MR. H.W. SANDLE TO THE ELECTORS AT KUMARA.

Kumara Times, Issue 1600, 12 November 1881, Page 2

MR. H.W. SANDLE TO THE ELECTORS AT KUMARA.

At the Public Hallj Kuiuara, on Thursday eveniug, Mr H. W. Sandtej one of the candidates for the County election, addressed a meeting of about 200 electors. Mis Worship the Mayor (J. O'Hagau, Esq.) occupied the chair, and said he had much pleasure in introducing Mr Saudle. He hoped he would get a fair and impartial hearing. Such disgraceful proceedings as those whicll took place at Dillman's he was quite" sure would not be repeated here. If you do not concur with Mr Sandle's views, give him a hearing, and questidrt him after.—[Applause.] Mr Sandle, on rising, said he felt sorry that, after the very flatteriug remarks whicli had been uttered b/ the Mayor, he was unable, owing to a severe cold, to enter as fully upon all subjects as he would wish ; and fearing that his voice would fail him in a shut time, he would at once fulfil the promise stated in his advertisement of the meeting, viz ,—« produce proof that he had never voted against the abolition of gold duty, &c, as rumored." After reading several resolutions aud minutes of the Council ou various occasions, Mr Sandle said no one could construe them into anything but that he waa favorable to the abolition of the gold duty. If he had voted against the abolition, he would have told them so; but at Dill man's Town the other evening they would not give him a chance. It was true that he had called a special meeting of the finance committee and sent a telegram to Mr Reid asking what position the Council would be in if the Abolition of Gold Duty Bill were passed. It was also true that he sent a telegram " that this Oouncil protests against the taxation of mining property." There were two telegrams s.nt by Mr Jack t!.:at if the gold duty were abolished it would be impossible for the Council to exist j and copies were sent to Messrs Seddon, Reid, and Gisborne. He could not possibly see how any one could condemn him for voting against the. abolition of the gold duty, as by the minute's they may see that he never did so; Any person could copy the minutes, and go and coinpaie them with the minute-book irl Hokitikaj He would like to have the opinion of the miners as to the gold duty, and what kind ot tax they would prefer. Some persons were of opinion that he had been making good wages out of the Council; but to prove to the contrary, he might say that the exact amount he had received for his expenses as a member from the 28th August, 1878, to November 1881, waa was .£174; 17s, with the addition cf a special grant on the Charitable Aid Commission. Did they expect a man to do public business for nothing ]—[A voice : " I suppose you could get no more."—Laughter.] In the matter of contracts versus day labor, he would be in favor of all works over £2O being let by public tender; uuder £2O, bylocal tender. The reason why so many persons were not on the County Roll was they must have a miner's right for 1880, or property. No person wonld be allowed to vote ou miner's right if he was not on tho Roll. As to the want of respect in which the members of this district were held by members of other districts of the Council (which had been insinuated in the West Coast Times), the. facts that Mr Seddou was County Chairman, Mr M'Whirfcer Chairman of Committee, and himself Chairman of Finance Committee should be suuioient proof of the respect the members of this district were held in by a majority of the Council. He had endeavoted to serve the district for the last three years to the best of his ability, and if returned again, would continue to do so. Concerning the opening of the tenders recently, there were nineteen tenders, of which one was informal. He was somewhat careless, and did not look at his list of prices, so did not discover there was a lower tender until Mr Jack made the remark (a rather personal one) to Mr Seddon that there was a lower tender than the one accepted. He hoped the audience would now excuse him saying any more; if returned he would do his best for the district, and honestly. He thanked those present for the patient hearing they had given him.—[Applause.] Mr Sandle then requested

any one prsenfc, who wished to do so to ask him any question relevant to his candidature, stipulating only that they tshould be direct questions. Mr Wells : By whose authority was it the telegram was 6ent to Wellington about the gold duty ? Mr Sandle: By the authority of the Council. Mr James Metcalfe proposed* and Mr B. Tomkins seconded a vote of confidence and support in Mr Sandlo's candidature, which upon being put to the meeting, the Chairman declared to be carried unanimously. Mr Sandle thanked his old friends for their kindness in proposing him as a fit and proper person to represent them, and the meeting for their approval of his past actions, and asked them one and all to give him a fair share of their votes on the lGth inst. He assured them that the generous reception they had given him that night would give him renewed energy to work for the good of the district—(Applause). He had very much pleasure in proposing a hearty vote of thanks to his Worship the Mayor for presiding at the meeting. It was an honor which he (Mr Sandle) had not anticipated when leaving homo, at any rate he (the speaker) felt it was only another exemplification of that genteman's singleharted kindness.—(Loud and prolonged applause).