MR GAPES AT THE ODDFELLOWS' HALL.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2092, 6 November 1880, Page 3

MR GAPES AT THE ODDFELLOWS' HALL.

Mr Gapes, a candidate for the office of Mayor, addressed a meeting of the ratepayers at the Oddfellows' Hall last evening. There was a very good attendance, the sitting accommodation in the Hall being pretty well occupied. His Worship the Mayor of Christchurch occupied the chair. The Chairman introduced the proceedings by observing that they had met there that evening to hear Mr J. Gapes express his views on municipal affairs. He (Mr Ick) had been asked to preside on the occasion, and he need hardly say that he willingly oomplied with the request, since he looked upon it as a duty imposed upon him by his position to preside for any one who might ask him to do so on an occasion of importance to the citizens. [Hear, hear.] He thon referred to the long service whioh Mr Gapes had given to the city, on which account alone he felt sure the meeting would give that gen. tleman a patient and considerate hearing. He then called upon the candidate to address the meeting. Mr Gapes was favorably received on coming forward. He said he had called this meeting for the purpose of explaining his actions while in the City Oounoil on certain matters recently dealt with, and on other matters whioh had not been finally dealt with at all. He took this course because he deemed it preferable to making a personal canvass round the city. Mr Gapes then proceeded to review the history of Municipal Government in Ohristchurch during the past few years, by way of indicating what his own policy had been in his character of a representative of the citizens. The first matter he alluded to was the question of dealing with private streets—one which he pointed out was of vital importance to the people, as involving the health of the citizens. Twelve years ago, when he entered the Council, he proposed a resolution to the effect that the Council should give effect to the powers they possessed to put the private streets, courts, and alleys in a proper state of repair, and keep them thoroughly clean. Tbis was the more necessary from a sanitary point of view, inasmuch as Ohristchurch then compared rather unfavorably with other parts of the colony as to vital statistics. What he proposed was that the work required in these streets and alleys should be at once proceeded with, and a proportion of the cost charged to the residents fronting on suoh streets. But, unfortunately, he stood alone in advocating ' tbis work, the other members of the Council being of opinion that the residents should pay their share of the estimated cost ' before it was undertaken. Thus he had a ' bard battle for it, and brought the matter ' forward repeatedly without any other result ' Shan failure :to gain his objeot, until the ' change in the constitution of the Council j brought about by the introduction of the ward ' lystem, when he introduced the subject again . with greater success. He proposed to raise a local loan of £SOOO to carry out the channelling, &c, and this was agreed to, and some of ;he work commenced ; but subsequently an . trrangement was made—a fatal one to his ' icheme—by which the small loan was pro- ' posed to be merged in a larger one for the ' jhen projeoted water supply and new muniripal buildings. The result of this they all ' mow. A vote of the people was taken is to this large loan, and matters ' irere so badly arranged that very ! nany of the people were ignorant how to 1 rote and rejected all rather thau run the risk ' )f accepting too muoh. Sinoe then many . important works were necessarily neglected, ind he oould assure them that whether he ' tvas successful or not in this contest he should I still take it upon himself to urge the proper ! maintenance of these streets. He would now ' refer to other matters, and desired to point to ! i fact which he brought forward last year when a candidate for the Mayoralty, namely, that he had been instrumental in saving the sity an expenditure of £SOOO for new muni- ' oipal buildings in the present corporation yards. He could also point with some pride to the fact the citizens were indebted to his exertions for the possession of the valuable reserve opposite the market. In this connection Mr Gapes explained how he had consulted Mr Stout on the subject, asking him whether the Government could not be induced to hand over the piece of land in question to the city as a site for a town hall. Mr Stout it once replied favorably, showing that the , }bjeotion to handing it over theretofore had ( been that it was assumed to be wanted simply | for "municipal purposes." As a result of this action on his part, aided by the Council, , the reserve was handed over to the city. He ( then read a letter whioh had appeared in a j local paper, in whioh the writer questioned the accuracy of his assertion on a former j Dooasion, when he had taken credit for having 1 been mainly instrumental in effeoting this 1 important transfer of property. The writer < jf this letter, whoever he was—- j

