COUNTY COUNCIL ELECTIONS

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 281, 8 November 1884, Page 2

COUNTY COUNCIL ELECTIONS

MR. T. WRIGHT AT ORMOND. The above gentleman addressed the ratepayers of the Gisborne Riding at Ormond last night. After a few preliminary remarks the candidate said they were all aware that the ratepayers had conferred powers on the County Council empowering them to borrow a large sum of money under the Roads and Bridges Construction Act, for the purpose of forming and metalling the roads through the County. After the money was borrowed the Council failed to spend it judiciously, and with what was left of it, they wanted to float a tramway, or a railway scheme. But that was not what they wanted ; they required roads made, and they would get that if the Council would spend the money on the works for which it was voted. The Patutahi quarry should be opened up, the Gisborne Wairoa road, the road through the Pipiwaka bush, and the road from the Bridge Hotel to Matawhero, all should have been made good by this money and contractors could be obtained to do that work at £4 10s. per chain. The money should be circulated in the place, and not keep the people lingering on, as it were, in a semi-state of starvation. Then there was the question of the contracting under the Council. Large contractors had always had the sympathy of the Council in the past, whilst small contractors were always shunted, and if there was a penalty to be enforced against them, it was generally done to the utmost. That was not doing justice to the small contractor. In letting out contracts the Council ought to let them out at the rate of an eighth of a mile, so that then any small

contractor could go into those works from which they were at present debarred, and it would give them an opportunity of making a good living. Money should be borrowed under the Roads and Bridges Construction Act to erect a bridge over the river at Kaiteratahi and Rangatira. That would tend to facilitate the opening up of the country, would benefit the district. With regard td the proposed railway scheme. A railway would not pay to the Motu block for the next 20 years. It would not pay a dividend sufficient to keep the rolling stock in repair, therefore he considered it altogether out of the question. He said, make the roads and give employment for teams of bullocks, drays, Ac. Another scheme he had was that the Council should apply to the Government for powers to go into the English money market to borrow at least £lOO,OOO to be spent in opening a main trunk line through the country. Of course such lands as would be improved and enhanced in value by this railway would be rated accordingly. Such a scheme as that would tend more towards the promotion of settlement than any other scheme they could propose, in reference to the question of day labor, when they had some of the sheep farmers in the Council they reduced the price of day labor to about 6s. or 7s. a day. Eight shillings in this district was little enough to enable a man to keep his wife and family; to do so a man required at least £3 per week, but in all local bodies the poor man was made to suffer by cutting down the price of labor. He objected to the Council borrowing money and not expending it, but rather preferring to let it out at interest. That was not right to the ratepayers, and simply made the Council a mere pawn shop- All monies borrowed by the Council should be spent in the interests of the ratepayers on reproductive works. Mr. Benson said he would offer the Council the use of his quarry at Ormond for three years gratis, but with certain small conditions, and he wished to know if Mr. Wright would be agreeable to the offer. The stone being much superior to that of the Patutahi Quarry ? Mr. Wright said if returned he would propose that the Council grant a certain amount of money for the Quarry to be opened

up. Mr. O’Dwyer asked if Mr. Wright would be in favor of spending that money now lying idle on the Patutahi road ? V* Mr. Wright considered that all the roads should be looked after, and money should be expended on them at once. Mr. O’Dwyer asked if Mr. Wright was in favor of the present system of engineering ? Mr. Wright said he was not. For instance, the Engineer would send in a report to the Council, recommending that certain contractors’ penalties should not be enforced, especially when a large contract was taken up, but when the small contractor was in the same position, he would be forced to pay the penalty. Mr. O’Dwyer asked if Mr. Wright was in favor of one of the councillors going and inspecting the works instead of the Engineer. Mr. Wright replied that the most fair way would be for a committee of the Council to be appointed, who would be disinterested, and who should inspect the Engineer’s works. The Engineer had too much power, and the Council had always been led by him. One or two more questions were put, and after a vote of thanks had been carried, the meeting adjourned.