BOROUGH OF SYDENHAM.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 1035, 19 October 1877, Page 3

BOROUGH OF SYDENHAM.

A public meeting was held in Colombo road Schoolroom last night, for the purpose of giving candidates for election as Councillors for the new municipality an opportunity of expressing their views on matters relating to the borough. The Mayor, Mr George Booth, occupied the chair, and there was a large attendance of ratepayers. The meeting was called for seven o’clock, but the Mayor, with the leave of the meeting, gave a quarter of an hour’s grace for the benefit of those who had to come from a distance.

The Mayor read the advertisement calling the meeting. It was quite needless for him to take up their time more than to say they were met to hear the nominated candidates. He hoped that as they had been successful in securing constitutional local government their first meeting would show they were worthy of it. He bespoke a patient hearing for each and all of the candidates, and hoped the meeting would be quite orderly and conservative, and that they would leave the room with the conviction that they had taken a wise step in getting the municipality. Mr J. T, Brown was called upon as the first in order.

A Ratepayer asked the Mayor if the question of dividing the borough into wards could he considered at the meeting P

The Mayor replied that the meeting was called to hear the candidates, but any reasonable questions could be asked of them. Mr Brown then rose to address the meeting. Ho did so under a sense of duty, and not as a matter of choice on his part. It having been stated to him that his part of the borough might not be fairly represented, lie consented to stand. In doing so he know that he was committing himself to a position which entailed much care, patience, and judgment. Amongst the general things which would have to be attended to were the forming of good roads, channelling, and the removal of nuisances. With regard to the division of the borough into wards, he could see no objection to the adoption of such a course. He was prepared to make one unconditional promise—to devote himself fully to the carrying out of the interests of the borough in and outside the Council if he were elected. In reply to Mr J. Leo, the candidate said he was of opinion that the narrow lanes should be done away with, and a recreation reserve acquired, and that it was a wrong thing to interfere with the rights of individuals, but he would support any measures which would tend to preserve the rights of the borough. Mr J. S. Buxton being absent, Mr W. W. Charters was called upon. He thought the first thing was to widen the narrow roads, concrete the channels, and for these and similar purposes a sum of money would have to bo borrowed. His motto -was working not speaking, and ho would do his best to forward the interests of the district if elected. In reply to a question, he believed in wards, but thought it would be premature to intro- I duce the system just yet. __ j Mr J. B. Daltry agreed with what Mr Brown had said, and believed in the district being divided into wards, but not at present. He could devote half of his time to looking ! round, and if returned he would do the best j he could for the whole district. He know they required wider streets and better channelling,! hut'he did not believe in borrowing—[cheers and hisses]—or in having to pay more rates than they had had to do in the past. He thought it a matter requiring serious consideration as to whether it was at present advisable to take the powers of the Local Board of Health over from the Drainage Board. He would endeavor to gee the offices of the borough placed in a central p ositiou. Ho wished to state that he had t, e w informed that those who had only their j n it, ials prefixed to their names on the roll couh I Dot vote. ]yi r J. M. Fitzgerald would be in favor oi: having Ml the streets cut throughout, hut did not ,e 0 how that could be done tins year. Rather i 'ban tax the ratepayers heavily he would be favor of borrowing a sum of money exte over a number of years. Mr F. C. Hall, if elected, would do his duty. If m onej were borrowed to extend over a series “f years it would he quite as cheap as the pi went rates. He thought the question of wa. Ms was calculated to create a sort of rivalry hi the Council, and that the general systenf w.v. well enough suited to a district which was not exceedingly extensive. In reply to questi ana, Mr Hall promised to behave himself gone Tilly well, and enough! that the making of uniformed ro i u ® should come in for a prominent' share in the Council s consideration. He was-* not in favour or a special rate, but of ho -awing money, to be repaid hi a series of years. Mr F. Lines considered the other speakers had left him very little to say, but, if elected, he wcuki endeavour to do bis best tor the borough all round. He had been in favouro. widening the roads for the last five years, and lie believed. that .in. course ofijime they would all he mads ohqiu roads. He thought it

