THE SOUTH WARD ELECTION.

Evening Star, Volume VII, Issue 1946, 31 July 1869, Page 3

THE SOUTH WARD ELECTION.

CITY MANAGEMENT AND ITS ABUSES. MR. HUTCHISON AT THE PRINCE OF WALES HOTEL. Mr Stephen Hutchison addressed a numerously attended meeting of the ratepayers at the Prince of Wales hotel last evening, on “ City Management and its Abuses. ” Mr John Edmond presided, and in introducing the candidate requested that he might be accorded a fair hearing. Mr Hutchison, who was received with cheers, said :—Fellow Citizens, in meeting you here this evening, I feel deeply impressed with the difficulty‘l shall labor under, in consequence of having to address meetings night after night, the component parts of which are so much the same. Moreover, I shad have to dilate upon municipal questions that have already been worn threadbare ami mutilated by those prosy harangues and vapid declamations which have been indulged in by some of the gentlemen who are now aspiring to civic honors. I approach with fear and trembling the responsibility of dilating upon questions of municipal economy in Dunedin. I fear that no degree of rhetoric, no eloquence, or any facts I may urge, will induce you to feel much more interest in those matters now being discussed in various parts of the city, for they have been served up ad nauseam by the different candidates—and, besides, yon are, no doubt, still suffering from the selflaudation which some of them have indulged in when addressing the multifuries charitable enough to licax- them. If you wish to encourage me in the successful accomplishment of that which I hate undertaken, you must accord to me an opinion as antipodean in its character which you may be called upon to accord to the other g; ntlcman w ith whom I am contesting the present election. (Applause.) I must, necessarily, go over some, at least, of the old ground. First, then, I may inform you, that so far as this contest is concerned I have been entirely the creature of circumstances. A few evenings ago I attended a meeting which had been convened by a gentleman whom I considered was not entitled to the confidence of the citizens, and therefore ought not to be elevated to the honorable position of Mayor of Dunedin. At that meeting I rose to propose an amendment, and from that action, on my part, originated the vaiious circumstances which resulted in my becoming a candidate for your suffrages. When riding towards home that night, and when my heart was filled with indignation at the extravagant consumption of gas in the public huups, my horse, when opposite the Daily Junes office, made a tremendous plunge from one side of the road to the other, and I was nearly thrown through the office window by the occurrence. Instead of regaining it, however, as the act of the animal, I thought I saw the finger of destiny pointing to something that was likely to affect my future career. (Laughter and applause ) I at Once dismounted, entered th c-Daily Tunes office, and caused to be published the advertisement which convened my first mcetiufr. Gentlemen, I look back to the two meetings that I have already Jield with considerable pride, I know bow unexpected the results have been to those who were opposed to mo. I stated the other evening that Municipal Economy might be summed up under three heads : The first duty of a City Council was to make provision to ensure the preservation of the health of the citizens; secondly, to provide means of traffic for commerce, and f >r social intercourse between one man and another; and thirdly, to make those bye-laws and regulations which afiect their welfare as citizens. Now, speaking from a theoretical point of view, the main sewers of a city ought to be constructed as soon as a city is formed. Such a course is impracticable, but so soon as the city is laid out and buddings are constructed sewage works should begin. Then we should not be liable to those dangers by which we are now surrounded. At any moment we may he visited by all j hose direful diseases which emanate from inefficient drainage. As 1 previously stated the Municipal Council under the Ordinance were empowered to borrow to the extent of LIOO,OOO. Forty thousand pounds of that sum has be-u already expended, and for years past I have not noticed that any pci ■ maneut work, except perhaps that ui 1 xtt street, has Veen done. (Hear, hear, and laughter.) I fail also to see that South Ward had been benefited much by that liberal expenditure of L 40,000 out ot the LIOO.OOO. Of course, 1 don't say that the L4U, 000 has altogether Leon mis-spent; but I certainly fail to see, from the iuquuies I have made, that South Ward has figured in the expenditure to that degree which its importance demands. What about that reserve which hy this time should ha’ e been the site of a splendid Corn Market ? In every other city which I have visited market accommodation seemed to be one of the first objects which a municipal body aspired to carry out. It is there that producer and consumer meet to dispose of their goods. But we have no such accommodation here. We arc obliged to travel from one end of the City to the other to' make each other s acquaintance as best we can. (Hear, hear.) I really think that one of the principal reasons why the South Ward has not attained that degree of prominence which it ought to have secured, when questions of expenditure were under consideration, is, that the representatives of the wag’d aekpd cither a great too mil oh, or a great deal too little. The happy medium has been wanting. I now tome to the question as to the necessity of carrying olit Works hy contract. All works prosecuted under the Corporation should, if oter L2O, be performed Vy contract; and when it can be done with any degree of jusstiile to ‘ the citizens, they should be let to the people residing in the ward. \Vith regard to the state of our streets, I think that the officers who are now employed by the Corporation would relieve themselves of much respop ibility, and that the work would he far better done if it was carried oll t by contract. 1 allude particularly to scavenging and cleaning of the city generally. That work is so done m other parts of the world that I ha\ e vkited, and I don’t think that we should consider ourselves too wise to decline to follow the example of experienced communities. (Applause). The public purse, I fear resembles many of our private pockets. We have money in them sometimes, and pci-

