RATEPAYERS MEETING.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4334, 9 February 1875, Page 3

RATEPAYERS MEETING.

A large assemblage of ratepayers congregated in Captain Pearce's drill-shed last evening, to consider the present position and management of the city affairs. Mr. S. Levy was voted to the chair.

The Chairman having explained the object of the meeting, formally read the advertisement signed by his Worship the Mayor, which set forth the business.

Mr. C.uu'ENTER complained that the advertisement w<ts not sufficiently explicit, and did not embrace all that was desired. He understood that the members of the City Council were to be present, but as far as he could see that pledge had not been kept. They all knew very well that large sums of money had been got rid of by the Council, and that was all they did know. The auditors' statement and the balance-sheet certainly showed that a lot of money had been spent, but thsse tloou menta supplied no information as to where the money had actually gone. It was possible there might be some member of the Council present, and if so, ho trusted he would come forward and enlighten the meeting in the manner it most desired.

There being no response to the call for some Councillor to come forward, Mr. Gillon explained that he was'one of the deputation who waited upon the Mayor to request him to call a meeting to consider the position of the Corporation finances. The Mayor received them very courteously, and at the same time stated that he did not wish to take any part in the meeting-, as it would place him and the other members of the Council relatively in an unfair position. As far as the Mayor was concerned he had not misled the ratepayers; but the other members of the Council, who certainly ought to have been present, seemed inclined to afford the ratepayers as little information as possible. Mr. J. Bull proposed,—"That this meeting has no confidence in the members for the city wards, and that they be called on to resign." Mr. ICnigge seconded the motion.

Mr. Simpkins thought the deputation had not fulfilled their duty in not preparing a_ set of resolutions to place before the meeting. Had this been done the discussion would have proceeded in a business-like manner. Mr. Worth explained that the deputation had kept perfect faith with the ratepayers, and were prepared to bring forward resolutions at the proper time. They did not desire to precipitate matters, and would, therefore, be content to allow the resolution of Mr. Bull to be put first. Mr. F. Buck hoped the ratepayers would deal with the matters before it as of extreme urgency. A good many people present seemed to regard this agitation in no serious mood, but really this was no time for joking. This was the last occasion, he took it, upon which the ratepayer would have an opportunity of expressing their views before the carrying of Councillor George's motion, and he trusted the meeting would discuss the subject with au earnest feeling. The taxes were becoming so heavy that a poor man was greatly over-burdened, and redress was needed. That redress, it seemed palpable to him, was only to be obtained by prompt action on the part of the ratepayers. He trusted the motion would be carried.

Mr. Simpkins thought Mr. Bull should not have proposed a resolution so sweeping in its terms, without adducing somereason in its favor, although he must say, if carried, it would be well merited by the members of the City Council. He thought the Corporation revenues had been squandered in a most disgraceful manner. Thousands of pounds had been spent in effecting works for which £SOO would liave been amply sufficient, and the sooner the present system was improved upon the bet ter. He should cordially support the motion. Mr. Carpenter heartily endorsed the first part of the motion, because the ratepayers' money had been squandered in such a manner that censure of some sort was demanded ; but it would be a short-sighted policy to call upon the present members to resign until they found other suitable gentlemen to fill their places. » The proceedings of the Council, he must say, had been conducted in such an unbusiness-like and disorderly manner that it would oven degrade Sullivan to be a member of that body. On the score of efficiency, the present members were a laughing-stock. The streets were at present in a passable condition, certainly, but for that they had to be thankful to the sun and the wind. As to turning out the present Councillors in a body before they had another set of men to take their places, they were not at present prepared for such an emergency. The City Councillors, he must confess, had become a body of such importance in their own estimation that they seemed now to thirst for power to interfere in every detail of one's household. It almost made one sick to listen to the constant efforts of the members to clothe themselves with powers outside of their positions, and that was one of the chief grounds of complaint against them. As things were being conducted at present, the system was leading to the creation of a crop of clerks, whose services were entirely unnecessary. In his opinion, the clerical work of the' Corporation could be done by clerks at £3O a year, and men of this sort capable of doing the work were as thick as blackberries. He must also point out that the City Surveyor was a much-abused person, and was made the scapegoat of the Council, who blamed him for every mistake.

