MR. WILSON AT NEWTOWN.

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

MR. WILSON AT NEWTOWN.

About 60 persons assembled in the Ade-laldo-roftd H«ll last evening; for the ptarpose of hearing Mr. Alexander Wilson, a candidate for the'represention of Cook Ward in the City Counoil, give an exposition of his views on munioipal matters. The ohair was ooonpied by Mr. Rees-Mogg. ' Mr. Wilson prefaced hu remarks by referring to his lengthened residence in the distriot, and apologieing for not having announced himself sooner. With referenoe to the latter matter, he explained that the delay had been oauied by his desire to allow Mr. Brown to address them fint. He (Mr. Wilson) was not new to the bnrgetses, baring been before them on several previous occasions, but never in the oapaoity of a candidate. Hs had always taken great interest in municipal 'matters, and oould assure the meeting that, if elected, he would carefully attend to their interests in the Council. The ward had been negleotedfy the Counoil, and he would show them how it had been treated. Tat s(reets,were in pretty good condition, but he was sorry to say that the same ceuld not be said of the footpaths, whioh were simply disgraceful. Gas was required to : illuminate the thoroughfares, and he thought an agreement, should be coma to between the Gas Company and the Corporation to light tho streets. He had reoently spoken to the gas people on the subject, but nothing had been done so far towards suoh a deßirable end. The branch drains of the ward had also, been badly neglected by the Corporation, and the manner in whioh the money -had been fritterod away by the Council was scandalous. As an instance, he would mention that the drain in Cuba-street had not been finished more than a week when a flood oame on and washed a good deal of the work away, whioh was a serious loss to the municipality. A very large amount of money had been expended by the Connoil in the construction of drains, <to., and he defied anyone to enow him that the expenditure had been wisely incurred. He had taken tbe trouble to go into this matter, and found that in the year ending on the 31st of Match hut no less thin £4382 6s 4d, had been spent on drainage. He6ubm:tted that tho woks performed so far bad been too oostly, and of little utility. In Kent Terrace the drain was too small, and when a flood oame on the residents got more than thoir fair share of water. Then, again, the culvert at the head of Jobn-i-treet was badly construct-, d, and in Riddifordstreet the 12-inch pipe was simply absurd. In Rhodes-street, also, similar bundling on the part of the Engineer had taken place. This was *hit trie City Couocil had been doing for the Cook Ward ratepayers in the past, and he thought it was alwut time the burgesses ross and protested against euoh wasteful expenditure. (Hear, hear.) He now came to a very Important point in his address. As all present were aw*re, the offioes of Town Cler'< and City Solicitor were held by two different gentlemen. In his opinion this should not be so, and if elected he would use his best endeavours to have the offices amalgamated. If this were done a consider^ able saving would be affeoted yearly, as the emount now paid the lawyers was something considerable. For the half-year ending Slat September, 1881, 4560 hid been expended in legil expanses, the total for the year being ,£I9OO odd— a sum which In his opinion was a thousand pound J too great, fie believed, that a solicitor eonld fufil the duties appertaining to both offices, and even if he were paid .£iooo a year, a like sum would b« saved thn Corporation. The speaker next referred to the Te Aro reclamation, and said he thought it would have been completed before now. His opponent had taken great credit to himself on this matter, but the work had not yet been accomplished. He (Mr. Wilson) was in favour of the schema, as ho thought it weuld improve til* eanit*/

oondition of th« oity, and plaoe them In posßMtion of tome valuable land. He would alio advocate the oonatrnotion of a goring dock. Buoh an adjunct to a port was greatly needed, and in riew of direot steam oornmunioation he held that it wm the duty of the authorities to attend to the matin. Mr. - - Wilson also advocated the iisue of Corporation, notes to meet the opst of reclaiming tie land at Xc Aro, and expressed an Opinion that no difficulty would be experienced in raising-ibe money in4hkinatiner. Evdepra^- - oated the action of the Counoil io transferring its interest in the wharf and bonded store, and laid that by io doing they had parted with a rateable endowment, and sanaed a larger amount of taxation to be laid oa the ¦houldera of the burgesses. He waa in favour of as alteration taking plane 1n both the engineering sjnd Taking staffs, and ' thought the offioes of Valuer and Inipeotor of Nuisanoes might be oomblned. In conclusion, if elected, he should do his utmoat to promote the interest* of tho Cook Ward ratepayers. - - • • In reply to Mr. - J. H. Shaw and other gentlenun, Mr. Wilson said that if be was , a member of the Counoil, ho should receive ' all. deputations oourteonily« and endeavour to owry on* their' wi|bes, if possible. In his opinion, olerks of works should be ap* , pointed by the Counoil, and 'not by the Engineer. He thought the City Vainer was too highly paid. In the present state of the finances, he would oppose an inorease of the Mayor's salary, and would also set his face against awarding Plimmer, Beeves and Co. compensation* On the motion of the Chairman, aeoonded by Mr. HaFlswood, » rota of confldenoe in the candidate was passed, and the proceed* '' ings terminated.