MAYORAL NOMINATION.

Oamaru Mail, Volume III, Issue 728, 17 July 1878, Page 2

MAYORAL NOMINATION.

The nomination of candidates for the Mayoralty of Oamaru took place to-day, at noon, at the Municipal Council Chambers. In opening the proceedings, the Returning Officer, Mr. Gibbs, said that the annual election for Mayor having again come round, to-day had been fixed for nominating candidates to that office, in accordance with the Otago Municipal Ordinance. He need not say that he had been asked to act as Returning Officer on the occasion. As there was likely to be a contest, he would get through the official business first, leaving the discussion to follow. He then called upon the Town Clerk to observe the formula usual on such occasions, after which the nomination papers were read as follows :—Mr. W. J. Steward—Proposed by Mr. N. Fleming, and seconded by Mr. J. Hamilton. Mr. G. Sumpter—Proposed by Mr. T. W. Hislop, and seconded by Mr. F. Dunlop. At the invitation of the Returning Officer, Mr. Steward addressed the assembled ratepayers He said that he stood for the third time as a candidate for the Mayoralty, and he supposed that he might view that fact as evidence that his efforts to serve them had been appreciated by the ratepayers. He had always done his best to serve the Municipality, and his regular attendance at the Council meetings was one proof of this. It was thought desirable jby those who supported his candidature, that he should remain in office for another year to carry out the various matters with which he had been connected. Last year Mr. Gibbs asked him whether ho would come forward for re-election, in wh'ch case he would not oppose him ; it being understood that he (the speaker) should not oppose Mr. Gibbs should that gentleman seek the position this year. He commented on the tone that had been observed by the Press in reference to the election, and said that he considered that the article which appeared in last night's Evening Mail was an exceedingly gentlemanly one, and a credit to the gentleman that wrote it. A crreat deal had been said iu connection with the Waterwoiks scheme, complimentary and otherwise. He believed that, notwithstanding all that had been said to the contrary, it would prove a remunerative work. The scheme was initiated during his predecessor's term of office. When he took office he found that an engineer had been engaged at a salary of LIOOO per annum, and that L3OOO had been incurred in preliminary expenses. On the engineer being asked to submit to what was considered to be a necessary reduction, lie agreed like a gentleman to take 25 per cent, less for two years. With regard to other matters, he found that the town was entitled to an endowment of 2000 acres, and proceeded to secure the same. Others had made similar applications, but he believed that Oamaru-although he was open to correction was the only town whose endowment had been gazetted. The Council had asked him to go to Wellington to represent it at the Conference to be held in that city to discuss important municipal matters. The Abolition of the provinces had so affected municipal affairs that it was most important that something should be done. In reply to a question as to whether he approved bf taking the negotiation of municipalßmatters with the Government out of the hands of the members of the district, Mr. Steward said that, as an old member of the House, he hoped that the Mayor would always be the chief head of all affairs within the boundaries of his domains, and that, with all due respect to members of Parliament, he would not touch his cap to anybody. _ , ~ In reply to Mr. King, Mr. Steward said that he would be in favor of filling in the lagoon, provided that the Harbor Board had abandoned their idea of utilising it as a dock. Mr. Dunlop : Would you be willing to go to Wellington on the 29th, if required? Are the members competent to do the work .entrusted to them ? Uv, Steward : I was careful to see that Mr, Shrimski was entrusted to act on behalf of the Corporation. Mr. Dunlop ■: But would you be willing,. if necessary 5 Mr. Steward : -I have never yet shrunk from doing my duty, and I never intend to do so.