Mr. F. Coor'Eß could not support such a sweeping motion until the ratepayers had at their hand a better class of men to take the place* of those who were requested to resign. All those gentlemen who had seats at the Council had been selected by the ratepayers, and if they were unfitted for the positions they occupied, the fault was not theirs. They were not to be blamed, the fault lay with the ratepayers themselves. They had at that moment a very good illustration. The cry was that the present members did not properly represent the ratepayers. Now, he wpuld ask_ were .the candidates for the vacant seat in Te Aro in any way superior to the old members? He thought not, but that was not what they came there to discuss. What he wanted to know, and what they all wanted to know, was where the money had gone; and they should apply themselves diligently to finding out. He would move as an amendment on Mr. Bull's motion —" That the City Councillors deserve the censure of this meeting for not attending to-night to explain the position of municipal affairs." Mr. Tbuesun, in answer to Mr. Cooper's inquiry where the money had gone, pointed out that £1412 had been spent iu salaries. Other sums had been spent in planning streets on paper, but they wanted roads of more substantial material than that. That was one explanation as to where the money had gone. Mr, Simi'KlNS gave another instance. The Council had voted £SOO to Mr. Marchant, for successfully completing tho waterworks, yet there were already loud complaints of their non-success. That was another explanation as to where the money went. The amendment was then put and negatived, only four hands being held up for it. The original resolution was put and carried unanimously. The Chairman stated that he also had a grievance to state to the meeting, which was this : When the water-works were completed they were led to believe that the rate of insurance would bo reduced 50 per cent. Tho insurance companies, however, had since declined to- carry out their promise, on the ground that the Corporation charged 15 or 20 per cent, salvage upon all goods saved through the use of tho water. If the waterworks were really to be a benefit, such charges as these should not be made.

Mr. Worth then moved, —"That in the opinion of this meeting, this city is already taxed for municipal purpose. 1 * to the full extent that the inhabitants are able to bear, and that without any increase of taxation the ordinary revenue, if properly administered, is amply sufficient to meet all expenditure which should be charged to revenue." He had hoped that that would have been the principal resolution pasted at the meeting, for tho Mayor, as they were aware, was about to bring before the Council a financial scheme, which would expose their true position. He thought the

resolution of Mr. Bull was too sweeping, though the members of the Council were certainly deserving of censure for not attend* ing that evening to afford the explanations which the ratepayers desired. He believed with Mr. Cooper that if new blood were introduced some of the present Councillors would prove very good men. They should not go to extremes. What, he hoped thoy would do would be to form a Ratepayers' Association, who would watch the interests of the ratepayers, and see that those interests were properly attended to. Then if they found their representatives did not serve them well, the association could select others who would. An association of the kind had done a great deal of good in Canterbury, and he had every confidence that a similar institution would do a like amount of good hero. They should treat their representatives respectfully, but at the same time they should' sec that their horses didn't bolt. If the meeting consented to pass the resolution he had moved, they would put the Mayor in a position to go before the Council with a calm expression of opinion, which would effect a great amount of good. He would conclude by proposing the motion he had read. Mr. Nichols seconded the motion.

Mr. Gillon supported the motion, stating that if properly administered, the present revenues of the city were sufficient for all purposes. At the same time he must say that even in these prosperous times the taxation which the ratepayers were called upon to pay pressed very heavily upon them. If any check in this prosperity should take place, and they must look forward to something of the kind, then the taxation would become absolutely unbearable.

The motion was then put and carried unanimously. It was determined that the former deputation should present the resolutions at the next sitting of the City Council. The meeting then broke up.