SOUTH WARD ELECTION.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 196, 19 August 1899, Page 3

SOUTH WARD ELECTION.

', Mr Robt. Tudehope, master plumber, of Wellesley-street, a candidate ! for the South Ward in the City Council, gave an interesting address to ratepayers and householders, in St. James' Hall, Wellington-street, last night. Mr C. J. Parr presided. The chairman said as President of the Ratepayers' Association it gave him pleasure to preside at the meeting-. Mr Tudhope was the nominee of the Association for the seat in the South Ward, and one of the conditions of the Association was a candidate for election must come forward and state his views on the platform. The retiring Councillor had for nine years been a member of the Council. j The Association claimed t|hey had aroused puiblic interest in municipal affairs, and in bringing out Mr Tudehope for the seat they had no hesii tation in saying if elected he would i do South Ward credit and go straight, I and not use his public position for his own benefit. (Applause.) On rising Mr Tudehope was loudly ! applauded. He said it was a new ; procedure for v candidate for ; City Council honours to address the ■ ratepayers. He thongiit those who stood for election should come in conj tact with the men they proposed to I represent. He would give his views !on municipal matters. He thought ! they touched ratepayers more closely I than political matters.. The ratepay- ; ers ought to take a keen interest in ! all elections. They must all admit j Mr. Goldie. came forward at a critical I time in the Council's affairs. He did ! not think he was infallible, but what : he did take up he put all his power I into. The loan scheme proposed |by Mr Goldie the speaker heartily ■ agreed with, especially when it was to be carried through without increasing the rates. Drainage was a ! part of the scheme. He did not ■ think that any of the four leading- ! centres was so badly drained as ! Auckland, which had ' the highest ; death-rate in the colony. Mr Goldie I also wanted an auxiliary water supply, at a cost of £ 10,000, which he thought was an admirable idea. They wanted pure air, drainage, and water to make the city healthy. In the dim future he thought they would have to get a water supply from the hills by gravitation. Air Goldie also pro- ; posed in his scheme to equip the Fire Brigade in a proper way, and provide a station and proper appliances. This he thought should be done. If we wanted to keep pace with the times, Queen-street oug-ht to be paved, and the present qmagmire in winter and dust in summer would be done away ;with. Mr Tudehope dealt with the question of the new nightsoil con- ' tract, and said he would have voted against it had he been a member of ;the Council. The system, he subi mitted, was not going to be any betj ter than the old one, and he did not I think the removal would be a success, !to say nothing of the increased ex- ! pense" to the ratepayer. The ques- : tion of the electric tramways for the ; city and suburbs had been before the Council for two years, said Mr Tudehope, and while he sympathised with those on principle who wanted municipal ownership, still he had no sympathy when the present transaction with Mr Bingham had gone so far. There must be business honesty in , such a matter. Mr Bingham for a i3O years' option proposes to give £400 a year, fix four 2,000 candle lamps in Queen-street, and keep the j whole in repair, besides giving v rduction in fares of 50 per cent. On the first profit of £ 5,000 he proposes to give 5 per cent, to the city, and ion £ 10,000 profit he would give 10 i per cent. He (the speaker) submit- | ted that it was the most advanta- | geous offer ever put before a muni- | cipality. It meant the city getting I a gain • ouit of the tramway profits. iMr Bingham asked at the end of 30 : years to be allowed to hand the trams i over to the city at valuation arranged Iby arbitration. Passing on Mr Tudej hope said Mr Bingham had kept his j I word. He had come back from ! England, and said to the Council: !"I am ready for you; give me the OrdejJ-in-Council.'' Let the Council jbe honourable in their dealings to i Mr Bingham, and not upset the whole ! thing. . i I Mr Tudehope concluded by stating I the city owed nearly half a million !of money, and last year there was | paid about £25,000 in interest, sinkling fund, and overdraft. There had I been a cry about reductions in the ! City Council, but the Mayor evidently j could not get more rates than 2/ in the £ so he had to bring the expenditure down. The only thing the city got any profit from was the, water. He urged with so many un-, ! dertakings in hand the ratepayers i should return men to the Council of ability and with no spirit of selfishness among them. Mr Tydehope sat down amidst applause. A hearty voie of thanks to those present concluded the proceedings. At the close a good number remained behind to further Mr Tudehope's candidature.