MR. KENNEDY

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1363, 11 December 1872, Page 2

MR. KENNEDY

addressed a crowded meeting last evening, at the Volunteer Hall, the Mayor presiding. Three other candidates— Messrs Smith, Cooper, • and Fox— had arranged to address the same meeting, and did so, but, as the meeting only terminated at half-past eleven o'clock, it is simply impossible, even if it were 'desirable, to report "the addresses of all. The candidates must be reported, in point of. length, and, in point of time, according to the hour upon which they appeared on the platform, and briefly even then. Mr Kennedy said. that, at the nomination, he had explained that he had come forward because he .. was not altogether satisfied with the" representation of the district in the past. On the same occasion the Hon. Mr Lahman expressed his confidence that he would be able to convince the electors, and even his opponents, that everything that could possibly be done had been done for the district. On the previous evening he had listened patiently to Mr Lahman, yet his opinion was unchanged. (Hear, hear.) No doubt, Mr Lahman had made the very best of. his position, but he had not done so to his satisfaction ; and when he referred to Mr Lahman, as he might do somewhat lengthily, he wished it to be distinctly understood that he did so as a public man, the representative oi their district, and one occupying a more important position than others of his colleagues. He desired simply to discuss ■whether the present position of the affairs of the County had been brought about bj their representatives, or whether it was due to circumstances over which they had no control. He -referred first to the subject of the subsidies to the Grey Rivei Hospital— a matter to which he had beer the first to refer incidentally, and oi which, when questioned, he had spoken more specifically. Mr Lahman's statement on. this matter had nofc alterec the fact that there were three months subsidy still owing, that several applications had been made to the departments of which applications Mr Lahman shoulc have known, and that there were severa other arrears, including LIOO for the con struction of the female ward. Mr Lahmai had also taken credit to himself for having carried out numerous important works ir the district during the last five years although, assuming he could claim.credi for all, it would not be saying much. Ai one of these he had particularly referred to the Greymouth and Arnold road, but, haying watched the proceedings of. the Council, he (Mr Kennedy) failed to set that he had given to that work any sup port whatever. It was certainly not recorded in any resolution, nor was he sun jbhat Mr Lehman had even, voted for it The mere fact bf his being County Chair man, and being in the position to • carrj it out, did riot justify him in depriving the gentleman who had carried the vot< the credit of having done so, and tha gentleman was Mr ©uinness. (Hear hear.) The work, as Mr Lahman said was never carried out by previous Count) Chairmen, but he omitted to state, that tk previous vote provided f orpayment in Jane and cash 'arid was it to be supposed fa a moment that any other Chairman, under the same circumstances, woulc have failed to carry out the vote of th< Council ? While he had no desire to de preciate any of Mr Lahman's exertion! in the interests of the district, it wai manifestly unfair, in the absence of tlu person to whom credit was due for anj particular work, to deprive that person- o; the credit, and sound one's own trumpei by doing so. (Hear, hear.) . Other matters on which Mr Lahman flattered -himseti were the expenditure on protective works and the money borrowed bj the Corporation from the Genera] Government. As to any act of Mr Lahman's in initiating these 'works, he was not in a position to speak, but he could speak pertainly as to the Coal Reserve; and as to the action of the County Chairman in facilitating the obtaining of th« loan ; and as to the latter, he could say thai Mr Lahman had nothing whatever to dc with it. He related the circumstances connected with" the negotiations between himself, the Mayor, and the Hon. Mi Rfieves, the doubt as to the Corporation's title to the Opal Reserve, the question as to the object of the Reserve, the instru.Gr tions givon to Mr Lahmsn. to get a resolution passed in the Council, &c.j and his conclusion, with regard to the difficulties Mr Lahman had in carrjing that resolution, was that they were brought about by Mr Lahman himself not understanding the subject, or fully realising the rights ot the Corporation of Greyniouth. With regard to the expenditure of the Westland portion of the Middle Island Railway I'und, he considered it to be due -to Mr W; H. Harrison, apart altogether from any aid which Mr Lahman might have given. As to the Marsden and Greymouth road, he (Mr Kennedy) was not aware of any candidates making capital out of it. Some had referred to it ; he had not ; and he did so now only because it required explanation. It was a subject on which there was now unanimity, instead of a division of opinion, as before, and he thought that at this election unmistakable expression of opinion should be given on the point. Mr Lahman said the resolution of the Council had already been forwarded, yet, if it were sent, why should the Hon. Mr Hall ask for information on. the 16th of November? If the resolution had been forwarded, it had apparently been overlooked, and, besides, the opinion asked was that of the. new Council: and not of that which was now expiring. On this.subject he could not see how Mr Lahman could take any credit whatever, the member who had-moved the resolution as it had passed, being Mrßalfe, of Okarito. Having found Mr Lahman stating at a public meeting that he was in favor of the Qmotnmotu rqute, and stating to a deputation next morning that the -question was settled, and now coming forward to claim credit for a different project, how could it be expected that they should be

