CAMBRIDGE TOWN BOARD ELECTION. The Candidates on their Trial.

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2056, 10 September 1885, Page 3

CAMBRIDGE TOWN BOARD ELECTION. The Candidates on their Trial.

A r.UK.I'M attended meeting of latepnycrs und otliuih was held at Cambnd n 'e mi Mon day evonmg, for the purpose of heaiim.' the view* of the two candidates for election to the vacant »eat in the tow n Ito.ud. Mr G. W. Rus,ell was called to the chair. Tho Chairman, in opening the proceeding-*, referred at some length to the int< rost winch was \vi\\\% taken in tin 1 coming election. He cmchuled by calling upon Mr Richardson to addiess the meeting. Mr Richaidsou said ho had come to the meeting lather with the idea of answenn 1 ? questions than of laying lih views on affairs in general before them. Making a speech \\ as altogether out of hi-, line. His only reason for standing was that no citizen had n right to refuse civic duties when called ui)on by his fellow townsmen. If they did linn the honour to elect him, he would do his best to servo the town as a whole, and not one paiticular part of it as 'against any other part. H« had no private inteiest to ser\e, no axe to grind, or street to make. He had already held a seat on the board in the past, and they could judge front his l>ast actions how he would serve thtm in the future. If they thought ho would nene their interests fearlessly and honestly, and without favour and prejudice, they rould vote for him, and if they did not think so, well then they could vote against him. (A voice : " And so we will.' ) Mi Wells at this «tige made «omo Migges txm to the chairman inspecting the conduct of the meeting, whereat the chairman intimated to Mr Wells that he thought he was sufficiently competent to discharge the duties of the chair without his assistance. Mr David C irnacliaii ascended tho platform amidst applause and linghter, and lead an e\tiact fioin a defunct piper called the Waikato (Ji/i'tte le the te nov.il of soil fiom the luck of the Public Hall by a membei of the binnl, tho Mid soil being worth to the town fully a shilling a yard. The question he would nhk was this : Did Mr Richardson, Mr Hewitt, and another member of the boaid allow to be taken away 1000 loads of this earth for filling in on Cr. Hewitt's propeity. Did Mr Richardson speaking conscientiously come there with clean hands? Mr Richardson s.iid tho earth had been removed by Mr Hewitt, Mr Brook*, and Mr Arnold, and these gentlemen could supply all necessary inform ttion on the subject. He, personally, had laiwl no oblection to th»ir taking the cirth as he conhideied by doing bo they in a great measure unpioved the town property. As to the eaith being worth Is ayaid, he would bo very pleased to allow Mr C.irn.ichan or anybody else to take away as much caith as they liked from his acre at the price. Mr Kukwood a-<ked if the candidate was in favour of borrowing £"),000 or any sum for the put pose of bi mging water into the town from Moon's springs ? Mr Richardson «aid that in the fiist place he was in favour of a water supply rf Home sort, but if all the members of the board wore in favour of it they could not g.'t it. As a ratepayer he was in favour of the water schemo, and as such would vote for it, but as a membjr of tho board ho had nothing to do with it. If every resident ratepayer in Cambridge were to vote for the scheme, as the law stood at present it could not be carried. Mr Clements pressed the candidate for a more duvet answer to the question. He would have him say " yes "or " no." Tho candidate was shirking the question. Mr Richardson maintained that he had answered the question straightforwardly. Mr Joseph Harrison asked the candidate if he was not engineer to the board seven or eight \eara ago? Mr Richardson thought Mr Harrison was mistaken. He did not know that he was ever engineer to the boird. He had no rerollection of baing employed by the boaid at that tune. Mr Lewis asked what was the candidate's opinion of the be->t means of supplying Cainbiidffu with an efficient water supply ? Mr Richardson said his idea was that Moon's scheme was the best which it was in their ptwer to ad>pt. It would only cost about £'3'iOO. He had been originally against this scheme, lint he had spent over a fortnight looking into it, and he was now in favour of it. At first he had been in favour of a gravitation scheme. But he believed a gravitation scheme would be too costly and would thmw a bin den on the ouUide ratepayer". The dale of the water from Moon's springs would pay tho interest