haps too often we are profuse in expenditure and not always wise in regard to the purposes to which we appropriate our money , and I think that when you have a dangerous monopoly in the shape of a water supply, when you are paying for water at a price unheard of in any other part of the globeand water being an element on which the health of the citizens so materially depends —I ask will it he right to spend any part of LGO.OOO on other works than those calculated to preserve the health of the citizens? (Applause.) In reference to the gas question, I will ask—What man can hold up his hand, and justify the outlay of LI 20 for the purpose of enabling the City Council to obtain a report on the production and supply of gas from Mr A. K. Smith ? (A Voice : “There is no bye-law which justifies it.”) I must say that, speaking in the most indulgent manner, it is a very unpardonable waste of public money. In connection with gas engineering, I am, at all events, an authority whose experience is entitled to some weight. In yesterday’s issue of the Dally Times, Mr A. K. Smith is reported to have stated that the cost of coal used in the manufacture of gas is the principal element on which an estimated price of gas can be based. I would ask Mr A. K. Smith how it happens that in Newcastle, where that ‘gentleman is connected with the gas works, with coal at 2a 6d per ton, and wages at 40 per cent, lower than in Dunedin, it is necessary to supply the gas at IGs per thousand cubic feet, without realising an extravrgant profit ? The relative proportion between the price of gas at IGs and coal at 2s Gd per ton, is about 460 per cent, upon the original price of the coal. With these facts before us, what shouhi the price of gas be in Dunedin where coal cannot be had down at the works under L2 2s Gd per ton. The question N easily answer'd. 11 should be Ll3 12s per thousand, without taking into consideration that wages are 40 per cent, higher here, than in Newcastle. With such facts before us, of what value can Mr A. K. Smith’s opinion be ? Again, it is stated that the public lamps in Sydney cost L 8 10s per annum each, with coal at 7s 9d per ton. By a parity of reasoning, therefore, the public lamps of this City should be charged 1.4G los per lamp. Again, I demand, what reliance can be placed upon Mr A. K. Smith’s assertions? Assuming, for argument sake, that Mr Smith’s estimate that gas could be supplied at the gas holder for 7s per thousand, with o >al at LI 15s, per ton, if we add the cost of distribution comprising interest of money, office charges, collecting, metres, repairs of mains, and service, bad debts, lighting, extinguishing, repairing public lamps, and depreciation of plant, 1 state without fear of contradiction, that the cost of gas at the consumers’ burners could not be less than 21s per thousand cubic feet. But with coal at 42s Gd—the real price—the public could not be supplied under’ 245. Observe, this statement is not based on my estimate but on that of Mr A, K. Smith, and the theory Mr Smith has propounded is, that “the cheaper the coal and labor the dearer the gas,” and vice versa. Now, Heave you to draw your own deductions from that theory. Mr Smith asserts that the Melbourne Gas Company could afford to light 301) lamps at the same price per lamp as they could 1800, namely, L 7 per lamp. Extraordinary as that statement may at first sight appear, Mr Smith is correct, but why ? Mr Scott, the secretary of the Melbourne com:'any told me that there was a loss of L2 per lamp per year on the public lighting. So that they could better afford to light 300 than 1800 lamps, as their loss would be L3OOO less. In order to justify the Ll7 10s contract in Melbourne, he says that the price of coal was L 7 10s. per ton. Now there is just one atom of truth in his statement; yet notwithstanding, it is a statement tending to deceive. They might, it is true, have had Canuel coal at £7 10s. per ton, and if so, they might have used two or three per cent, but the other ninety seven per cent, would be coal at about £3 per ton. If Mr. Scott bad been written to, every question the City Council desired to ask, would have been answered in a truthful, courteous, and able manner, and a great expenditure would have been saved. \Vhat I have said goes to prove that no reliance can be placed upon Mr A K. Smith's statements It has also been stated by Mr A. 3L Smith, that the reason why it would become necessary for the Corporation, if they purchase the works, to relay the mains is, that they are all too small. Now, the alleged occasional deficiency of pressure cannot arise f om want of a proper area in the mains, but it arises from so many branches running off the trunk mains, and which are carried up steep bills, and of course the natural tendency of gas to ascend deprives the lower ground of a due proportion of gas travelling thvoqgh five main. It however, can easily be altered by inserting valves in certain positions, so ns to prevent an undue pressure on the bills. At the extreme termination cf the mains at the Water of Leith, the pressure is greater than in Melbourne. The necessary appliances, however, to effect this change have have already boon sent for from England, by the lessee. Now those who know Mr A. K. Smith, are aware that he is a very clever man of business, but X am afraid that be has scarcely estimated us—in making those statements, at our right mental calibre. He may rely upon every statement lie makes and every figure he puts forward being quite as ably and surecssfully criticised here as it would be in any ■ thcr intelligent community—(applause). Whar do you think of a man opening the streets to find out the size of the pipes, and to otherwise lake advantage of my brains, when by asking me a few questions he would have been told all he desired to know V What do you think of a City Officer, going into the shops of people ajtev the fashion of an officer of the Inquisition and asking ‘How much gas have you got; how much do you burn ?’ and so on? Why ho might as well ask you what is the amount of your balance at your banker’s! I trust those citizen, who have any respect for themselves will indignantly resent such a course. I have already shewn how ihc expenses connected with the public lighting could be reduced ■ tulation is therefore unnecessary. I believe the present lejsee will boeven more liberal than I have been, and I have been liberal even to folly —(loud laughter.) I contend, gentlemen, that the Corporation have no right whatever to interfere with private lighting. Their duty is simply to see that the public lighting is brought to us reasonable a rate as circumstances will permit. Gas is not necessary to a man’s health. It is not like watei —(applause). A man may use kerosene, candles, or anything else he pleases, and his health will not be injured in the slightest degree. But he cannot live without water. Then why should so great importance be placed upon this gas question ?