A gentleman in the body of the hall here announced in a loud voice that his name was James Chapman. Mr Gapes could only say that it was a most cowardly and unworthy action. Mr Chapman—Nothing cowardly about me, sir. The meeting here showed a disposition to " sit" upon the last-named gentleman, several individuals crying at the same time, " Turn him out," and a facetious member recommending him to go home and sleep on it, whereupon Mr Chapman subsided for a time, and only broke out in a milder form at intervals during the evening. Mr Gapes said he considered it necessary and due to himself to make the explanation he bad just laid before the meeting, seeing that his word had been doubted. The. next question he had to refer-to was that of the water supply scheme proposed some time since. On this he stood alone in the Council. He was opposed to it from the first, not, he desired to be understood, that he objeoted to Mr White's scheme on scientific grounds, as he believed it was excellent as a gravitation schemej but he opposed the proposal itself on the principle that it would entail a heavy ; outlay, which the city could not well afford, and which was, moreover, wholly unnecessary, seeing that they had a magnificent artesian supply, amply sufficient for domestic purposes, and whioh by the use of pumps would be found sufficient for all time/and, admitting this to be true, other and less expensive means could have been found, and were, in fact suggested by him, to secure water for fire prevention and other purposes. But he stood alone in his opposition to thiß large scheme, and it was a matter of no little gratification to him to find that his views were subsequently supported by a large majority of the citizens. With regard to the Mayor's Court, he also opposed that when its establishment was suggested. And hero he thought a word of explanation was due to himself. He did not objeot to a Mayor's Court, as such, if it could be shown to be necessary and desirable. But the faots were these: The Council already obtained the publicans' and auctioneers' lioense fees, and the dog fees, together with all fines under the Oity Counoil by-laws, and it appeared to him that the revenue derived from these sources would be considerably diminished by the establishment of a Mayor's Court, which would have to be maintained out of such funds. For this reason the Mayor's Court in Dunedin had been abolished some years since. Coming to the tramway—[laughter]—he said he had been accused of being bought over by the Tramway Company. Well, all he would say to that was, that it would take a good deal to buy him, and a good deal more probably than the company could afford to give. [Laughter.] He then went into the history of the matter, from the time of its first being introduced some years since by Mr Lockhart. _ He (Mr Gapes) was always opposed to its introduction, and at a publio meeting held to protest against it, he proposed the first resolution, and pointed out that the idea was premature, and that the streets were too narrow. But in 1878 a concession was granted to the Tramway Company, and in Buch a way that the Oity Council have, in his opinion, no power to interfere with the Tramway Company in any way. And for himself, he must own that, haviDg been so long away from England, and not having had an opportunity of witnessing the results of such new ideas on the subject of locomotion, he was unprepared for the gratifying results attending the introduction of the Dtreet tramways here. He could not see any great objection to the tramway, whioh was a great convenience to the publio, and he thought the Counoil should give the Tramway Company every facility for carrying on their operations, having, of course, due regard to the interests of general traffic in the city. As a matter of fact, however, the Tramway Company had very large powers given them by the deed of concession and also by the Order in Council. A voice—The councillors have all got shares in the company. # t Mr Gapes—l have not got any shares in it; nor do I wish to have any. He then read a

olause from the deed of concession, which, as he said before, was granted during the time he was not a member of the Council. He wished to say one word with regard to the position he occupied in tbis contest, it having been said that Mr Ayers had a greater right than he had to the seat of honor, on the ground that he (Mr Gapes) had already been once returned. Now, he desired to point out that when elected Mayor, the citizens placed him in that position, he took it, as a mark of respect and esteem for his past servioes.

After filling his term of offioe in that capacity he retired from the Council, thinking that he had ooncluded his municipal career. But he was again induced to come forward by a numerously signed requisition from his fellowcitizens, and was returned by a large number of votes, polling nearly double as many as Mr Ayers, so that he had a claim [upon tho citizens, as the senior member in the field—a claim which had generally carried with it some weight. In conclusion Mr Gapes said he should, whether elected or not, always have the best interests of the citizens at heart, and if elected, he oould assure them he would serve the City faithfully, and attempt, at all events, to fill the honorable position of Mayor with credit. [Applause.]

The Chairman intimated that the oaudidato would be happy to answer any questions. Mr Bligh asked whether Mr Gapes would economise in tho expenditure of the funds of the Council.

In reply Mr Gapes said he had always had a leaning towards economy in dealing with the public funds, and should certainly not alter his principles in that respect. Mr Bligh asked whether he would commence to economise with regard to the staff of the CounciL

Mr Gapes replied to this by reviewing his action on three occasions during his late term of office. Once it was proposed to raise the salaries of the principal officers by £SO eaoh, and to this he objected, and he had opposed expenditure in other directions successfully. Ho also mentioned that ho was averse to the expenditure of the citizens' money being conducted in committee, and had seconded a proposal to abolish the Mayor's salary when he was a candidate for tho office.

In rrply to a question from Mr Oliver, Mr Gapes said he thought Mr March's salary was a " very good screw," and might bear reduction, but it was a matter for the several bodies contributing towards it to consider. Mr Gapes replied to another question from the same'source, that he certainly disapproved of employing the street sweepers overtime without payment. One of those present ascended the stage to ask a question as to whether the gas company could prohibit a man from prosecuting hia avocation as a tradesman, but as the question appeared to ariau out of a "personal grievance," the ohairman decided that he could not proceed, whereupon the gentleman gesticulated wildly, called upon those present to witness that he was denied the right of a freeborn Briton, and jumped from the stage in a tragic style—a long way after Mr Vincent Crummies.

Mr Binstead asked two questions—l. Was Mr Gapes in favor of the Council taking over control of the domain ; 2. Was he in favor of leasing portions of the domain to raise a revenue. [To the latter there were loud cries of dissent from the meeting.] Mr Gapeß answered the first question in the affirmative, and as to the Becond said he had not given the matter sufficient thought to reply offhand, as it involved many important considerations.

Mr Binstead moved—" That this meeting having heard Mr Gapeß' account of his past conduct in the City Council, expresses its entire satisfaction in him and confidence in him for the future, and pledges itself to use its utmost endeavors to place him at the head of the poll at the forthcoming election for Mayor." Seconded by Mr Palmer. The motion was put to the meeting and carried almost unanimously, there being only two hands held up against it. Tho proceedings terminated with a vote of thanks to the chair.