THE CITY MAYORALTY.

Evening Star, Issue 4485, 14 July 1877, Page 2

THE CITY MAYORALTY.

About fifty persons attended Mr Leary’s meeting na Ike uow Oddfellows’ Hall last uight, Mr Doughty occupying the chair. b * ~ T'*? candidate prefaced his remarks by saying that m t ie co'ar e of his canvas, he would only refer to Lis opponents, should they use arguments that required cem'iatting. Ho appeared to claim the suHrages of the citizens as a ratepayer, which he Lai a perfect right to do, and because having served ‘wo years in the Council, ho might be presumed to know something of i*s working and about c Vic matters. He resigned his seat in the Council last year because the illness he was suffering from at that time rendered it absolutely necessary, if he wished to live, that he should go to Victoria for tour or five months. It would be ungenerous, after ti u explanation, if either of his opponents brought forward against his claim to he elected the fact of ms not at present being a member of the Connell. He next referred to his action in the Council to get the roads curved, so that the surface water should run easily off them into the channels. If returned he would endeavor to see further improvements in that direatioa carried out. Drainage, by means of sewers, into the sea was too costly for us, and he did not see why we could not adopt a system of surface drainage similar to Melbourne, where the earth closet system had worr.ed admirably. Any proposal for properly draining the City would have his hearty support; but it would be for engineers to indicate what the system siun.d be, and if he had the opportunity he would carefully consider all reports on the subject and vote in the direction he thought test for tee City, Tlie levels of ad the streets should be permanently fixed, and he mentioned a case that had recently come under his notice of a man having built a bouse at a cost of L7OO, aud finding it a few years afterwards many feet above the street, which was meanwhile reduced, the consequence being that the house was rendered unsafe to live in, aud had to be removed. If a man’s laud suffered damage through any acts of the Couucil.it was nothing but fair and just to give him compensation for tbo damage done by the making of the improvements to the town. He was in favor of spending more money upon the water sui p.y, in older to bring the water into tke house of every ratepayer in Dunedin. He would not imp' B e any charge for baths or anything of that kind. We shou.d encourage people in every possible way to keep their places clean. But when the Cotporation undertake to supply people with water, and charge taeui pretty well for it, the least they could do was to give pure water. la the summer tune the water supplied from the Corporation Waterworks was scarcely fit for domestic purposes. Iho thing con.a easily be remedied by the introduction of filter beds. The water should be made sufficiently pure to be safe to drink, and it would be one of his special duties, if elected Mayor, to try aud bring about a reform in that direction. Another matter that required locking into very seriously, and handling with firm hand, was that of the gas. There can be no doubt that the supply of gas in this town is very unsatisfactory indeed. People were o°^r ,m i lng A hat thc y had t0 P a y for 2,600 ft or i ,oooft when they were under the impression that they did not burn more than one-half of that A good deal, if not the whole, of this dissatis’action on the part of the ratepayers, or rather of the gas consumers, was owing to bad management. He had made a groat many inquiries and was thoroughly convinced that, under proper management, we could get cheap and good gas for the City, and still have the streets lighted free of charge. The working of the gas department during the twelve months ended December 31 last showed a profit of L 3.163, that is, after taking credit for L 3.783 10s for the street lighting. He had no hesitation in saying that, in his opinion, the streets of this town could bo lighted out of the profits made from the Gasworks, and at the same time the people could be supplied with gas at 10a per I,oooft, the Council merely charging for that which is actually c nsumed. He had supported and would still support the Octagon as the site for the Town Hall; he believed that the Wharves and Quays Reserves belonged to the Corporation, but would coreful’y consider any evidence to the contrary that might be adduced ; and, if the Water of Leith were placed under the Corporation control, would see that immediate steps were taken to keep it within bounds, and so prevent it doing damage in floo 1-time. This year there would only bo about 1.8,000 available for City improvements. With that small sum we were not in a position to undertake large works unless we borrowed. What we would have left after paying for kerbing and channelling would be no more than sufficient to meet out liabilities for day labor, without going in for sewerage. It must be borne in mind, however, that *ur revenue was increasing year by year. Mr Massey had given him his views as to the probable increase of the rates for the next year. Ho a\ys that a 15d rate for 1877 will produce LU.287, that is upon a valuation of L227.U00, and he expects that next year theasreismcnts will reach L 250.000, or about 10 per cent, m ire than for the present year Had lie (Mr Leary) been in the Cour. •il he would have insisted upon the additional t an . way privileges asked for by Mr Proudfoot being terdered for, and he was of opinion that had that cour.-e boon adopted a considerable sum per annum more would have been got for tbo privilege. He would not make any large promises, but he would promise this—if elected be would conduct bin.salf in a prop r manner, and not bring discredit upon those who (looted him. Ho wouid seek to bring about those reforms which bo thought were necessary to the interests of the Oily.

Several questions were answered, the principal replies being that he could not understand why the citizens had been treated ns they had been under the new Rating Act. The Council can merely bring on tin; Legislature wbat inllucuco it can to get the law altered. In voting who should represent thc Ouueil at the Harbor Hoard ho would vote in the same way as he would for Mayor, i efor the two best. men. uo matter what end of the town they represent! d.

A veto of confidence in the candidate was pro, posed aud carried ttcii?. com.