silent? Had they not reason to anticipate that he might again change his opinion and action, whatever the interests of the district might be.— (Hear, hear). He (Mr Kennedy) asked the indulgence of the meeting while he referred to another matter injehich he had a personal interest, and to^hich Mr Labman had,\on the previous jiight, referred in a/jhanner which could scarcely be mistaken. Mr Lahman had .said that one of the principal reasons "*wfiy the Hokitika and Grey mouth road had not been continued was .the extravagant claims made upon the Government by the tramway proprietors. Speaking for himself, he (Mr Kennedy) could say that no such claim had ever been made by him. What he did do i. was this —he intimated that, in the event of a road being made it would undoubtedly take the traffic from the tramway ', and, in such event, he would be obliged to ask for compensation — that, if the. question were taken into consideration before the road was commenced, a large saving might be effected in the construction of sthe road, and it was proposed to submit- his: claim to any reasonable arbitration. Whether Mr Lahman's explanation was as he (Mr Kennedy) had given it, he would leave the meeting to judge, and a copy of the letter was handed to Mr Lahman, so that he * could not be ignorant rof. its con* tents. The question being a personal one, he would mt refer to it further, but he would be happy to give every explanation, and he would prefer being closely questioned upon it. In contests of this kind personal motives' were* supposed to largely prevail, and he. invited the strictest scrutiny on the question. Referring to the statement of the County Chairman that the district received a great deal more than it contributed, and to the figures quoted, it ras (he said) not the first time that they had seen- the, same method adopted to prove a c&sei yet people were not convinced as to the work done, or to any credit being due: He was doubtful, for instance* if the Chairman , could take credit for the Arnold road, and as to, the Terem^j^ and Greenstone road, its cdnstr.trctio^^aa altogether an act. of injustice to ttj^^ 1 tricfc. In a County point of view-itmigflfc have been considered good policy* but could any perso'min the town agree..as to its, ; propriety ? Fpr himself, he strongly protested against it, and it was the duty of their representatives to have "protested against the injustice. He thought that, instead of persons endeavoring to prove by figures that the distaict ' enjoyed a large proportion of expenditure, they should take the trouble to visit ttie districts and see the roads, when' they would soon find out where the expenditure .had been- what. had. been done aronnd Hokitika, and 'what had been done here. Where were the roads spoken about ? , The only metalled road was that to the Arnold, and there was a bit of a road to the Eight-Mile unfifc for traffio, and yet %y were toll that there had been a local expenditure of L 22,000 on such works during the last five years. To some other subjects aftecting the district Mr Lahman had not referred. There was the expenditure, present and prospective, of some L2ojooo i>n a road from Greymouth to the Ahaura. About midway on that road there had been erected a protected bridge, the cost of which he was told did not exceed LSOO. —(A Voice : Tint's a lie.) •■ Supposing it cost three times as much, when there was such a large public expenditure on the road itself, i$ was false and. misdirected economy to give protection for such a bridge for a term of five years. (Hear, hear.) : What did this- protection amount to ? The bridge itself was not by any means an expensive construction compared with other bridges in the County, yet it was protected -for five years, with the right of renewal if the Government did not purchase. And the tolls leviable were 50 per cent, higher thaj| those at any, other bridge, in the Cotmt^^ The toll on every five-horse dray was 6s, and if it returned even witHin an hour it was" other 6s. (A Voice:, No.) Some gentleman said "No," but he would refer to the Gazette, and if any exemptions could , be pointed out he would confess himself corrected. ,For a?. horse, the toll was Is 6d, while on Hungerford's bridge, which cost twice or, three . times as much, the charge was Is ; and for every extra horse it was Is, while at Hungerford's it was 6d, and the fares were double between ten at night and five in the morning. With such heavy tolls, by the time the Ahaura was reached, a waggon would have to pay 36s for the trip, Was it right, ov was it looking after the interests of the district', to permit this? (No, no.) He said nothing against the gentleman who constructed the bridge, but for a member of the Council, entrusted with duties delegated to him by the " Governor, to grant such a monopoly for such a comparatively trifling outlay, he considered to be an abuse of power, (Applause.) Mr Kennedy continued 05? referring to the boundary question as a question which must be disposed pf, in whatever way it might be dbtte, and a question, upon which it was proper for ,the Oouncil to express an opinion. He referred to Mr Lahman's opposition to "annexation" when in Wellington last . year ; to- the expressions of .opinion emanating from Greymouth, in contradiction of his statements and action j and to the feeling which the steps taken by Mr Latimin $hen provoked. He alluded also to some of the results of two Governments having the administration of the affairs of the Grey Valley, as exhibited in the interest taken in. the Kairieri and* Collingwood coal mines, while nothing was being done for the developmentoftheWestlandsection of the Grey coalfield. He reviewed Mr Lahman's aption in conneption with the Hun* gerford contract/his proposals as to depart* mental reductions, reductions which occurred to himself as being attainable, anda variety of other subjects—education,-pay-meht of members, sale of waste land, and County versm Provincial institutions. He concluded by reminding -the electors that, if they desired their members to succeed, they should return those > who would ■ be likely to work harmoniously. For himself, he would endeavor, by a system of honorable concessions, to work with any colleague, and, associated with the district as he had for a long time been, he would endeavor faithfully to discharge his duty, permitting no interest of his to deprive the district of his ''services. Whatever little ability he might possesswould be devoted to their interests during the. session of the Council, and out of the Council in a reasonable way. He asked those wfco wished him to be elected to leave. nothiug to chance, but to remember that memben

