INDIGNATION MEETING.

Mataura Ensign, Issue 709, 10 March 1900, Page 2

INDIGNATION MEETING.

-'■ y : -'-'' -.'■ ." * , — .."*» "- — t-~~ "'•"'-" "--•' ■*-' GOP_3 borough. couNcm Asked : '>. to resign. :y.In response to a. requisition • .convening a. meeting of -citizens. lor .the. purpose of - reviewing - the : methods pursued , by the Mayor and Councillors of Gore,in conducting the business", of .the town, there, wig a very large attendance' at the Town Hall on Thursday evening. The ' proceedings -were lively throughout, but tho best of good temper was displayed by all. . Mr James Beattie was elected chairman. He said there was some dissatisfaction among ratepayers with the present Council, and that was the meaning of the meeting that night. It was a very good thing always to have grievances of that kind ventilated, and no doubt some good .would be done by discussing matters gonerally. -"-All wanted to see the town prospering and the Council working amicably together, and there was no reason why the Mayor and Council should not work together for the good of the town. He would like-to hear those ratepayers with grievances express themselves, so that tbe meeting might decide what was best to be done for the good of the town. Mr J. D. Hunter said he supposed he was one of the agitators. They wanted to-bring about reform in the Council, and not before it was time. He had had something to do with local bodies for a good many years, and considered the methods pur ued by the Council now and for some time past were a disgrace to any town of tbe size of Gore. Some time ago there was an agitation raised for drainage in East Gore. A number of ratepayers sent a letter to theßailway Department asking tbem to stop the sewage and foul matter being run into the gravel- reserves by the Council. The Department assisted the ratepayers in every way, and sent a notice to the Council to abate the nuisance before January 31st, otherwise legal proceedings would be taken. The Council dilly-dallied with the matter till the lust moment, and eventually put in a beautiful drain from Flanagan's corner towards the river. Instead of the fall of the drain going towards the river it wont the other way, with the result that the ditch filled up with sewage, and caused an abominable stench. : _he drain was not cut by the authority of the Council, but bythe Mayor and Works Committee without asking the Council. If the Council had asked the Railway Department for a little time to abate the nuisance in a workmanlike manner, tbis would have been granted, and the Council could have made a satisfactory j:.b, allowing proper fall for tbe drainage. Instead of that money had been wasted and thrown away. The same clique authorised pipes being put in the drain. When the drain was open some clever individuals filled it in. He (the speaker)- was blamed for it. (Mr W.Robertson: "And so was I," and laughter). Well, whoever did it wore clever fellows to fill in in one and a-half hours what had taken three mon four days to dig out. — (Laughter). Then there was a hue and cry got up that most of the pipes in the drain had been broken. A detective was sent up and worried a number of respectable individuals about it. On investigating the matter he (the detective) found that not one pipe was broken — it was, in fact, a " Mayor's nest."— (Laughter and applause). It had beeu said that the Mayor should be put in the hole. That was not very far wrong.— (Renewed laughter). Councillor Latham : Are yau aware that those pipes were put in without the cousent of the Council ? Mr Hunter : Yes, and I said so. Continuing, the speaker said that last Mi-ndny evening there was a large gathering of ratepayers at the Counoil meeting to see how tho business was conducted. After the correspondence and the pay-sheet had beeii dealt with tlie Mayor adjourned the meeting in an arbitrary manner, so that the ratepayers should not see how the business of tho town was conducted. — (Applause and uproar). That was what the ratepayers complained about, and they thought it was high time there was a better state of things. He would move, therefore : " That the Mayor and Councillors ot the Borough of Gore are not conducting the business of the town in a satisfactory manner, and ask them to consider their position and resign in a body." — Mr C. Lindsay seconded the motion amid deafening applause and cat-calls. Mr W. Macara asktd who had inserted the advertisement in last Saturday's Enskin calling the ratepayers together at the last Council meeting. — Tbe chairman replied that he did not know, and Mr D. Dougall suggested, amid laughter, " Tommy Atkins." Councillor Latham asked where would be the advantage if say .live councillors resigned and tho rest remained. He was agreeable to hand in his resignation, but if four did not do so would they be in any better position ? — (Mr Dougall : " Far better," and laughter). They should resign in a body or not at all. Regarding East Gore drainage, he (the speaker) had always fought for proper plans for a permanent scheme. He did not believe in trumpery work. The present drain in East Gore had been carried out without the consent of the Council. He did not believe there was a clique in the Council. Mr Hunter having explained that his motion suggested that the Mayor and Councillors should all resign, Mr Latham said he knew certain Councillors who would not resign. Mr W. Robertson said he had a giievance against the Council. He had been "put up " twice that day, and. felt sore. — (Laughter). He had bsen in Gore for 16 years and had not beon i i court before, and he thought if all had their rights he would not have been there this time. He certainly had said something to the Mayor, but he meant it as a joke. However, he found it was no joke. — (Loud laughter). The East Gore drain had been cut without the authority of the Council. — (Mr Dougall : Did the Works Committee authorise it?) Yes, the Works Committee did authorise it, but a motion was carried that the drain was to be left open till Mr Blaikie's report was to hand and a proper scheme considered. Jimmy Allan — (Voices: " Mr Allan.") Well, Mr James Allan—(laughter) — complained about the drain being left open, and two days after it was piped. These pipes were supposed to havo been broken, aud a detective came to the speaker and said he was suspected of doing it. He (the detective) took the speaker's crowbar to see if it had been used to break the pipes, but when he uncovered the drain all the pipes were found to be sound except one which had a piece broken off it. He was also blamed for filling in the drain. Well, he was not fond of shovelling dirt. — (Laughter). Mr Robertson proceeded to complain of being singled out for prosecution for keeping swine within the borough. No one had complaided about his keeping pigs, and they wore no annoyance to anyone, otherwise he would not have kept them. He wanted to know why he was singled out. lie thought it was because he had attended the Council meetings ever since the present Mayor was elected, and perhaps his presence annoyed the Mayor. He con-' tended tbat the Inspector should not have the power to summon anyone without the consent of the Council. — (A voice : "But his father-in-law is the Mayor," and laughter). He thought the Council should resign in a body, and let there be a fresh start made. Mr E. S. McGill (who met a somewhat mixed reception) was surprised that the meeting was called that night. He had not heard any good reason why the meeting should be could (A voice-: "You were not in soon enough," and laughter). He had heard there was a row in the Council, but why there should be he did not understand. Under Britisli rule allthe world over, the decision of the majority was accepted by the minority, and why not in this case ? Mr Ballintine had been chosen Mayor by a majority of the people ; he had lived in the town for - 22 years, and had played an honorable part, and paid 20s in the £. Why then should fault be found with him ? If the Council did not accept the situation let tbem resign, and contest an election with someone else. He (the speaker) was willing to contest an election with any of those who did resign. Mr Ballintine was worthy of the position, in which he was placed. He was elected by a. majority, and if any Councillor did not accept it, let him drop out and challenge him (the speaker). — (Uprqar, and a Voice : " Do you think you are an improvement on any of them ?"). Somo acts recently perpetrated wero a disgrace to New Zealand and Gore. Closing a drain and spoiling pipes was the most diabolical act — (laughter)— he had heard of for 30 years. It was a pity the police could not trace it. No man in a cottage was safe while the perpetrator, was at large.— (Renewed laughter). .It was really dangerous to have such a. man in the place, and he was sorry to' live , in a community with such a one. — (Laughter, uproar, and voices : " Pull up your socks," etc.). He -was proud of the present Mayor— (applause and groansj-r-and wasgl.d to support him. .He was -an honor to tho town in which he jived, and_ paid 20. in the £.— (Applause "and uproar); - ,