on the cost of the scheme. Mr Lewis tsked if it had been the candidate's idea to get tin; hre engine bjfore they go^ the water supply from Moon's spnngs ? Mr Richardson said there was then sumo prospect of getting the water supply. Mr Harrison : VVhcio then would you get tho water if you had the engine ? Mr Richardson): Moon's >>priii£4 would ba the best place. Mr Harrison : Then in case of a fire at Hewitt's Hotel you would run the whole w.iy down to Mo >n's springs for sufficient water to put it out. Happy thought ! (Liughter.) In reply to a further question /rom Mr Harrison, Mr Richardson said hp did not propose to get the fire engine at all. They rould not get tho water now, and there was therefore no use in {retting an engine. He did not propose this schrine himself. If had been propoxed by a comrrutlua, of which Mr Asher himself was a lmmbar. Mr Lewis asked the candidate was it not a fact that h« and Mr Wells waited on th > Loard and demanded that it should p'nd home immediately for a steam fire eirjfirir ' Mi Richardson said such was not the cisi. He had never demanded any such thin/. Mi Hughes said it was a fact. He was at th) in >eting at the time. The Chairman Mid he was at the meeting when the committee waited on the bond. They submitted a report, and they suggested that a steam fire engine should be imported, and Mr Wells offered on behalf of his firm to indent it on certain terms. Tnero was no such thing as a demand made. In reply to Mi Harrison, Mi Richardson Haid as to tho fire engino h"> would vote for it as a ratepiyoi, and a* a commissioner of tlu b>aid In would bj in favour of bringing it before tho ratepayers to ask their opinion on the '-utter. A \oic3 :— Would you allow yourself to bi dictated to as t > how you sh >uld vote at the board meetings. Mr Richardson : No ; and I should like to see tho mm who would so dictate to me ! [ V vnico :— "Hoonio.'] Mr Clements : Whit is your opinion of tho action of the present buaid le Chapelstreet ! Mr Richardson, in reply, went into the whole history of thin question. If there were any chance of litigation on the matter, he was certainly against the street being formed at present. Otherwise he was in f ivour of the work being done imine diately. In reply to Mr Clementt, Mr Richardson said he was in favour of the loan for a water supply, providing the ratepayers who had it in their own hands gave the board the power. A misapprehension (seemed to e\i-<t on this matter. The borrowing of money wait entirely in the hands of the i ate payer*, and did not rest with the board, who only gave effect to the will of the latepayers. Mr McVeagh made some reference to Chapel street. Mr Lewis : Will yon assume an independent position on all matters affecting the best interests of the ratepayers ? Mr Richardson : Most decidedly I shall. Mr Clements : Will you admit that you have been bi ought out by a parly of about a dozen— in a word, a chquo .' Mr Richardson : I'll admit nothing of the kind. This ended tho questioning, and the candidate was allowed to lesame his seat. Mr Asher then addressed tho meeting. He was there to represent the ratepayers, and no clique whatever. He hid been dissatisfied with the manner of working the board, and from all appearances ho was not the only one. Ho understood that the reason no had been brought out wan to represent the ratepayers faithfully and unselfishly. If elected ho would see that no work wa« undertaken without the full anthonty of the board. In the next place he would do his utmost to do away with tho streets commiitop, as too much power wa-> vested in one individual. One man had b<«en allowed to do all the work whilst tho others shirked their duty. If that one man could bj tiusted he would say let him alont. But when that one man allowed private fvelings and prejudices to enter into his public duties, he was not a fit man to be trusted, «nd therefore ho would do away with the Streets Committee. He would also propone that no work be done by the board over tho value of £2 without being tendered for, so thjt no ono member of tho board could give tho work Id whoever h« UJM, with a view to Jiav^

