MUNIOIPAL ELEOTIONS. MB. ALDRICH AT THE ATHENiEUM.

Evening Post, Volume XXIV, Issue 42, 8 September 1882, Page 2

MUNIOIPAL ELEOTIONS. MB. ALDRICH AT THE ATHENiEUM.

Some 50 ratepayers assembled at the Athenceum Hall last evening to hear Mr. Aldrioh, a oandidate for the offioe of City Councillor for Lambton Ward, express his views on munioipal matters. Mr. Waterhonde, who was elected ohairman, briefly introduced Mr. Aldrich as a gentleman who had had considerable experienao in municipal matters in Now Zealand, and who would probably be able to give them one or two wrinkles whioh might be cf greit service to the oity. Mr. Aldrioh said he laboured under the disadvantage of being a comparative stranger in the oity, and of being pitted against two snoh well-known representatives as Messrs. Young and Danks, who had, so far as he knew, worthily represented the ratepayers of the ward in the Counoil. He was not, however, altogether now to munioipal matters, having served a protty long apprenticeship in Dunedin, where he represented one of the largest wards for many years. The first subjeot upon whioh he would like to address them was upon the subject of the threepenny rate. The first business of a Corporation, he thought, was to onrtail their expenditure in euch a manner as to meet their expenses. He oould not too, however, that the Wellington Corporation had done this. To save a threepenny rate by economy was, in his opinion, a muoh better way of meeting tho difficulty than by imposing one. The dootrine of retrenchment waa a very unpopular one to preach and a very unpleacant one to initiate, but it was the best that Cjnld be adopted. What ooald be done in one plaoe oould Burely be done in another, and he would accordingly give them the result of his experience on tbe subject in Dunedin. The speaker then proceeded to draw an exhaustive comparison between the methods of munioipal management as pursued in Eunedin and in this oity. About two years ago an additional threepenny rate was imposed in Dnnedin to meet the growing expenditure. Of course tho ratepayers objeoted, and as many of the oonnoiilorß ebjeoted as well, an attempt was made to do without it by retrenchment. Salaries amounted at that time to about £5560 per annum. A reduction of salaries and a general amalgamation of offloes resulted in the immediate saving of £1500, a sum whioh made a very considerable hole in a threepenny rate. Instead of employing day labour as was done here, the work was performed where possible by contract, with the result that not only was a very great saving effeoted, but the work itself was muoh better done. There were, indeed, altogether only 33 day labourers employed by the Dunedin Corporation, of whom 29 were ordinary labourers, and the remainder skilled artisans, suoh us masons and plasterers. This was found sufficient to keep the streets in order the whole year round. Besides this, 40,000 yards of metal was annually laid down in Dunedin, all of whioh wbb done by these men. Everything ehe was done by contraot. The praotjoe here, however, was to employ a large quantity of day labour, the number of men employed averaging from 115 to 120 in constant employment. If the work wero done by contraot they would get 50 per oent. more work done for their money than by the present system A great deal too might be saved by paving the streets with asphalt instead of with, con- , orete. Both in Auckland and Dunedin the former material wo a used, and was found to be muoh cheaper and quite M effective, while it wentfonr times asfarasooDorete. They had 47 miles of it in Dunedin alone. It cost there 2s s}d per y&id, and the contractor had bound himself to keep it in order for five years. \ Here it Dost them 7a 6d a yard for their ' paving, between the making and the laying down, while there was four timea as muoh servioe in atphalte as in oonorete. After condemning the Council for condoning nearly £300 worth of rates owed by the Atnenroum Company, the speaker turned to oonsider I the expenditure in oonneotion with the Fire Brigade, the Hospital, and the Benevolent Institute. The Fire Brigade cost Wellington last year £809 7s 4d, while in Dunedin the whole cost for tho same was only £507 2s 9d, of whioh Bum the insurance companies oontributed £200, the actual oo&t to the ratepayers being £367 29 9d. As the insurance companies reoeived £30,000 a year from ' premiums before their rates were raised, and paid from 2} to 25 per oont. dividonde, lie thongbt they should contribute towards the expenses of the brigade here, and ishing the Fire Brigade altogether. He warmly oondemned the idea of getting the ratepayers to support the Hospital and Benevolent Institute, both of whioh were for the benefit of the Biok and indigent for the whole oountry round about and should be supported by publiosubcoriptionaobordtngly; and after blaming the Corporation for allowing the rates to get in such frightful arrears, the speaker resumed his seat amid loud applause. Mr. Anderson then moved that Mr. Aldrioh was a fit and proper person to represent Lambton Ward in the City Ccunoil. Mr. Bishop seponded the motion, whioh waa oarried unanimously. Ihe proceedings then terminated.