The Masterton Mayoralty

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4885, 24 November 1894, Page 2

The Masterton Mayoralty

MrHornblQwatMipMj: About fifty persons assembled at the Kuripuni Hall.last evening to hear Mr K. JLHornbloW, a candidate for the MaStertoh Mayoralty, give an address on Municipal matters! 7 '/ .• ' Mr Eenall occupied tne chair and gave a rather lengthy explanatory introduction, dealing with the water questidri.'.'/v;' ■•/ .■"'/././■; '''■;'''':■' '•• MrHorhblow iu opening thanked those present for their attendance. He did not intend to deaL.mthMr Pownall's remarks, regarding himself, but to treat them with silent contempt. He.entered the:contest as an independent candidate^roe and unbiassed. A good deal hW been said about the water proposal.iand at the time 'of'its fiwt'inception he was'appointed secretary, and was to be remunerated had the loan been . earned. Afterwards,, seeing when in the Council that'the thing was hot what it had at first appeared, he withdrew his motion.'H'e hadlthen been taken to task by.the Editpr of the Daily. But he was'lnot in the Cpuncil'to represent any person, artd the more he looked iritqjthe water proposal the greater fraud it appeared to be. : Why should the ratepayers • bo taxed simply; to wjitei . somebody's.garden ? '■?■: [Applause.]. ■■ , A competent engineer had .told him i thatit would cost at least' £5.0,'000 tc give Musterton a water and drainage , scheme,; The gas works wereiin a i terrible condition and'would ; cosi i from iSOO to £1,200 to put in order l > The position taken up by both his [ opponents wasto burke enquiry anc 1 prevent the true state jof affairi | being l known to the 'ratepayers Nearly eight years ago the gas worki ' hadbeen startedat a costpf£9,soo i and the ratepayers had got practic t ally nothing in return for their largi » outlay in interest, but a heavy lia ' bility which would take years tc clear off, When appointed ti tho Gas Comniitteo ho had, timi after timo drawn, attention to tin deplorable state of the worksj until at last tho Council was forced t< call in an expert to report. The re suit was tho dismissal of the maim ger, but. he (Mr Homblow) consid ered the Council equally respon'sibli for the' state .of. things becausi of their, apathy. Under propei supervision there should have bed handsome returns, but now it w'ai difficult to say when they were goinj to get out'.of the muddle, as neithe: of the holders were reliable am there was not a single sound retort Both his opponents hadadvocatec tho . purchaso, of a second hand holder which had provei utterly, _ useless, and it wa not to bo wondered at that the; did not desire to take the ratepayer into their confidence. Three year ago it was pointed out that the work required' repairing, but Councillor wore so lax that sonio of them dh not visit the Gas Works onco ii twelve months, and this was wh; management got so loose. Tho rate payers were, however, to 'blame b; encouraging deceit and dishonesty and. not .putting in. independon men. If the ratepayers wore not dis gusted' at; things they ought to be The Gas Works might even yet to made to pay, under proper manage menfc, from 10 to 15 per cent. Employ a good manager and treat him'a one and not as a tool. The who] staff was at present almost afraid to do their duty for.foar of some busy I body interfering. Ho thought th Council had been too hasty in dis missing Mr Collins, who was inde pendent, conscientious and attcntiv to his duty, and ho was convince that if Mr Collins' recommendatio had been carried out the work would soon have been remunerativi Referring to MrPownall they ha been told that the Council deeply it grottcd/hjs retirement,.but what di fchcy lioiv see ?; Why only Or Guile supporlintr him, ; (A voice—" Ques tion.'T Figures showed that M Pownall's statements ra the reduc fion of the overdrafts were not. coi rect. Again tho Ngamatawa Boa would only benefit the few resident in its immediate neighbourhood, an to make a thorough job would cos £SOO. He bolievcd in giving rate payers every facility to get roads t their properties, but lie objected t spending other peoplo's money wrtli out getting a corresponding benefii There