MR. TRAVERS AT THE CITY HOTEL.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 4987, 17 March 1877, Page 3

MR. TRAVERS AT THE CITY HOTEL.

Mr. Travers addressed the electors at the City Hotel, Clyde-quay, last evening. There was a good attendance. Mr. M. A. Simpson was voted to the chair, and introduced the candidate, who was well received. Mr. Travers said he had already addressed three public meetings, held in pursuance of what he deemed te be his duty to the electors, and as he would not get all of them together in one place, he had thought it right to hold meetings in different parts of the town. He did not propose to repeat all that had already appeared in print of what he had said, except where it was necessary in consequence of his having been misrepresented. He then quoted from the published speech of Mr. Hutchison what that gentleman said of Mr. Travers’ views on education, and said he thanked him for doing so, as it gave him the opportunity of again repeating in as clear and distinct terms as language could.make it what his views were oh education. The speaker then reiterated his previously expressed views, as already published, and said he did not see how children conld receive free education,- as the money to pay for it-must come out of the people’s pockets. He had not the time nor opportunity of going about with a notebook enquiring into everbody’s little, grievances, nor if he had the opportunity could he redress them. • It was not the duty of the Parliament to redress those little grievances which everyone in the community must have, but to .deal with questionsaffecting the community generally. He would, if elected, do his duty in the-interests of his constituency and of the colony. He had a high respect for the Mayor, but was vain enough to think he (Mr. Travers) had larger knowledge of the colony, its wants, and its institutions, than .the Mayor had. He wished the Mayorhad not commenced making comparisons, as he (Mr. Travers) hadwishedtoavoiddoingso; but as the Mayor had begun it, he would say that on every subject he had more knowledge than the Mayor. What the Mayor said about private streets was unmitigated “ bunkum.” Mr.- Hutchison had given-bis views and opinions on the subject,- and he (Mr., Travers) would now! give them his opinion, in which other lawyers would agree. By that opinion he would stand or fall as a lawyer. Mr. Travers said “I have been asked whether streets like Haining-street, and others of the same kind in Te Aro, and May-street, and . others of that kind in Thorndon, are public streets within the definition given in the Municipal Corporations Act of last year, and whether the burthen of keeping them in repair falls upon the Municipal Corporation or not. I have, no, hesitation in saying . that streets of that kind are public streets, and are under the control of and subject to be kept, in order by the Council out of the general city rates. The! words of the Act are perfectly clear on the first point. Section 184 says ‘ the word street means the whole of any public highway within the city.’- Now, every street of' the" class I Have alluded to is a ‘ public highway,’ the whole public having a right to use it, as distinguished from a ‘private street,’ which no one has a right to use unless he has obtained that right by a deed from the owner of the land over which it passes. By section 185 of the Act all streets, with the soil and materials thereof, are vested in the Corporation, whose duty it is, amongst other things, to construct and repair them. The Act prohibits the future making of public highways except in a particular manner; but I have no hesitation in saying that every public highway which existed within the city at the' passing of the Act now in operation, is a street, and that the Corporation is bound to keep it in order out of the city rates. Whoever says otherwise, is, in my opinion, misleading those who are interested in this matter. Not misleading them intentionally, perhaps, but certainly misleading them.” Mr. Travers then repeated what he hadsaid in reference to having to follow such an able member as Mr. Pearce, and assured them that he would’ always attend to local matters, and he should be, as it were, under their nose, so that they could keep a close watch oh him. He also repeated what he had saidas to almost every body here being an owner of land (this proposition was disputed), and the desirability of everybody having an unimpeachable title, which was a technical question with which lawyers only could, deal properly. He approved of the principle of the Land Transfer Act, but objected to the taxation imposed under it, in order to guarantee a tittle, when none but good titles were dealt with ; Jd. in the £ was in many cases an onerous and insidious burden, and it ought to be abolished;He objected to the present mode of making up the Electoral 8011, which imposed upon the Town Clerk the duty of putting the ratepayers on the roll; [A Voice : They can register.] Mr. Travers went on to say ho was not in favor of manhood suffrage, because it placed the diligent and careful ou a par with the idler and the vagrant. He preferred “household" suffrage, but the case of lodgers should also be considered. The numbers of electors of Wellington should be about 8500, instead of some 1700, and were all those qualified placed on the roll,'this would he a strong argument for giving to Wellington a third member. He would himself, if elected, bring! in or support an Act which would give to Wellington that power and weight in the Legislature to which she was entitled. He repeated what he Had said of public works, of the Te Aro reclamation, the establishment of a Harbor Board, &c. He said he was not going to talk to them about bits of drinking fountains and seats for nursemaids. That was a municipal matter. So far as providing seats for nursemaids went it would be found that if they were so accommodated they would let the children roast in the sun whilst they themselves flirted with their sweethearts. He had, however, done something for the city. He had been

the means of preventing-d,he town belt being ij cut up. That belt would one day be A firfe plape j 'for:public recreation,. He ; regretted-that; the; ..Botanical Gardens,were-not nearer this part-of the town, and would like to see a road made to it from this end;' It,was a beautiful.spot, and; was saved to the city by Dr., Hector, Mr. Ludlam, and himself, and was net that some-, thing better than putting a seat under a.. foun-> .tain for a servant maid ? > He referred to the part he had taken in the promotion of I the gas works and other city improvements. He did not approve of the. Basin Reserve having been monopolised as it had■ been ; but | he had nothing to do with that except to pre-: pare a , deed according to 1 instructions,, Mr,. Travers concluded by-saying that if anyone; had any questions to put he would be glad to answer them. He said he did not wish to! blazen his merits before a lot of people, but he; was, almost forced into it when such aspersions I were cast upon him as appeared in the NkW i Zealand Times. . i Mr. Sutherland (from Auckland) said he ; had a high opinion of Mr. Travers, and should; give him his vote and interest. 1 . i In reply to questions, Mr. Travers said he j considered the Friendly Societies of great im- j portance, and had himself introduced the Act j of 1856. He believed there were some difficulties in connection with the working of the; existing Act. He was .not'fully‘acquainted, with them;'but he would be very glad to assist in putting the question oh a, satisfactory basis. He-would be happy, to'meet the members of: the Friendly Societies, whether elected or not, and discuss the question; , As to the question of drainage, he did not think Wellington was worse than other places in the. colony, al-| though it had been compared to Cologne. He Was very glad to see that the question' of drainage, was now . exciting considerable : interest, for it was one of the utmost import- • | ance. He was in favor of reform in the Civil Service. He declined to state what his reli-; gious faith was. Ho did not think the subject ' of religion should be brought into an election , contest,:especially in a community where_there was no State aid to religion, but where everyone was left to. worship his God as he pleased. He was a member of the Church of God. : j

An Elector, who said he was blind of one eye, asked Mr. Travers if he would try to put down perambulators iu the streets ? Mr. Travers said'that w,as a question for the Municipality, He should like to see a by-law passed whereby the rule of the road would be better observed in the streets of the city. As to bellmen, he did not propose to go into the question. He was strongly in favor of a properly constituted. Harbor Board being established. He was also in favor of . encouragement being given to fire brigades and fire police, and of a revision of the militia and volunteer forces. He was an advocate for the reduction of taxation on the necessaries of life.

Mr. Walker moved and _Mr. Hammond seconded a vote of confidence in Mr. Travers, which was carried unanimously. On the motion of Mr. TbaVERS, a vote of thanks was passed to the! chairman, and the meeting separated.