BELL WARD NOMINATIONS.

Evening Star, Issue 10213, 15 January 1897, Page 2

BELL WARD NOMINATIONS.

— —fn** .hj, , n |hp)^Vi®giW®ti V 4M«wi for tlw Sttk«, droluary vaoappy/for councillor forjpfaMs paused by,,tha Archibald, Momma* Wetaannounced at gb on to-day at the Town Hall by field, deputy returning officer jaki. • l ' Vr iy l 'A > y I . Joi(iN B&tUe Thomson bv SHko and Andrew Lefts. • : Kichab® by Henry Herbert Driver aud Shiel. ( Both WfomAiions being in order, the returning officer named Friday,. January 22, aa the day on which the poll of ratepayers would be taken. Mr Sandilands then addressed the halfdozen ratepayers who were present, He said it would have been too much to eXpect that be, a comparatively Drew baud Su municipal affaire, would baVe heujh tyalk-oycr for Bell Wardi Whilst bot.oQtb'pUinjDgi that he had opposition, ’V^hpd., to, eay .that he-was beirig because he advocated reforms that wojre said to be going to cause a great morease.in the rates. He wished to assure the ratepayers at once that if any of the reforms he advocated were going- to Increase the rates of the City he would at once leave that reform alone. He was, .however, of opinion that many reforms in the City, sanitary and otherwise, could be attained without any increase of the rates. It was said that his reforms must hhuse andnerease bocauee he Wtetfcft founder of the Sanitary Institute, Which advocated the proper sanitation of even two-roomed dwellings. He Was known as the founder of' the Institute, and was proud to be so known. The reformers in Glasgow were told that they would increase the rates, jbut instead of doing that they had left Glasgow in suoh a splem did condition that at the present time there were no rates to pay. This desirable end was gained by the Glasgow Council taking over the gasworks, watJCrWlCrks, trpmjf,, etc., and creating a popUM hVsjem of government. In their water and gasworks, Dunedin had gr&t reserves, with which they mannerofGlasgpw, Referringtotheabattoirs, Mr Sandilands said that he had advocated .that system three years ago when addressing builders. He called attention to the harm that might arise through the law as it was at present. The City Council were erecting abattoirs at the Taieri, and yet the Taieri County Council had the power to render the abattoirs of no avail by appointing an inspector for the county, and so enable the butchers to kill at thelt private slaughterhouses and bring the itteal tb Dunedin without that proper inspection Which is to be so great a feature . of, the abattoirs. To prevent this being done the law would haVe to be altered. He (Mr Sandilands) ■represented more especially the lower portion of Bell Ward, which had been very much neglected, and when visitors to Dunedin were going away by the train along the foreshore they must take with them a very bad impression of the place. At the present time there were two pouhcillora resident in the upper portion of Bell Ward. He advocated the extension of the sewers, and referred especially to the disgraceful state of the sewer at the bottom of St. Andrew street. Whilst in favor of a public library for Dunedin, he thought much might be done by the Atheoieum subscribers to show that they were anxious to benefit the town. There were other important questions to which he would like to refer, but he would reserve his remarks on them until he met the ratepayers as a body at a public meeting before the election.—(Applause.) Mr J. B. Thomson said he had no desire to make a speech. It was just over twenty years since the ratepayers of Bell Ward first asked him to stand for the Counoil. On that occasion he was returned, and three times afterwards he was returned unopposed. On the present occasion he was asked by about twenty ratepayers to stand. He had lived in Bell Ward for twenty-five years, and for twelve months previous to the present time there had not been a representative of Bell Ward who lived in that ward. When he Was asked to stand for the vacancy he placed his services at the disposal of the ratepayers. The late councillor for the ward had just “gone to that bourne whence no traveller returns,” and the term that had to run was only of nine months, and therefore he (Mr Thomson) was not going to conduct any election campaign. Having consented to stand for the position he would do so, but would not be sorry if his friend and opponent was returned. Referring to the Sanitary Institute, Mr Thomson said that the Sanitary Committee of twenty years ago took up a bigger stand and did more for the City than ever the present Institute had done. He would leave the ratepayers of Bell Ward to settle the matter of who was to be councillor next Friday, and if his friend was elected be would shake hands with him and congratulate him. Mr Thomson concluded by moving a vote of thanks to the deputy returning officer. Mr Sandilands seconded the motion, which was carried, and the proceedings terminated. ••