THE NEWTON MAYORALTY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 7799, 19 November 1886, Page 6

THE NEWTON MAYORALTY.

MR. HASTINGS' ADDRESS TO THE RATEPAIERS. Mr. F, Hastings, one of the candidates for the position of Mayor of the Newton Borough, addressed the burgesses yesterday evening in St. George's Hall, Great North Road. There was a good attendance, inoluding several ladies. Mr. T. MoMasters presided, and a number of Mr. Hastings , supporters also ocoupied seats on the platform. The Chairman, in introducing Mr. Hastings, remarked that that gentleman had been honoured by the presence of ladies that evening. This was a progressive age, and it was an evidenoe of the growth of women's rights when ladiea were found attending politioal meetings. He bespoke an impartial hearing for the speaker of the evening. The right of expressing public opinion was a right to be prized, and was the right of every Englishman ; and, as they knew, the best Englishman was an Irishman. Laughter and applause), Mr. Hastings, who was reoeived with cheers, said that he had been twice eleoted to the position of a councillor for the borough ; and he thanked them for their confidence in him. In his address a few evenings since, Mr. Warnook had said that it was well that the ratepayers should be frequently called together, in order that their representatives might give an account of their stewardship. If they measured Mr. Warnook by this standard, they would find that during the 13 years he had been chairman of the Newton road district and Mayor of the borough he had only onoe called a meeting of the ratepayers—on Thursday evening last. Furthermore, Mr. Warnook did not convene this meeting until he had become certain that a rival oandidate for the mayoralty was likely to appear in the field. Mr. Hastings referred to a oharge whioh Mr. Warnock in hie address had made against Mr. Gordon, another member of the Borough Council. Mr. Warnook had taken credit for bringing forward the question of the western loop line, (Chough it was a faot that several of the other councillors had taken a more prominent part than the Mayor in advancing the scheme. With respect to the Great North Road, Mr. Hastings considered that as the completing of this road would also benefit the residents of Arohhill, he considered it hardly fair that the ttewton Borough should bear the whole cost of construction. (Hear, hear.) Since the Arohhill ratepayers refused to contribute because the road did not belong to them, he would suggest that, in order to overcome the difficulty, the Archhill Road Distriot should be merged into the Newton Borough. He would then propose the division of the borough into wards, as follows :—Archhill to be one ward and Cox's Creek one ward, while the Surrey Hills distriot would form two wards. The Great North Road would then lie in the centre of the borough, instead of being a boundary road. Mr. Hastings read a statement showing the amount of money received during the year from the Surrey Hills portion of the borough, and which showed: Of the £930 paid in rates in the distriot, £630 was received from the burgesses resident at Surrey Hills, and from unsold allotments £189; of this sum a total of £50 had been spent at that end of the distriot. There were fifteen roads on Surrey Hills whioh bad not had one penny expended upon them. Mr. Hastings introduced a soheme of water supply and drainage, costing £3000, to be borrowed from tbe Government at 5 per cent., to be paid up in 21 years—4 per cent, interest and 1 per cent, as sinking fund. The sum that would be saved in insurance through their having a water supply would go to pay the extra rate, so that this scheme whioh he proposed, if carried out, would practically cost the burgesses nothing. The scheme would be a permanent one, and he would allot £1500 for water supply and £1500 for drainage. (The speaker produced a plan, showing the working of the soheme.) Mr. Hastings, having exonerated the Works Committee from all blame in respect to works in the borough not completed, having been ordered to be undertaken, resumed his seat amidst applause. In answer to questions, Mr. Hastings said that the Borougb Council had received a letter from Sir Julius Vogel, asking if they wished to borrow a sum of money, and it was upon this ground that he would apply for the £3000 he would propose to be expended in water and drainage. 150 loads of metal had, during May and June of last year, been laid down at Richmond Avenue, Wellesley Road, Old Mill Road, and Surrey Cresoent, though scoria wae at that time wanted for Surrey Hills. A dispute arose respecting the Richmond Hill levels, Mr. Warnook advooating one level, the Counoil another. 'Jhree levels had been proposed—one grade of 1 in 19, costing £2000 more than the medium grade of 1 in 17, or £3000 more than the first level proposed, viz., lin 15. The majority of the ratepayers were in favour of the 1 in 17 grade. If eleoted, he would not remove the butchering establishments in the district. Mr. Warnock had offered the Council an allotment in Sackville-street for the purposes of a pound; but, on the Council wishing to purchase it, the Mayor asked £2 per foot (or the land. This prioe was considered too high, and a piece of land had been secured free from Mr. Boardman. He was opposed to the borough being divided into wards at the time the petition praying that this might be done was in circulation, because the Surrey Hills residents had not fair representation. He thought that a toll-bar should be ereoted on the Great North Koad. In reply to Mr. War--nook, Mr. Hastings said he could not reoolleot the report whioh the Mayor made with reference to the question of the borough pound ; but the minute-book being produced by Mr. Currie, showed that Mr. Warnook's offer of the land had been accepted. The Mayor, however, afterwards withdrew his offer when steps were taken for the purchase of the property. Mr. Boyd moved, and Mr. Caldeb seconded, a vote of thanks to and confidence in Mr. Hastings. (Cheers and hisses.) Mr. Jones moved as an amendment a vote of thanks to Mr. Hastings. Mr. Wabnock seconded the amendment, repudiating the statements whioh Mr. Hastings had made respecting him. The amendment wae carried amidst con' siderable confusion, and the meeting terminated.