the gentleman wished to ask the questions through him he would be happy to put them, [Cheers.] Mr Jones said he was in favour of an increased water supply so as to provide for any fires which might occur. In answer to questions, Mr Jones said that if the owners of bye lanes made them of an insufficient width they could not object to being called upon to make them of the width to bring them under the bye-laws of the Council. If this were done the Council would be bound to keep them in order. The City Council, some two years ago, on more than one occasion had endeavored to get an endowment of land. They had also applied to the Provincial Council, but they had refused, and given them £3OOO, saying that they preferred to give them annual grants. The City Council would endeavor to get endowments for the city because it was necessary. If they did not get an endowment they would find that the rates would increase greatly, They wanted their footpaths asphalted, and he was of opinion that it would be cheaper to get their footpaths asphalted rather than keep on year after year shingling them. He should be prepared to support propositions for the asphalting of footpaths, either by borrowing money or otherwise. The question was never put to them whether they would have an endowment of land or £3OOO. They were simply given the latter. The Council never had an option in the matter. Therefore there was nothing to ask the burgesses about. Mr Tbomer was the next to address the meeting. [A Voice—" I hope the next speaker will be limited to ten minutes."] He would never have come forward had it not been for the negligence of those who came forward at the last moment. He thought it was not straightforward for those who had represented them in the Council to leave it over till the last minute. He must say that when he found his Worship the Mayor, who had protested he would not come forward, doing so at the eleventh hour, he was disgusted. He was prepared, as unconnected with any clique, to come forward, and do his best for them. They had spent £24,000 for the outfall drain, and yet they had to fall back upon a Drainage Board. His opinion was that the Ferry road was the proper course for the Ferry road drain. Their money had been uselessly spent, and he thought that they should return men to the Council who would look after the expenditure. The £3OO spent for the Mayor would do them very much more good by being spent in improving their footpaths and roads. The outfall drain was of no good at all to them. Even that evening he had seen it, and if the rain continued, they might probably have a flood before the morning. The Council was now, to a great extent, composed of a clique, and that was one reason why he had come forward to seek their suffrages. He said that members of the City Council, serving, on the Drainage Board, was a mistake. He did not believe it was a good thing for the city. Let the Drainage Board bring forward their own members and the city theirs. The Drainage Board was an evil to the city, as he contended, the powers should be confeired on the City Council, to work for the benefit of the city at large. A lot of money had been spent uselessly. If they had got any two navvies from any New Zealand railway with a stick and a ball of string, they would have laid out a scheme for the drainage of the city of Christ-church, and would have saved £IB,OOO for engineering folly. In answer to questions, Mr Toomer said be thought it was inconsistent for Mr Cowliahaw to be solicitor to the Drainage Board and sit at the City Council. Questions might arise which would clash with his dudes as a City Councillor. He would not advocate an increase in the rates. As regarded his own part, after all said and done, he would not be averse to an increase of rates for thi> drainage of the east portion of the town. Mr Lee and the candidate having had a little private conversation, Mr Lee asked if Mr Toomer had any hope of being returned to the Council ? Mr Toomer said that he was opposed to the plurality of votes. He was an old radical and therefore objected to it as unfair as the five vote men swamped the working men. If it was their wish to put him in the Council they must give him plumpers. He had no chance against the big wigs, hence they must plump for him- The plurality of votes gave the votes to houses and land and not to men, Mr Cowlishaw was the next to address the meeting. He thought it was a very great pity that the requisition for calling the meeting had not stated the questions of public interest which it was necessary to meet to discuss. He also regretted that the gentlemen who had signed the requisition had not favored them with their presence that evening. The real question was that the money raised by taxation should be expended fairly and equitably. Now he had had a great deal of experience in this way, and if returned he would see that the money was expended economically. As regarded Mr Toomer's remarks about the solicitorship to the Drainage Board, he would desire to point out that the two bodies were totally distinct. The law put it in the power of the Drainage Board to override the City Council in matters of drainage. If elected he would see that the interests of the city did not suffer. Mr Treadwell asked—(l) Did Mr Cowlishaw consider that it was desirable that a town hall being obtained for convenience, economy, profit, get a grant of the deserted council chamber if possible. (2) That a

