COUNTY COUNCIL ELECTIONS.

Kumara Times, Issue 1602, 15 November 1881, Page 2

COUNTY COUNCIL ELECTIONS.

MR. R. J. SEDDON TO THE ELECTORS AT DILLMAN'S TOWN.

There was a very largo attendance of the electors at Reynolds' Hotel, Dillman's Town, last evening, to hear Mr R. J. Seddon upon his past career in the County Council of Westland, both as a Councillor and Chairman., and aa to his views and intentions, it' elected, for the future. Mr Beatty was elected as Chairman. He simly stated that Mr Seddon proposed to state his views to the meeting on County matters. Mr R. J. Seddon, addressing the Chairman and gentlemen, said he appeared before them to-night face to face that there might be a proper understanding between himself and the electors of Dillman's Town. If this were not forthcoming his position on the poll would not be satisfactory. He did not wish to be defeated. He believed that as the voles recorded at Dillman's Town polling booth on the day of election, so would the result of the poll be. There were certain rumors afloat which required contradiction. He came before them this evening at his judges, and after his explanation, he should abide by their decisiou as it would be recorded on the day of election.— [Applause.] They all knew that he had in the West Co ist Times an enemy to contend against. Every word in reference to him in the columns of that paper was an attempt to put a stigma on his character, and many rumors were circulating unchallenged. He would rebut these, and rely on the good sense of the people to return him to the County Council. It had beeu said that his holding the two positions of Member of the House of Representatives and Chairman of the County Council were detrimental to the public good; that his absence from three successive meetings of the County Council was injurious to their interests. He should prove that [ it was not so, but that his position as Chairman ov councillor of the County of Westland had, while in the House, been more than an equivalent for his absence. He could claim f >r having secured a large amount being expended on roads in the country, which he enumerated, and that as a fruit of his labors the County Council was out of debt at the present time; they had paid off their liabilities at the October meeting; and although they had a bank overdraft, they had, during the last twelve months retrenched to the extent of .£3OOO ; in two months time they would befiee. of all liabilities.— [Loud applause.] It could not be said ! that circumstances were more favorable to the accomplishment of this result. We had been visited recently by oue of the most disastrous floods that have ever visited this coast, and the cost to repair damages was £3OOO. Notwithstanding the Council had these uncommon difficulties to contend with, they had done more work during the last eight months than had been accomplished in that time before ; and they must give the ciedit of it to those who sat in that Council.—[Hear, hear.] When he assumed office the Westland County Council was not getting its fair share of revenue. He found that somebody else was washing-up.— [Laughter.] He discovered the Borough was washing-up ; and he asked for an inquiry. He could say that he had saved the Couuty £6OO before he was in the chair three weeks.—[Applause.] By a suggestion made some large trees were cut down on the Christen urch road at the Rangiriri and anchored, thus turning the course of the river and preventing the road from being washed away; and £IBOO had been saved the Westland County Council by this means. Mr Seddon then narrated the explanations he gave to the Minister of Works who was proposing to allot to this district a sum of £I4OO, only foi damage by flood. He told him that nothing less than £3OOO would be of any use to us. We had suffered damages to the extent of £3400. Now they had received since £2IOO hard cash for paying off liabilities ; £3050 had been |iaid to the Council since he lefc for Wellington. Fiom these facts he claimed his share of praise for having done thU for the public good. Having explained what he had done in the past, it might be supposed lie was going to propose startling alterations in the future. Nothing of the kind. He proposed to reduce the salary of the County Clerk by £SO, making it £250 instead of £3OO, as at present; but he did not think the salary of the County Chairman should be less than his subordinate. In reference to overseers, he thought it would be penny wise and pound foolish to dispense with overseers, as had been ! suggested. The advantages of their services would be found in the overseeing of works. One of the councillors had

sjone into a very careful analysis of the total for buggy and horse hire, and discovered an item of £G, about which 1 some prejudical remarks to himself had been made. This was to take the engi-neer-in-chief and himself to R.. s s where they remained two days inspecting the Mikonui water-race, and the result of this was an extension of the race. It would be a mean county and a mean constituency that w.ould begrudge this* money.—[Applarise.j In the proposals for the coming year concerning the main roads in each district, he would say he was not in favor ot maintaining the whole of the roads by contract. Contractors covlld not get men at less rates than the County Council. He knew" there were emissaries Here militating against his re-election because of the discharge of one or two men who were not ap to the mark in their work. In the matter of 1 the gold duty, it was worthy of remark that every caudidate that has come forward was advocating the abolition of the gold duty as their principal cry. If returned, one of the first things he would bring forward, would be a resolution td tell them that the previous Council had done wrong. As regards miners' rights, he would 1 have these reduced; and he would clear the County Chairman's salary by having Chinamen hunted np who were digging without miners 5 rights. [A voice : "We'll put you iri then."] Coming to personal matters, he had been blamed for a candidate not having a fair hearing. He disclaimed 1 such an accusation. He was neither an Hibernian, nor Orangeman. It had been said also that he was oiie of a party who wished to take over the 1 Waimea water-race. You have already heard the different versions. So far from that being the case, when the 1 Minister of Mines' attention was directed to the subject, he said be' would require a special Act of Parliament to do it. In that matter he had been slandered. You have been told that I was in favor of taxing mining property. As he had been so fully reported on this subject recently in the Kumara Times, he need not dwell on that subject now. They had heard not a word since. Mr Seddon then gave a lengthly view of his Counties Act Amendment Act, faking clause by clause, winding vp by saying that they 1 would see that there was nothing in it calculated to injure the interests of the miner. If there were anything un- | answered, he would be happy to explain. He was connected with no can-' didiite; nor was he pledged to, with, or for any other. If they considered he was the right man, he believed they would return him.—[Load applause."J Two or three questions were asketl, and answered to the apparent tion of the audience, when Mr MoEßis said he had much pleasure in proposing Mr Sneddon as a fifi and proper person to represent them in the <'ounty Council. He considered Mr Seddon had given st very good explanation of his public actions. Mr Jones seconded the which was carried unanim'ou'Sly. Mr Seddon thanked the electors for their unanimous vote. He would now : crave their indulgence to hear Mr Munro. MR. H. MUNRO TO THE AT DILLMAN'S. It having been proposed that Mr Beatty retain the chair, that gentled man said he hoped the company present would give Mr Munro a patient hearing. He had been acquainted with Mr Muuro for the last twenty years. They could see by his appearance that he was well worthy of the position. Mr Munro said he was not mining now, he had been a miner in the early days of Victoria, and had worked as one in Otago, Marlborough, and on the West Coast. He hoped the Press would convey his sincere thanks to the electors. Mr John Caldwell proposed and Mr John Thistle seconded the vote of fitness, which was declared carried unanimously. ..*«'• A vote of thanks to the Chairman, proposed Mr Munro, and seconded by Mr Seddon, was carried by acclamation, and the meetings terminated. MR. J. F. BYRNE TO THE ELECTORS AT KUMARA. Mr J. F. Byrne addressed a fairly attended meeting of the electors at the Theatre Royal, Kumara, last evening, J. O'Hagan, Esq., Mayor, ptesiditig. As his views on County Council matters hare been already reported in these columns, there is little to add, save that he would be in favor of a reduction ot the gold duty by sixpence yearly until it became entirely abolished. At the conclusion of his address, Mr o*Flaherty pioposed and Mr Montgomery seconded a resolution that Mr Byrne was a fit and proper person to represent this riding in the County Council. The motion was unanimously carried.