THE MAYORAL ELECTION.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5506, 19 November 1878, Page 3

THE MAYORAL ELECTION.

MR. HUTCHISON BEFORE THE RATEPAYERS. Mr. Hutchison met the ratepayers at the White Swan Hotel, Cuba-street, at eight o’clock last evening. There was a numerous attendance. The chair was occupied by Mr, Dempsey, who introduced the candidate after a few remarks. Mr. Hutchison was obliged to them for coming out on such an inclement night. Ho believed there was nothing better than looking people in the face, as he thought-people could then understand each other better. Every morning ho came . out he heard of some fresh story in circulation against him. The last story put about by Mr, Dransfield and his friends was that he was opposed to the making of the road from Polhill Gully to Karori. Ho was not opposed to the making of this road at all. When ho was iu office a proposition was made in the Council to give £SOO towards this road, but he said ho thought that before such a large sum of money was voted, the City Council should have before it some plana and estimates of the cost, also what the Highway Board would contribute, and what the people of Karori would contribute also. Therefore, he opposed the granting of £SOO in the absence of this information; but he was not opposed to tho making of the road if those who would bo most largely benefited would contribute their fair share towards tho cost. He did not think tho people of Karori wore in any great hurry to have this road made. Messrs. Graham and Finniraoro sought election to the County Council on this ticket, and they were both rejected. He heard it stated that both gentlemen said that if they were returned they had such influence on tho City Council that the road would be made. If Mr. Graham, who was the Town Clerk, said such a thing Ift} was paying a very poor compliment indeed to the City Council. (Hear, hear.) If following would bo his programme :—That the City Council should go to the Government and ask them not to sell tho reclaimed land, but to hold it until after another session of Parliament, when, by proper explanation, ho thought it would not be difficult to get a majority of members to authorise tho Government to sell ' tho reclaimed land to tho Corporation ; it was part of. tho property of tho city, and ho thought they ought to get it. If they could not get this reclaimed land for the city, then he would say lot tho West Coast railway bo commenced at once, and tho reclaimed laud bo disposed of for that purpose ; that was, if the Government and Parliament were determined not to let the city have it, With regard to the Te Aro reclamation, let an arrangement with tho foreshore owners be made at once, and the work

commenced without waiting for next session of Parliament, because they really did not require an Act if they coaid only agree amongst themselves. He thought the drainage scheme should be commenced without delay ; and as to uncovered drains, he thought they should be covered up wherever they were offensive,before the heat of the summer set in. He would at once advocate the raimg of a loan of £50,000 for the making of unmade public streets, but he thought the burden should be distributed all over the city instead of making the inhabitants of the particular streets bear the whole expense. The loan should be for about fifty years, and the interest and sinking fund should be provided for by a general rate, extending all over the city. Ho would go in for the reduction of the wharf dues to the lowest amount at which they would really pay the expenses. He thought also that they should have a steam tug °for tho harbor. He wished to say a word about the newspapers. They were all against him except one, [A Voice : Your own. Cries of “ order,” “ pub him out, 11 and “chair.”] ‘•Mr. Hutchison then proceeded to road extracts from the papers, charging him with getting up the O’Connor petition for the sake of popularity. Mr. Buck had settled that, question on Friday night last by stating that ho (Mr. Hutchison) had nothing whatever to ido with the getting up of that petition. But he had taken part in tho meeting, because he 'thought no man should be convicted on the evidence of one witness. Thetrhe was charged with presenting a petition on behalf of the cabmen iu order to secure their support. Ho contended that he had done nothing more than ho ought to have done in presenting this petition. He was accused of setting class against class, bub ho denied ever having attempted to do so. His sympathies were certainly with 4he industrial classes, bub he should like to see everybody at peace with one another. This would never be the case as long as some people thought they were better and wßer than others, (Hear, hear.) A Ratepayer moved a vote of confidence in Mr. Hutchison, and intimated that 360 working men had authorised him to state that they would vote for Mr. Hutchison ; also that they had given up taking the Post in consequence of its scurrilous statements against Mr. Hutcbi'ou. (Cries of “ oh,” “ order,” hisses and applause.) After a few questions were put, the resolution was declared to be carried unanimously. Mr, Hutchison returned thanks, and the ineetiug terminated with a vote of thanks to the chairman.