hU 1 Uos 1 etui tied to Inn 1 As to tin* watei scheme, it «,i> ,i \erv lnckv tiling foi his <ip|)(iui>nt th it the law did not peimit them h> biii'inw foi it this \ear. He was poifi'ctly willing to li.u o <i Wtiter supply, but not foi tin 1 benefit of the few at the expense of the in. my. In this cas<> they were befoie their tune; they wanted inoie population In the p.ist the business of thn bc/.nd had always 1 been cut and dried befoio the meetings w pi e held, and cit.un members went and did ju ,t what they liked. If they elected him he would take caic tv put a stop to that soit of thinj?. Chapel-stiePt was a paity qi cstion throughout, some people thinking that if the stieet were made it would injure the Duke-street tiaffic by diveitmg it up Chapel-street, and thereby their businesses would be injuipd. When "they had such men to deal with tin y could not expect much. It had been s,ud that ho was bound to have Chapi'l-stieet dorm. While they could not find money to do Chapel street, they could always find money to do other stieets*. As to the posM bility of litigation about Chapel-street, if tho lawyers to whom the question had been referred said that it could not be done, he would be tho last man to say that it should bo done. What he said he said honestly and fearlessly. Mr Clcmenti: Are you in favour of brimming on extra taxation? Don't you think we are taxed pretty well at present? Mr Hughes : Would you allow one member of the board to remove 1000 loads of eaith for private use, and then think you were doing your duty ? Mr A«her : No, not without the sanction of the whole of the members of the board. I am not in favour of extra taxation. Mr Clements : Would you, as a. rommis. sion«T, bo a contractor to the boa id ? And arcs you aware of the fact that certain com missioners have been voting themselves money for \vi rk done ? Mr Lewis : Name. Mr Clements : Well there is Mr Lewis for one, and Mr Houghton fur an«th"i. Mr Hnughton : Tho extent of niv con trading to the bo.nd has been Gib-, of nails at 3d a Ib. If you call that coutt acting then I'll sit d>wn. Mr Clements) : I'm glad you admit it, Mi Houghton. Mr Wells : Are you a member of the Water Supply Committee at tho i lesent time? Mr Asher : No, I never was a member of the Water Supply Committee. You were kind enough to put me on the committee to inquire into the cost of a fro engine for tho town. That is the onuinittee that I wa« on. Mr Wells: Were you one of those who •scented t<> the report of the committee as submitted to the board ? Mr Asher : Certainly not, sii ! Mi Richardson, Mr Hewitt, Mr Ferguson and myself were elected a committee to m^ime into the cost, etc., of a, fire engine. On their way to the Town Board office to submit their report they picked up Mi Well*, whether preconcertedly or othcrw isp he could not say. He was very much sin - piised when in tho office to hear Mi Wells bringmsr up the water scheme. He had no hvinl in that whatever. He stoutly denied all connection with it. Mr Wells : Did you iut consult with the other members of the committee befoie going t> the meeting, and then do most of the talking when we were there ? Mr Asher : I spoke to Mr Wells on thp matter of the water supply, and Mr Wellh.ud they had the power to get the engine. I was then against it ; not m much against the engine as the men who were entrusted to get it. Mr Wells : Well then Mr Asher, I'll ask you to tell us what the report to the boai d was— what recommendation did tho committee make ? Mr Asher : Yes they recommended the purchase of an engine, that is when they >ad the means of getting the money out of loan, but not otherwise. Mr Wells : Well then you were in favour of getting the engine some time or other ? Mr Asher: Yes I was But when I found that the men I had to deal with were not to be trusted, I was certainly against it. I should bo sorry to include myself among their. I don't pretend to be so clever a« Mr Wells in these matters. In reply to a question the candidate said he me mt to put down bullying in the board in futnio. The Chairman thought the questions were becoming of a personal natuie. A prolonged piece of badgering ensued between Mr Wells and Mr Aoher, but the questions and answers were mainly of a personal and irrelevant chaiacter. Mr Lewis : Are you in favour of spending £120 in Chapel-Htreet in the piesent statf of the town finances ? Mr Asher: Certainly I am if the woik can be done without a law suit. But if there was the possibility of litigation I should certainly vote against it being done. In reply to Mr Clements, Mr Asher s-»id it elected he would represent Cambridge, an 1 not one corner of it. Mr Wells : Are you sure you aro not going in for the solo purposo of forming Chapel-street? Mr Asher : Certainly not. Mr Wells proposed a hearty vote of thanks to both candidates for their courtesy in lajing their views bt-foie the ratepayers. The vote was earned with acclamation. The Usual c >niplimont to tho chair concluded ths n eeting.