Is it not evident that it has been made to assume an importance for political purposes ? For obtaining, for instance, £4OO a year! (hear, hear.) lam glad to say, however, that the £4OO per annum, for one year at least, has been more creditably placed. Now, gentlemen, a word or two as so the proposal to reduce the price of gas. Some people have sai ' —•'Oh, the reduction will only be a temporary matter, and in a short limn we shall be called upon to pay the old price.” Don’t believe a word of it. It has been represented to us by certain gentlemen, whose opinion we very much respect, that if a reduction in price takes place, the consumption will increase. If so, our profits will to some extent be reimbursed ; and, if possible, you may rest assured that wo shall reduce, but not increase, the price of gas again. (A Voice ; “If wo get cheap Fish and cheap Gas, we shall have nothing left to complain about.” (Laughter and applause.) The position in which Mr Fish wishes to place the ratepayers in regard to gas is this ' The private consumer says to the o Corporation I want you to enter into a a speculation that will cost £15,000. I want you to take all the risk. I will give you 2 per cent, of the profit, but I want the other ninety-eight to myself, and find none ot the money (laughter and applause.) That is it exactly; and yon see, gentlemen, that those statements will not bear criticism. I do not like to speak of myself because it is dillicult to do so without appearing egotistical. I have always been able to be the architect of my own fortunes : and if I could do well for myself as a man of business I can also servo you well. You will soon see the Gas Question die away. It will fade like the mist we occasionally sec on a foggy morning. With respect to a Corn Market at this end of the Town (hear, hear). A corn market could be established for LfiflO or L7OO ; and il the Corporation cannot find the money, I think I can obtain a eon adei able portion of if. for any reasonable lime without interest (iipplausej. Mr. Bathgate used the expression (hat South Ward was “ the model ward,” bat I am at a loss to discover the precise grounds on which he arrived at that conclusion. The night that ho made the statement in question, he was engaged, adininistonng a little pleasant flattery to those gentlemen who had subscribed the orphan and widow’s mile for the purpose of raising £BC as a presentation to the opposing candidate (laughter). I think another construction can be very fairly placed on the statement that South Ward is the model ward. Some of yon may 7 perhaps be aware that there is a certain property called “ The Glen.” Allotments are advertised for sale as temptations to the working classes, and if Mr Bathgate could succeed in persuading the people that South Ward is the model ward of the city, and that the streets arc in that charming condition which they ought to be, a desire would be created anmngst them to live in or as near as_ possible to this property 7 , and in that event it would, no doubt, be sold to advantage —(A Voice : “poor John,” and applause) Mr Bathgate would thus pocket the difference between taxed and untaxed property outsidothe city boundary. Besides all that has been executed has been done under the Town Board out of the £5,5000 subsidy voted by the Provincial Government, and not through any effort on the part of Mr Fish, nor does any outlay in this Ward form part of the £40,000 already borrowed under the Act.

A number of questions wore asked, and answered sat Isfactorily.

Mr A. B. Ure proposed and Mr W. E. Conzens seconded a motion “That Mr Stephen Hutchison is a fit and proper person to represent the interests of the ratepayers of the South Ward in the City Council.” The motion was carried unanimously. On the motion of Mr Hutchison a unanimous vote of thanks was accorded to the Chairman, and the proceedings terminated.