Mr WyHendersqh, saidMr McGill had made a great poiiit of Mr Ballintine's paying 20s in the £. Evory'' other] Councillor, had done that: His (the speaker's) complaint against the Council was that on Monday night, when there was t five hours'-, business, to. do, the Mayor adjourned the -meeting" after they passed the pay-sbeet.-HMr.'Dougall:."That was to" allow the ratepayers .' to have their entertainment.") Five Councillors:, -were against tho Mayor's action, in adjourning themeeting. The Mayor should be ruled by a majority of thoCounoil.— (Voices : "No, no," and " He should be ruled by common sense.") If the Mayor was to rule, where was the necessity- for, a Council at 'all ? He would suggest; as an amendment, that tbe Mayor and other two Councillors should resign in favor of the majority. He would support the motion^ but knew of one Councillor who would not resign in any case." — (Cries of " Name ?" and applauso). Mr Hunter characterised the statement that all the pipes in the East Gore drain wore broken as a fabrication.— (Mr McGill : " They were.") Mr Hunter : " Not one was broken. — (Uproar.) I have the .authority of Detective Raynes for that. lie-came to the conclusion it was a trivial matter."— (Mr MoGill : "It was a disgrace.") Mr Hunter : " Hold your tongue, sir." — (Uproar). Ho had no personal grievances, against anyone in tho Council, except — . He was 100 cunuing for them. -They \Vere a lot of dummies under him, and he ruled the roost. It was timo they got men in the Council with some backbone. — (Applause and dissent). At this stage cries were raised for various members of the audience to address the meeting, " Rule Britannia " and " Sons of the Sea" were sung by the younger portion of the crowd, and Mr Dougall suggested that the chairman should recite " The AbsentMinded Beggar." There boing no othor speakers, MrHunter's motion was put, and (amid loud cheers) declared carried by 50 votes to 10. The proceedings closed with a vote of thanks to the chairman.