wero returned, not by sympathies, but by votes. The Ohaibhak invited the electors to ask any questions they thought fit. Mr De Costa asked how it was that Mr Kennedy came forward for the County Council when he resigned his seat in the Borough Council for Want of time to attend to his duties ? i Mr Kennedy saM that he gave that as one reason among others for retiring. His principal reason was that he had been in the Borough Council for three years, and he thought that was quite sufficient when there were other men quite as able in the Ward to represent it. He retired in order to give some of them the opportunity of being in the Council. Mr Gird wood said he believed Mr Kennedy Baid that he thought each candidate should be asked to pledge himself either for unification or annexation. Where would the boundaiy line bo drawn? Mr "Kennedy said that to properly answer the question would take too much discussion. He only said that each candidate should be pledged to the alteration of the boundary-line of the County or Province, or whatever it was, but he did not care what shape the change took, bo long as it was carried out. Mr Qirdwood asked if Mr Kennedy was voted the County Chair, would he be disposed to accept it 1 A good deal hinged upon the question. Mr Kennedy said that nothing was at present further from his ideas than to accept the County Chair, but if it was offered to him, and he thought it would be prejudicial to tho interests of the district if he refused, he would certainly accept. Mr Gibdwood wished to know, if Mr Kennedy was elected, if he considered he wonld have a right to work for annexation to Nelson? Mr Kekjtedy said that would all depend upon circumstances. (Oh ! oh .' and - laughter.) If the County was in the position that it could only pay departmental expenses and carry out no works, ' the sooner it ceased to exist the better, and some other form of Government introduced^ The County Chairman should : certainly support any measure to put the County in a better position ; but at the same time he should not divest himself of his representative character so far as his . own district was concerned. (Applause). Mr T. Bailey went upon the stage for the purpose of putting some questions, but, after much uproar, he broke down and retired to bis scut. Mr Woolcook said that Mr Kennedy had referred to the probabilities of a sub- . sidy being granted for educational putposes ; how would he propose to expend the money — by subsidising national or denominational schools ? Mr Kennedy said the County Council was not }n a position to pay subsidies for education, bat if it was, the money wonld he distributed by the Education Board. His conviction was that the denominational system was the best, but in a mixed community of this kind he would say that every school should participate in the education grant, and the distribu- . tion of the money should be in accordance with secular results. (Applause.) Mr.F. Hamilton said the candidate had stated he would prefer to be asked his opinion with regard to compensation to tramways. Mr Kennedy was glad the question had been asked. If returned, being directly interested] he would not vote on the question at all* (Applause.) But he thought that the tramway question should be referred to some tribunal for arbitration either inside or outside of Westland, go long as the tribunal was such that nothing could afterwards be imputed to it. (Applause.) : Mr Duncan M'Lean proposed, and Mr A. Hosie seconded, that Mr Kennedy was a fit and proper person to represent Greymouth in the County Council. The motion was put and carried. The other candidates—Messrs E. B. Fox, W. S. Smith, and W. M. Cooperfollowed in long speeches, but from the , late hour at which the proceedings terminated, it is impossible to give even an outline of their addresses in the present issue, and we will continue our report tomorrow. We may mention that all the candidates were well received and attentively listened to, and to each there was accorded a vote of confidence. The usual vote of thanks to the Chairman terminated the proceedings.