MR. HAY'S MEETING.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VIII, Issue 479, 21 July 1875, Page 3

MR. HAY'S MEETING.

Last night Mr. Matthew Hay, the candidate for re-election, addressed the ratepayers in Storry's Commercial Assembly Boom. The attendance was large. Mr. F. H. M'Coy occupied the chair. After making a few introductory observations, the candidate went on to say that the erection of the Town Hall was a work which was begun during the term of office of his predecessor, Mr. Edward Herbert. The first that was heard of it was this : A resolution was brought forward, affirming the desirability of L 5,000 being borrowed for the purpose of carrying out the various public works, including the formation of streets, the initiation of a sewage system, and the erection of a Town Hall. That resolution was unanimously carried. After a time it was resolved, that as a work, the Town Hall should take precedence of the other works To give effect -to that determination, a further resolution was passed that a sum of L 2,000 should be borrowed. That sum was got from Mr. Sutherland at 6 per cent., the debentures redeemable at 21 years. With this L 2,000 on hand a start was made ; plans and specifications were prepared by the architect, Mr. R. A. Lawson, and tenders called. The lowest tender sent in amounted to £4,000. That being a sum far beyond what was anticipated, no tender was accepted. Mr. Lawson was asked to explain how it was that the tenders were so much in excess of the amount originally fixed upon. No satisfactory reply having been obtained, Mr. Lawson was invited to come to Lawrence, and see the Council personally. He (Mr. Lawson) had a personal interview with the Council, when the whole question was discussed. Eventually, it was agreed that the plans should be modified so as to bring down the probable cost to L 2,200. The amended plans were accordingly prepared, and on fresh tenders beingcalled for the lowest was found to be L 2.700 odd. That tender was accepted, and the work begun. In the meantime the L 2,000, which had been dsposited in the bank, was used by the Council for other purposes. L 260 of the amount so used was expended in order to complete the Beaumont road, for which the Council got possession of the reserves and license fees, representing, as they do, an annual income of L 360. Eventually the progress payments for the erection of the Town Hall became due, and money had to be got for that purpose. To meet the demands, the Council had no alternative but to go into the money market. Advertisements were inserted in the public prints, and written applications made, but to no effect. Cr. Ferguson was then deputed to go to town, and endeavor to arrange for the loan. Being required to proceed to Wellington, he found he could no spare the time necessary for completing the loan negotiations in Dunedin, and it was then arranged that he (the candidate) jshould accompany him ; Cr Ferguson agreeing to give him, while in Dunedin, all the assistance his time would permit. Here he (Mr. Hay) would beg leave flatly to contradict a statement made by one of the other candidates (Mr. Fraer), at his meeting last week. Mr. Fraer stated that for these services he (Mr. Hay) received Ll7 10s. He received no such sum. What he got was LLO 33s for buggy and other expenses to and from town. In town negotiations were opened up with Messrs Webb and Fulton, but their terms were such that he (Mr. Hay) would not think of entertaining them. With regard to the Otago and Southland Investment loan, Mr. Fraer commits another inaccuracy. That negotiation was opened up and carried out by him while in town. Mr. ' Fraer would have them believe, however, that these negotiations reached the Council through a different channel. —(Hear, hear.) With respect to the Town Hall as an investment, he could not look upon it in the same gloomy light, as his opponent did. Had his opponent been able to look a very little further, he would no doubt have seen that the days of Provincialism are numbered, and that it would be found to give way to some other form of Government, in which local administration would take an active part. — (Applause.) Shire Councils would no doubt be substituted, and in that case Lawrence would undoubtedly be the centre, the county town, of a large and important shire. — (Applause.) Here, then, would be the utilization of the Town Hall. They were ready for any political emergency that might take place — (laughter), — and that was more than every town in the province could boast of. — (Applause.) With regard to the water question, the extension of the mains, and the Morrison bonus, the facts were these : Finding the work of extension was not going on as originally intendel, Cr. Fraer moved that Cr. Ferguson, the Mayor, and himself, should wait on Mr. Morrison, and ascertain on what terms he would be prepared to proceed with the work. They met accordingly, when the question was put to Mr. Morrison on what terms he would be prepared to proceed with the work. During the discussion which ensued, Cr. Fraer remarked : The fact is, that to go on at once you want a bonus of L3O beyond the contract price. He (Mr. Hay) said that while he held the mayoralty he would not be a party to any such proposal. Subsequently the question was brought on before the Council, at which, as chairman, he refused to put a motion affirming the desirability of L3O being added to the contract. After agood deal of discussion, the motion that L3O be given by way of a bonus, was put and agreed to ; it being a distinct condition that the work should be finished in two months. An amend*

