BOROUGH OF BALCLUTHA.

Clutha Leader, Volume IV, Issue 217, 6 September 1878, Page 6

BOROUGH OF BALCLUTHA.

The Nomination.

The nomination of Councillors for the several Wards of the Borough took place at the Athenseum "building on Tuesday at noon. There was a large attendance of ratepayers. •■ ■ Mr Thomas Paterson having read the clause of , the Act referring to the election, read the nominations as follows :— . East Ward. Alex. Bain-r-proposed by John , Piatt, and D. M'Farlane. ••*,./ F. S. Canning— proposed by D. M'Farlane, and G. M'Dougall. A. 0. Campbell— proposed by R. Doull, and D. M'Farlane. John Dunne— proposed by. R. Doull, . and John Allan. ' G. M'Dougall— proposed by D...M'Farlane, and F. S. Canning. ' ' Joseph Potter — propose i by John Pater-' son, and John Piatt. ' ' *'■■•■* Seaton Porter— proposed by Gr. M'Dougal, ' and John Piatt. North Waud. ; C. V. Brewer— proposed by W. Henderson, and A. Davidson. F. S. Canning — proposed by "W. Henderson, and D. Ryrie. Pv. Hogg — proposed by. 0. V. Brewer, and W. Stewart. ••■ -. G-. "W. Hutchins— proposed .by D. Ryrie,. and T. Mackenzie. ;'. ■ P.- Mason— proposed 'i by . ' D. . M'Niven, and A. M'Neil. . , . S. Porter — proposed by A. Davidson, and James Hogg. ■ ■ •. ■ . South Wam>. - ' R. Hogg— proposed by D. Ryrie, and D. , Sutherland. W,. Lloyd— proposed by- W. Henderson^ and D.. Ryrie. „.,., IJ. Macdonald— proposed by D. SiitherI: land, andD. Ryrie. ' ' '• W. • . Stevvarti-prcijp:6*3ed hi John Gow, and ph.yWmirig. ! ' •'.' * " ; W. Tosftt^proposed J . by John Provari, and Allan Stewart. The Returning Officer then adjourned further proceedings to the day of the poll. Mr R. Doull was then elected Chprihan and called upon the several' candidates tp address the meeting. [ .-",'.[.. '.','_ * -Mr ,R. Hogg said; his actions lin the Council had been before them for the past three years; and in again asking their 'suffrages he was willing they .should ; ;'decidb according to their , .opinions* oi his , past conduct; ; . _He. had regularly, attende&both the Council and'the Committee meetings* and in everything he had been guided by what he considered best for the town

generally. , He believed it would be.necessary for tiie' -down to' negotiate*^ another' loan,; as the : expense { qf ; , the works -abso-r lutely required would exceed the funds at .tlniir disposal. ">;; The chief works -to he un-'; dertaken were the .main road through the township and Barr-street, -arid' for- these metal; instead of gravel; should be. used. , Ttiweuld be necessary also 'shortly to undertake drainage works, -and to provide, -a. proper supply of water for the township. At the Council meetings '■■ he.h ad -never' been-a silent voter, and through the, press the ratepayers knew tiie part' he had acted.' : He believed a loan would, be beneficial to the ratepayers. It would enable them to f 6rm their streets ; * it -would raise the price of and iii every respect advance their prosperity. '■ ■'.:■•., :

:: * In : reply to a. question,. Mr Hogg said he . would be -'„i n", favour. ,' of '""" ,rais-~ ing . Charlotte - street, so . as.', to prdvbht the -township, being: flooded. „*. A resolution had been. -passed in the Council to that effect.' '„., s ."'"' "/''," ' ' "'-''"A "'. '* !; Mr F.S. Canning said'' as he had been nominated for two -Wards he would retire from one before the day of the-fpoll. He, explained the, action formerly taken in the matter of the Borough* being,, divided or non-divided. His personal interests would best be served by the Borough being undivided. He -had tried to have it divided, as he considered that- would be best for East Ward, which he then represented. If a, rate were levied for river bank protection works, he did not consider East Ward should, have to pay, as it was hot interested in- the protection of the banks , and if the Borough were ; divided the special rate might only be levied •■ over the other two Wards, whereas if the Borough were undivided the, rate would be ' over the whole. This was his , reason for wishing the Borough divided, and when he discovered, the Mayor had taken action in the matter without consulting the ratepayers he had tried . to cheek that action at Wellington,. but was too, late. .:Mr,Canj hing then read to the meeting, a statement of "the receipts , and expenditure of the Borough for the past financial year, and assured the ratepayers, that his effortsin the Council had been to promote the. best ; interests of the Borough as, a, whole. If re-elected- he would pursue the same course.

Mr G. W. Hutchins said on a former occasion he had sought a seat at the Council" board, when he' was defeated by 'one vote by his friend' Mr Macdonald. He had only a few minutes previously, made 1 up his mind to allow himself to be nominated as a candidate, and would only say that if successful he would do his best for North Ward and the township generally. '■ • "

Mr P. Mason said that if re-elected he would act upon the same principle as he had always done* in the Council. •He agreed with Mr Hogg that the main street and Barr-street were the two great works to be undertaken during next year, and to meet the expense they would have to borrow. The borrowed . money would raise the value of property, and improve the' whole town. All streets undertaken in the direction of the railway station should be metalled instead of gravelled,, but the main street and Barr-street would be all they could attend to during the year.