was not a single instance dui nig Mr Pownall's three years' ten of office that it could.be shown tha he had raised his voice against ex f travagantexpendituio. During hi r term of offico what good had M. , Pow'n'all done to .the. town ? Coulc ; they expect him to.do any bettor oi 1 this occasion if returned. ; : s ', j ' Very little need be 'said, about M: Heron, but Jio.would let him dowi s as gently as possible Heron [ "Oh.novermindme!") Well,'Mi . Heron was a sort of mill-stonorounc the neck of tho Borough, entirelj out of date, quite willing to proyidi , for himself, but taking strong objeci tion to looking after tho welfaro pi i others. He believes there is su'cli s J thing as progression—but only when the rating area camo to his own back foncc. (Uproar and criosof'%, ' No," "Yes," etc.) His proper place was at hpnjoto brood over tho mis'. fortunes of his follows! Asa Mayor Mr Heron had been a disappoint-iripnt-as least to him. Ho had left behind him an overdraft of hundreds, an almost useless Gas Works, and a ; Town Creek seething with iiltlrand abomination. -Truly a fitting nionu.nieut of such a worthy careor.' (Ap-pla-ise and hooting.) !■■■. ' ■ t /And now; coming fo himself. (Up. roar and laughter,) He had roused the Council u|> regarding tho'gas works. He had advocated thp protection of tho Waipouarivor. He had advocated tho taking over of the Park by tho Borough Council and ho hoped yot to see it done ; ho had endeavoured to have the Town Greek cleared of its filth and had fought time after timo to kcop down extravaganco and unnecessary expenditure on useless works', Ho had favoured the acceptance of MrltenaHV'water supply niid tlius 's'avo tho money thrown away in sinking., wells (Mr Koriall:' '• Quito right.") He was iu favour of advancement but not' on the lines advocated by his opponents. He did (lot think it was a Mayor's duty fn sifcnvhifi sliopallday, but to sacrifice | litll|, •;;- .■' ; '■" Mrirornhlowhereinduiged iii a pleusant tirador, against v tho rpress* wraarkiiijf that '(bis hide was as thick as that of a. rhinoceros,-" 'and itclid not hurt him what the 'nailers said.-' ;l "_.-•'-' ; ' ■■■ l - : : ;; '' f ' ; Referring'' to the Libiaiy' • hij thought,tho Toufii ,Xja,nds Trust would assist fljis ins|itijtion, : 'Mow street lighting ,'wns heeded instead of rot ,at the; Gas . v "°#.) Ho had only heen tob'feusy >t° ; iPi'eparei^j.iiiioro, lengthy: jprogrammo; but from they would see how- hewould; carry, H « W '#silionr peoplo^ith^kj

Wedntodayj; lie felt sure; lie head;;! tlie :'- /poll, ■:'■" ; He ! ;;had^npfc||| i lnid A ' : the,;fldvantflgo ,of Va:;vgbbd2^i: education,WdnoWlo'okedmßide a j^ grammar book in his life, and at tho v r ,' E ; early age of nine had been compelled , , i through the force ofoircumstances - '*»/ ito diive a cart with rood metal. Still 'f ihe believed - 'the ■position: he now ; ,',.■ • sought/was' open-^to' all, and ''- I aiiy : ' burgess''could ; come; out, ' ' '■ providing he' were prepared, to ido his duty without extorting pat- ) " rouagej theseiwere thVkbadrequired. x [ Th'es'e''were i %B''''princi^leß* ! he en. .■ deavoured to follow and if his actions • were approved in the post, he asked ■ the ratepayers to show their confit dence by returning him as their next t Mayor(Applaiise).. a. • i MrMarsliaßked if Mr' Hornblow i was in favor of protecting Yilla I Street from.the enOToachment of the v j Waipona.'Mr Hornblow said ho i had already mpvodinihe ■matter in , i the Council J and thoy could rely on i him, if returned or not, that this and 3 all such matters should have hiscare- ,; ful attention. ■ ' :,£■,"'.- ■•.. i . -Mr Heron asked. jMftit''seeing tho ■■ E Gas 3. Works -ffhy> did • Sir f Hornblow 1- vbtefor the.'re iiißtatemeht' of the r old Manager p,: Ho'would'also state - that if ho''had not blown his own . trumpet .quite so loudly he.had paid r more.attention tho Gas Works than '■■■ even Cr Hornblow. i ■• MrHdrablow said Mr Eobinson o had been'a'good man,' and the' fault e was.really with .the-',Council, who it had ueglectetl the Gasworks, by not t looking sufficiently woll after tho •, management. 1 .'.'