meut that the sum be L2O, was lost, and the original motion carried. The inspector sent in his report stating that the work had not been completed within the specified time. Acting on that report, the bonus, as agreed upon, was refused. Mr. Morrison has since stated that the work was done within two months, and if it turned out that such was the case, then, certainly, he was entitled to get payment. With regard to the extension of the mains he (Mr. Hay) was strongly in favor of their extension to the Phoenix -dam. That dam should be either purchased by the Corporation, or else by a company, so*as to secure it for the benefit of the district. In a place like this, where coal and wood are so scarce, water, as a motive power, is a matter of the utmost importance. — (Applause). With a good available motive power of this description at our disposal, manufactories of almost every description would be sure to spring up. — (Applause). Respecting Mr. Fraer's account of himself, and his ability to be Mayor, he (Mr. Hay) could not but be amused. His Cromwell experience was about the most absurd thing that could have been advanced. — (Laughter). The Municipal government of Cromwell was notoriously a farce ; the greatest farce that was ever perpetrated in New Zealand. The place was grossly mismanaged, and as a natural consequence it got into a perfect muddle. And now it is held up for us to go and do likewise. — (Laughter). Mr. Fraer, as head of the Council, shifts the blame from off his own shoulders, and tries to put it on to the other members — subordinate members. A more unfair proceeding could not have been attempted. His attempt to hold up the late unfortunate representative in the Provincial Council, to ridicule, was equally cowardly and unmanly, and for that reason alone he would counsel them to hesitate before supporting Mr. Fraer's pretensions. Certainly his Cromwell experiences gave him no claim upon the suffrages of this important town, and all that was known of him was that he wielded the yardstick arid scissors. — (Laughter and applause. ) Before resuming his seat, he would beg to say a word regarding the lighting of' the Town Hall. The makers of the lamps assured him that the article he was getting was of a suitable description. He (Mr. Hay) did not pretend to have any special knowledge of the trade, and he took it for granted that he was dealing with trustworthy men. It turned ouc otherwise. It was simply a breach of contract ; a thing into which any man under similar circumstances might have been led. The correspondence on the subject, in the possession of the Council, would show that what we said was correct. With reference to the financial statement made by Mr. Fraer at his meeting, he (Mr. Hay) had no objection to find. It ! was a statement which any school-boy could have made up with half-an-hour's leisure. There was one thing he wished to add. Tf elected, he would be in favor of planting the vacant places about the town with trees, and also getting the reserves laid out into sections and sold. He would likewise be in favor of getting plans for a complete system of drainage prepared, so that the woi'k might be undertaken whencircumstaHcespermitted. After reviewing the financial state of affairs, and alluding to the different sources of municipal income, he stated that they would havo a total of L2OOO per annum for the purposes of the corporation. Tf, as both of his opponents had stated, the financial year would begin with a deficit, he could not comprehend why they were so anxious to get the administration of affairs into their own hands at such an uncritical moment. — (Applause.) At the conclusion of the address a number of questions were asked and answered in a satisfactory manner. Dr. Halley then proposed that the candidate was a fit and proper parson to occupy the mayoral chair. Mr. Monaghan seconded the motion, "which was carried unanimously. A vote of thanks to the chairroan brought the meeting to a close.