THE LYTTELTON MAYORALTY.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2104, 20 November 1880, Page 3

THE LYTTELTON MAYORALTY.

On Friday evening, Mr S. B. Webb, one of the candidates for the civic chair at Port, addressed the ratepayers in the _ Colonists Hall. Mr J. W. Smith was chairman, and briefly introduced the oandidate._ Mr Webb commenced with a review of his opponent, Mr Allwrigbt’s action, as the representative of the borough in Parliament, and was proceeding to describe his conduct in most uncomplimentary terms, when he was interrupted by Mr Allwright, who gave it as his opinion that his Parliamentary record had nothing to do with the present contest, though he said he was ready at any moment to defend it, and would satisfy his constituents with clean hands. Mr _ Webb continuing, referred to the reduction of labourers 1 wages from 8s to 7s by the Council, a reduction which he disapproved of, as he also did of paying the Mayor £IOO of an honorarium. He thought the Mayor should be paid slightly. The clerk for the town at a salary of £250, the foreman of works at £2OB, and the engineer at the water works at £195, with a house. He thought each of them should be reduced by 12-1 per cent. He adverted to what he termed the selfishness of councillors, giving it as his opinion that they went in too much for improving their own properties. Speaking of prison labor, Mr Webb considered that tie Government would have to put the

lanor out to wo», ana as an onset to sue uau influencs morally, which the presence of the gaol here, in bis opinion, has upon the community, the Government should provide the tools required for doing the works about the town. He was in favor _of the revenue from the water supply being used specifically either to extend the service, or for drainage works, and part to be reserved for renewing the plant. The town reserves, which he behoved would drop into possession of the borough in four years, should be husbanded carefully. He was opposed to paying £SO to a certain gentleman out of the charitable aid funds every year, and instanced the ease of Mr March, who he said was deriving hundreds per year from the funds raised for ‘Charitable purposes. Distribution of carting Wjork and the Council’s patronage generally was 'oE&of.bis principles, while he declared he was opposed to employing the same solicitor as held the position of solicitor to the Harbor Board. A bathing place he would have if possible, and improved streets and roads, and if elected, and the present honorarium of £IOO were paid to him, he promised that not a penny should go for his own benefit. Mr H. Allwright, the other candidate and the present Mayor, followed Mr Webb. He said a more scurrilous attack upon the Council and upon himself as a public man had never been made than was contained in the speech of Mr Webb. Mr Webb he said had been just three nights a Councillor, and of course could no be expected to know much of municipal matters, but if he had taken the least trouble to inform himself before the meeting he could nofc Tiava TnftHft f.Vio riHinnlons utatmnantfl

which they had heard that night. Any of the gentlemen who had held office in the Council could easily refute Mr Webb’s statements; indeed, any ratepayer who wished to examine for himself how and where the funds of the borough were expended, could do so, and satisfy himself that what Mr Webb had stated was not true. Had Mr Webb, he said, bat looked at what were the expenses of other municipalities, their conditions, and the individual salaries paid by them, he would have found that Lyttelton was the most economically managed in the colony, and stood at the tap of the list, relatively speaking. Mr Webb had said be would distribute the carting work, which, if he had known anything, he must have been aware was yearly let by public tender. Then as to the solicitor, it was necessary absolutely that the borough solicitor should be on the spot, and there was but one living in the town, so that it was thus merest nonsense to say they should have another solicitor. The £4O per year paid' to Mr Nalder, as a retainer, he contended was no more than they would have to pay to any-

body else, and though he declared himself no greater an admirer of Mr Nalder than other townsmen, he believed that the town had been saved thousands by having a solicitor’s advice at all times available. As to the mayoralty, he would appeal to the chairman, if he had not asked him and others, of whom the chairman was aware, to stand for the office. All, he said, he wanted was that a gentleman of experience should hold the position, and had Mr Chalmers or any such competent ratepayer come forward, be (Allwright) would not have been a candidate. It was only at the last moment, he said, when he saw that unless he stood the position must fall uncontested into the hands of the inexperienced, that he consented to fight once more. He had known Mr Webb for many years, and could conscientiously say had never seen him do the smallest thing for the benefit of the town. He had seen the town lose thousands of pounds, though chiefly through Mr Webb’s imprudent and headstrong agitation against the purchase of the gas works by the borough. Beyond that public act he, the speaker, had no recollection of Mr Webb’ virtues as a public man. The ratepayers, he said, would decide, however, next Wednesday at the pdll, They knew that he had worked for the borough for something like fifteen years, and if they preferred that ho should retire he was not unwilling to do so, for whichever way it went it was his nature to work for the good of the town, and he should continue to do so. As to his course as their representative he was ready to meet his constituents at any moment and give an account of his stewardship. The proceedings terminated with a vote of thanks to the Chairman.