proper site for metropolitan works depot be procured, say five acres, to contain loom for smithy and forge, for carpenters' and joiners' workshops, for offices for architect, surveyor, and foreman of works, for store for goods perishable or otherwise, sheds for plant, carts, steam roller, &c. (3) That measures be taken to urge having new city roome, say those adjoining the present deserted council hall. (4) That the Mayor and councillors of this borough be instructed (a) To take a survey of the short diagonal 70 chains from A.ddiugton stationjto Cathedral square; (Z>) To get power under the new Act to make a railway; (o) To call tenders for the making of rail and terminus; (d) To negotiate a loan on security of the same; (e) To construct the line to be used by the trains at a fixed charge per head. (5) That the Mayor call suburban meetings at Riccarton, Fendalltown, St Albans, Bingsland, Phillipstown, Woolston, and Addington, to arrange for founding a new city by Government subsidy, as proposed by J. W. Treadwell, to be divided into eight wards, each with separate ledgers, but under one authority. (6) That the question of the supply of gas to these nine square miles of city be fully examined, and a meeting of ratepayers be called to consider the evidence and decide the question. (7) That the Ministry be requested to put the charitable aid and the hospital under boards of guardians. Mr Cowlishaw replied that in the present state of their finances it would not be advisable, in his opinion, to expend money for what was a luxury, a Town Hall. He thought there were many things more urgently required than new city rooms. If the Government gave them he would be happy to take them. As regarded Mr Treadwell's other questions, he was not in a position, under the existing state of things, to give an answer. It seemed to him that they involved questions of policy, which was matter for legislation, and not anything to do with the City Council. At present they were not taxed for the Hospital and charitable aid purposes. It ought, he thought, be charged to the consolidated revenue, In reply to other questions, Mr Cowlishaw said that he did not know whether a Market Hall was wanted, and, secondly, he did not see where the money was to come from. He should be sorry to see the Council buy Mr Morten's section. He felt sure he could represent the city conscientiously while acting as solicitor to the Drainage Board. He contemplated taking a holiday tour for about six or eight weeks, certainlv not more. The matter of public baths certainly came /within the province of the City Council, and if money was forthcoming, he should support their establishment. He was quite in favor of having an uniform system of rating for the City Council and Drainage Board. He would certainly support any efforts to obtain an endowment for the city. Mr Nathan was the next candidate. He said that he was not prepared to make a long speech. Understanding that there were gentlemen present who wished to ask questions, he would be prepared to answer them as faithfully as possible. At the same time he would not consent to take the seat in the Council unless he went there perfectly unpledged, and that the citizens were content to trust him to do the best he could for them. The state of their footpaths was so bad that, averse as he was to increased taxation, he should be prepared to supporc the increase to do what was a necessity. The time had now arrived when the footpaths of the city should be asphalted, even if they had to borrow the money to do it with. At the same time, it must be recollected that property had its duties as well as its rights, and aa such a work would increase the value of property, it should contribute to its costs. He was of opinion that rubbish and night soil should be removed as soon as possible, and he thought a system should be devised by which the ratepayers would not be charged for this. If this were done the ratepayers would get rid of rubbish, &c, and so remove a fruitful source of disease. It seemed to him also that the bye-law respecting buildings required amendment. At present they had a portion of the building uninflammable joined on to a highly inflammable portion. The time had come, he thought, when timber buildings of any kind should be prohibited within the city. He thought that the multiplication of municipalities was a mistake, because the work might be done through the one set of offices aDd machinery. Again, it had seemed to him quite wrong that the inhabitants on the other side of the Town belt should enjoy all the privileges of their municipal expenditure without contributing one farthing towards it. Therefore, he thought power should be given to the City Council to take in the thickly populated subuibs. Another point was that he would like to see a clause introduced giving municipalities representing say over 5000 persons power to send one member to the General Assembly, then they would have a chance of getting the endowment for their city, winch, to the shame of their Provincial Government, had been refused by them. It would also ensure the representation of the people. He was sorry to see that in the Amended Act the Government had struck out the smokenuisance clause, which was a mistake. He shouid be prepared now to answer questions. Mr McTaggart desired to ask a question, but Mr Nathan declined to answer any questions put by him. In answer to questions,

Mr Nathan said he was of opinion that they had good ground to go to the Assembly for an endowment. As he had said, the Provincial Government had treated them badly in the past, and he believed that the reason why the Abolition Bill had met «ueh favour here was that the Government had treated them badly. As regarded a town hall he considered it a luxury. Respecting the asphalting of the footpaths he might, say that he would be in favour of the property benefitted being rated to pay for the improvement, as the property was benefitted to a great degree. His Worship said he was next on the list, but he did not desire to make a speech. He referred to his actions in the past as a gurrantee for the future. (Hear, hear.) Mr Hart was the next to address the meeting. He said that he came forward in compliance with a promise given by him that when his services were required he would come forward to give what help he could to carry out the works of the city. At the present moment there were more serious questions to be discussed than at any time since the City Council had been established. One of the matters which had to come before the City Council was the question of the extension of the municipality. Whether or not it would be wise of the citizens to do so or not was the question. The Act gave the power to do so if the persons residing outBide made application for it. But he would advocate great caution, It might be well if

they made the city proper one ward, divided the addition into say four or five wards; eacb ward to have tbeir accounts separate, and the money raised in snch to be expended in them, minus a small sum for the works, &c. This would be far better than having a cluster of small municipalitifs. But still it would require great caution to consider the matter. The present Bill gave to municipalities greater powers than before, giving them the control of the Hospital, Charitable Aid, Orphanage, and Female Refuge. All these were very expensive establishments, Now what did the Government propose to give them? Why £1 for £1 raised, thus they would have £7OOO, added to what they now raised by rates. Then they were to have the publicans' licenses, dog taxes, &c, and it now became necessary to see what was the result. From a careful investigation he had arrived at the conclusion that a heavy additional rate, and a pretty heavy one too, would have to be paid by the citizens if they had to take over these institutions. He must say that he was very much surprised to find that the committee appointed by the City Council to consider this matter had never yet reported. Another matter he would attend to if elected \rould be to see that every man who paid rates should be placed on the roll. The officer of the Council should as soon as the rates were paid transfer the name of the burgess on to the list. A.t present great dissatisfaction exited because a number of names were omitted from the roll, Another matter was the laying down of tramways in the streets, which would require attention on the part of the members of the City Council. He should be prepared to support a vote of money for a bridge across the Avon at Ward's brewery, to connect the east and the north. He would also be prepared to support a vote for forming asphalte pavements throughout the city. If they could not get it the whole width, let them do it half way. He would, if elected, do his best to render services t& the city, and was glad to see the number of gentlemen coming forward to contest the vacant seats. In answer to a question, Mr Hart said that he would give no opinion upon the route best suited for the street tramways. He would not at present give an opinion upon the advisability of tramways going through the city It all depended upon the terms offered by the company. If the cabmen opposed the Council as before, he should be prepared to uphold the law. He was the chief promoter of the Lichfield street water supply. Mr Jones moved a vote of thanks to the Mayor for his conduct in the chair. Mr Hart seconded the motion, which was carried, and the proceedings terminated.