Mr. Sumpter then addressed the payers. He said that he occupied a peculiar position; for whilst it was pleasant po respond to the call made upon him by the ratepayers to fulfil the promise he had made, that he would again offer himself if his health permitted ; it was far from pleasant to be opposed to Mr. Steward, who had now oecupied the position for two years with credit to bimseit, and, generally speaking, with satisfaction to the .ratepayers. So far as he was concerned the contest should be of a friendly nature. It would be as well to explain the reasons that actuated him in acceding to the request of the ratepayers to allow himself to be nominated for the Mayoralty. They would recollect that an accident happened to him on the first day of his Mayoralty whilst assisting at a fire that eventually nearly cost him his life, and necessitated hia retirement, at the close of his term of office, from Municipal duties. Last year, he jpgs repeatedly asked to offer himself, but thought he was justified in refusing, as it was only reasonable that Mr. Steward, who had well merited their esteem, should be honoured by being returned with- \ out opposition. He having received that compliment, and as he (the speaker) was uraentlyrequestedtoofferhirnseifthisyear, in fulfilment of his promise, he consented to place j hh services at the disposal of the ratepayers. ■ If elected, those services would be heartily I and willingly given 5 if rejected, he would ] j consider it no disgrace to be beaten by the j I present Mayor. He had carefully react and : been interested by the published reports of the proceedings of the Municipal Council, j butie could not see that he was sufficiently 1 master of the position to be able to offer at that time many remarks on municipal niatterg. Jjb must have struck every ratepayerthat .there yas very considerable expenditure, which meanjfc, of course, heavy taxafcjoa j and, if returned, he wouhj dp his best to reduce this expenditure as «iu,cfr #» was practicable and judigjous. He did not wish to be understood to meaa that h§ woulq. cripple the Waterworks scheme, as be thought that this work should be pushed on, if possible, more yigorously thanj »t present. Aa regards the finanoea of the

Council, he would bring to bear the knowledge he had acquired in monetary matters for their benefit. In reference to the Bills, he hoped that they would be successfully put through Parliameut by the members for the district. He had been amongst, them for seventeen years, and they were able to judge whether he possessed the necessary, abilities and qualifications for the office. If placed at the head of the poll he would take it as an evidence that they approved of what he had done in the past; if rejected, he would look upon it as a tolerably broad hint to mind his own business, and he would mind it accordingly. - _ Mr. King : If asked to go to the Municipal Conference, would you do so ? Mr. Sumpter : No. Am quite willing to do all in my power to further the interests of the citizens in this town ; but I cannot promise to go to Wellington. Mr. Dunlop : If elected, would you be willing to give security over property you did not possess ? Mr. Sumpter: I would take care to see that I had the security first. Mr. Steward : Before the close of the proceedings, he would, through the courtesy of Mr. Dunlop, like to make an explanation. Statements had been made, which, if they got abroad, might be productive of injury to the town. It had been said that the Municipality had borrowed money on security wttich did not exist. The facts are these : The Council intended to set aside certain revenue for the purpose of paying interest on the Waterworks loan. A resolution was passed that the revenue obtained from the endowment referred to should be set down among these. The Engineer, in preparing his report, set down, among other items, the revenue derivable from this endowment. This security was not given as implied by Mr. Dunlop. Mr. Hislop : How is it that the people in London came to be under the impression that we had the endowment ? Mr. Steward said that he did not think that they were under such impression. Mr. Hislop : Can you explain how it is that if the money lenders were not under that impression the money has not even now arrived ? Mr. Steward explained that it had not yet had time to reach here. Mr. Hislop : At what date did the news arrive here that the loan had been floated ? Mr. Steward said that the bonds had only been forwarded to London in February last, and that the money was now on its way. Mr, Hislop i When did you go to Weilirjxion on business relative to the loan and ■■■•.. hiwment ? Mr. Steward: In April last. Mr. Hislop : Surely there has been time since then for the money to reach here, unless there was some delay owing to the endowment. Has delay not been occasioned through the endowment being included in the list of securities ? Mr. Steward : When the instructions were sent Home, Mr. Hislop knew that the endowment was in fair training, as he was assisting in obtaining it. Mr. Hislop : I must correct that statement. I did not consider it was in fair training, otherwise it would have been gazetted by the late Government at the same time as the other ; but I should like a direct reply to my question. Mr. Steward : That can only be given by perusing the Council books, which would take about two hours. He would do it, however, if they had no objection to wait. Mr. Dunlop : Give us the gist of it. Mr. Hislop : Were any of the correspondence and the proceedings of the Council relative to the Joan published ? Certainly not. It would have been wrong to have published it. Mr. Hislop : Then you do not believe in taking the citizens into your confidence in a matter of this sort ? A vote of thanks to the Returning Officer closed the proceedings.