In reply to Mr W. Stewart, Mr Mason said he had voted in favour of the motion passed in the Council requesting the Government to proceed at once -with the erection of the post-office upon the present site, notwithstanding the., PostmasterGeneral had asked them to take a plebiscite of the ratepayers. The -ratepayers had previously had an opportunity of expressing their minds upon the subject.* but did not do so, arid iri voting; as he did he acted for the best. In f reply, to Mr Canning, he said he did not allow -.the Mayor to lead him in the matter of the post-office or anything else. As to the ! protection of the river' banks behind' the township, he explained the action' he had previously taken. He had got a report , upon . the subject by Messrs Reid and Duncans, engineers, who estimated the cost of protective works at L 2300. Not with standing this they had petitioned the Government for LSOOO, upon the principle that if 'they were to ask LSOO they would likely only getL2so.

Mr S. Porter said he had no intention of making a speech, but would promise that if elected he would do his utmost for the interests of the ratepayers of the Borough.

Mr W; Lloyd said he had a little time upon his hands which he was willing to devote- to the service of the- .ratepayers, and they, might depend upon it that if they elected him he would attend to 'their interests. From' the reports of the meetings of Council they had read from time to time they would have seen that' a great deal of bad feeling prevailed in the Council. If the .ratepayers wi sne A now to ; remedy this and to send the township ahead, they must keep out John Dunne, who' was the cause of aU the iU feeling. But* for him the Council would geiA on well. They might do with him (Mi* Lloyd) as they, chose, but if they wished peace in the_ Council and, the -.- busines-?. pf • the municipality properly attended to, they, could only get this by keeping but John' Dunne. The Council would work in harmony but for him. • ■- '' . •' , : >-'. * .'. ■-.:■>

Mr John Macdonald deprecated per--sonal allusions. It was • nine years since, ;he first represented them, and it was unnecessary. , for him to , explain his, , t views upon.' municipal matters. ' He could only 'say, that, during the whole thne h^ had' not intentionally done a single action of which he was ashamed. The members of the Council no, doubt sometimes disagreed, but he believed; as. a rule, they acted, for the best. ..With reference, to Mr .Canning's, remarks that East Ward should be excluded ' froni a speoial Tate 'for the' lpro- [ tectioh of the river banks, he' said that' South Ward had' an equal 1 claim to be excluded; But : he' thought ' the whole town should go in' unitedly for such works. The protection -of the -banks would prove too expensive for the; township' to i undertake, but if the Government were .to give a liberal vote, the same might /be ; sub-/ sidised by a special rate. t The main road should have been put to rights, long ago. It /should be done this . year, ; and metal usesd ' instead , of !gra vel. ' ■He ' was' one of the majority of the' Council wlip voted ih. favpvxr ofthe' resolution 'urging the Government to erect the new p6st-office upon the present site, 'hotwith^andirig' tne. re- ; quest ••' of '-the? POstmaster-Ge-h'erali'^for-: a plebiscite of the ratepayers. : f 'He ; did -so * because no other site was named. He would not vote for the office being re-

moved unless he knew where it was to be placed. ''-'■••>

* jMrW. Stewart did not believe in long speeches;! He believed } in .doing work. He had ; done welim his own business'm Balclutha, and if the ratepayers entrusted him .with their business, . he wouldgive it the same * attention., A, He pointed to' the main street,, Barr-street," and the*streW in .the vicinity of the school as a disgrace to the late. Council.- If elected, : he would see that these arid ' other works : were at-' tehded to. ■-■-.-< .: - -.* „- <y

* Mr W. Tosh had -been in the Council before, and if elected again he would not; promise to do much of the talking, but he would do his fair^share 'of the -work;, and* to the best of his ability. „'" _Mr A. C. Campbell" was not very ambitious for a: seat ; at. the. Council, but,heunderstood;. East ."Ward ...was going a begging., South-road, Barr-street, , and' many other works were ' necessary, but he pointed' to the amount of * money tiie Council had thrown away upon.-useless works such as a well, tree- planting, street, lamps,. &c. -, 'He would ;have all the streets and footpaths formed so that a blind manmight see i to go ' through- the, township. (Laughter.) He referred to the land to be sold 1 in East Ward, which he considered 'the best- portion of .the, township for residences. This would necessitate the for- . mation of . streets, and footpaths in that Ward.

. In reply to questions, he said lie considered the money spent upon lamps ill spent. He. was .aware :the' ratepayers had petitioned the Council to plant trees. He believed Bast Ward* had had' a fair share of the revenue expended upon it in the past, and he would do his Best to have it continued for the future. He was iri favour of the Council assisting in the formation of a fire Brigade iand 'providing a reel, hose, &c.

Mr G. M'Dougall said he was riot going to make a speech, but if elected, he would do his best for the interests of East Ward and the Borough, as a whole.

Messrs Bain, Brewer, and Dunne did riot answer' to the Chairman's call to address the meeting. A vote of thanks to the Chairman concluded the proceedings, which were very orderly throughout.