•'.'',■ s Mr Heron in a few romarks rei futed the.statements of Mr Hornblow a and deprecated Mr "Hornblow's ), abuse of himself,and Mr Pownall, s Mr Hornblow rather excitedly )■ dealt further with the gas question, i. accusing Mr Heron of, burking the e question and acting dishonorably. ; . Mr Heron objected to Mr Horno blow's remarks and appealed to tho o Chairman on the matter. | e Mr Hornblow denied that he used j o the term in the-sense taken, but 1 . eventually withdrew remarking that ! o ho did not think his " honorable >. friend," .was so thin-skinned. He t. thought Mr Heron should havo ad- |. dressed the ratepayers' and lot them e know what he had done, ~ ;e Mr Heron said it. was a mistake n< to oxpeofc a Mayor to be general n Borough Overseer, He thought ho - is had dbno his'duty'in the past, i{ g Mr Ktzsiinmons asked,,if Mr i Ir . Hornblowwouldbeinfavorof allow- J d ing members of the Municipal Fire m t, Brigade to elect their pwii captain. ■ d Mi- Hornblow'said this was practi- [. cally tho case now, . . '^| (1 _ Somobody asked Mr is ion on protecting the river, and y reply he said ho did not agree with , ;■•' • s spending public money.on private ;.-!. $ property. . /: :s Mr Cullen said if Mr Hornblow •s attended Mr PowhaH's' meeting ou i (1 Tuesday ovening ho wouldget a full jn reply to all he. had' said regarding > ,y MrPownall. • ••' .. In reply to.lt: & Darley, Mr y Hornblow said he, was quite compe- ■ f t tent to address a public meeting on ■: it hisbwuaecount t .withouttrospassingf j. on Mr, Pownall's meeting, y,-■;.; , .-; 3,' In reply to Mr C. Savage Mr Horn- ' io blow said his previous support of the i. water Rchemo was merely a matter y of ;G.s.d,, and before ho was in tho is Council, Aftenvards, in tho Counle cil, ho had introduced tho matter by ;0 request and underatandhu* that the ..■ Ji ... gas rate could be abolished, ie Mr E, Pragnell askedlVhat repro3. duction there was froihwe gas main B . laid from Mr Lett's house in Dixonr 0 street to Mr 0. Porry's. id Mr Hornblow said ho had opposed m tho, matter, as ho did notbelievo in C 8 spending' the ratepayers money e , without a chance of return. •.■ ic j Mr Pragnell complained that Mr e . Hornblow had opposed the laying of id tho mains as far as his house. If !n the gas were pushed ahead a little g . more it would pay bettor, [r Mr Hornblow said he had always c- been in favor of extending tho gas r ; mains, and .while supporting Mr : id Pragnell's application, tho committs too had thought it advisable to see id what support from others would bo + s t given, but thoy wore not favorable. B . If Mr Pragnell again applied ho t 0 would seo what could be done. ■ '■■[ [q Mr Pragnell said he had already i. mado two applications.' t; No other questions being asked Mr v . Renall orated until'tired, and then I m suggested that " thoy go homo and it go to bed." j.' Mr Russell hero interposed," Look is here, you sit down and have n rest; ; r I'm going to have a Bay. I've bean d much amused-: at Mr'Hornblow's; n speech! lint it's always tho way when two or three candidates are ' \, about—pot calling kettlo nasty n names.", , (Laughter.) • ,'• - i 'Mr Russoll'then in a disjointed ; r manner dealt with many things, The ■ i gist of. his speech was that : Masteryr ton needed a water supply,and would e havo to get it, Soveralintorrnptions I. occun-ed, and tho audience enjoyed f the diversion,' Finally remarking ho i was" rather out of wind" Mr Rnsj sell sat.down, { Mr 'Gob. Smith moved and Mr l( Woodrooffe seconded "That this 3 meetingconsiderathatMrHornblow , is a fit and proper person to becorao f Mayor.".: ;■ . Mi>'Woodrooffeinthocoui'soof"a t fow remarks" spoke highly of Mr ( Homblow's honor andfeliability. Ho v mentioned the fact that he had spent | £4 of private the . water loan beingmied, (Mr J' , Russell:."Never' ' Laughter.) Ho would prophecy'that . [ for lu's address had much to recom- , mend him, and ho would not be ; afraid to express his even , if they vexed people, as he (Mr , Wpofoqoffc); had'done while in the i Council, (Laughter)! ; ■'•'; . Tho'motion was then put.andde. clared earned, Mr Hornblow return- , - liigthanksandpromiflingtomaintain '":'' his independence at allcoste. Tho usual votes of thankscon- "' eluded tho proceedirigßi-' '' w