would suit all parties to borrow money for borough works, and that those who came after them should have to pay a share of the outlay made in improving the town. He advised the ratepayers to patronise local places of business, as that was the way to make the (own go ahead in earnest. He would do all he could to get a thoroughfare in Madras street over the railway, and to widen the roads of the district. Ho had already assisted in making a road at St. Albans a full chain road. Mr Edward Jones thought the first thing to consider was the representation of the borough, and that the ratepayers should elect members from the various parts of the municipality. He thought the ward system would ensure fairness of representation, and would support its adoption when it was found necessary. There were many -works to be done, but the question was how to raise the needful, tie would bo in favor of limited borrowing at low rates of interest and extended repayments. Economy would have to be studied. In referring to the question of drainage he thought the borough should have a representative on the Drainage Board for itself. He thought the roads laid out should he metalled, and would go in for a recreation ground as soon as they had money to buy land ; also of buying ground for municipal premises in the centre of the borough. He believed that the gas was to be brought down Colombo road, but it was a question whether by and by they should not have gasworks of their own. Mr Langdown sent a note of apology for unavoidable absence. Mr J. B. Nisbet thought the first question was money. It appeared to him that the Road Boards had made hay while the sun shone, and it was for them to get as much as they could of that hay. Ho believed money should be borrowed in the winter when people were unemployed, and not in the summer when a great deal of work was going on. He would not be in favor of raising revenue by taxing local industries, but all cabs and other vehicles coming down should have their licenses from Sydenham. Ho was also in favor of buying a piece of ground for a cabstand.

Mr J. L. Scott had consented to ho put in nomination because no other person bad come forward for Addington. Ho thought it was the duty of the ratepayers to elect someone to see that the rates were properly spent, as they had not been under the Spreydon Hoad Board. He was in favor of borrowing money in order that works might bo thoroughly done, and the rates kept down in so far as it was wise to keep them down. Wards he believed in, but was not prepared to advance any dogmatic opinions regarding what should be done in a district still in its infancy. If elected he would work earnestly for the borough, and endeavour to see that all moneys were expended economically. In replying to qiu stions, the candidate got the Town Clerk to state what the rateable value of the borough was. The figures were £29,533. Hemnarked that the idea of borrowing was entertained in view of current revenue not being adequate to current expenditure. Mr T. G. Yennall thought it would he wise to borrow money for expenditure on permanent works, such as side channels. He thought it would be well to divide the borough into wards, as thereby better representation would be secured, and the rates would be expended where they were collected. A grant from the Government, either in the form of land or money was a matter which they were entitled to expect, nay, demand. Such assistance hod been given to other municipalities, why not Sydenham ? He thought that streets should bo cut through by subscriptions raised amongst those who would be directly beneflitted, and ho hold it to he desirable that a site for municipal offices should be acquired by purchase or otherwise. Poundage fees would be part of the borough’s income. Mr John Whitelavv congratulated the meeting on the first assemblage of the ratepayers of the newly created borough. It augured well for the future of the borough. Fifteen months ago he and others had taken up the somewhat arduous work of initiating the existence of the municipality, and their labors had at last been crowned with success. Ho was afraid that many expected the municipality to do more than it was capable of effecting, but he felt certain that the future of Sydenham was secure, and he quoted statistics in proof of this belief. The borough comprised 1100 acres, 1000 houses, twenty-four miles of streets, apopulation of 6000, and the rateable value of, in round figures, £30,000. Ho remarked that the new Council would find itself saddled with a heritage of blunders, and there should be no differences of feeling amongst them. He held that each district should enjoy its own rates to the fullest extent. Ho thought it was well to know that the Council would have no finances to begin with, and that it would be a delicate matter to adjust accounts with the Road Boards from which the borough had been severed. After the adjustment iho rates unpaid to the Boards could bo collected for the benefit of the borough, and so attain possession of its first funds. Ho might state that application had been made to Government for a money grant, to enable the borough to initiate its labors. He thought it would he premature to divide the borough into wards during the first year of its existence. With regard to borrowing, he thought that those who desired special benefits should pay for them, that was, localities benefited by the expenditure of money raised by loan should pay for those loans. He would certainly be in favor of channelling in those districts where the residents were willing to pay a special rale for the execution of the work. But it was childish to talk about borrowing money until they had security to offer for it. He advised that the Council should prepare a scheme of works which it was considered should be executed with borrowed money, and then they would know exactly what they were about. With regard to Board of Health matters, ho thought the borough should have them attended to by its own officers, though the Central Board might exorcise its powers of supervision. Ho thought that the borough ought to have a special representative on the Drainage Board, considering the rates they had to pay, their population, and the large interests they had at stake. Ho had to regret the absence of Messrs Andrews and Allison, as they had been associated with him and others in initiating the formation oi the borough. In reply to questions, Mr Whitelaw thought that works to be done should bo estimated by the works committee with proper professional advice, but he was not in favor of employing a surveyor right off. It was then resolved on the motion of Mr Hall, seconded by Mr Venuall, that the thanks of the meeting bo accorded to Messrs Andrews I and Allison for their efforts towards the creation of the borough. A vote of thanks to the Maybr brought the proceedings to a close.