THE MAYOURAL ELECTION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 6791, 20 November 1883, Page 4

THE MAYOURAL ELECTION.

NOMINATION OF CANDIDATES,

The nctinination of candidates for tha office of Mayor for the City of Duaedin took place at the Town Hall at noon yesterday. About 300 citizens had assembled in front of the own Hall step 3, which wera used as the hustings. The Town Clerk (Mr Gibson) officiated as retuming-officer, and announced that the following nominations had been received :—

William Parker Street, proposed by Keith Ramsay and Michael C. Fleming.

Donald M'Kenzie Spedding, proposed by George Mitchell and FiUNOia Meekan,

John Gnthris, proposed by CHames ABBOTT and ChaiueS Aiooni!.

MrSTBEET, who was received with applause, said: Gentlemen, I thank you for the confidence with which you inspire me on appearing bpfore you as a candidate for the office of Mayor of the chief city of New Zealand; for, gentlemen, Dunedin may fairly lay claim to this distinction both in point of population and commercial importance. Upon entering the civic arena I looked forward to the day, as I hold all citizens should do who are called upon by their fellow men to take part in the management of civic affairs, when after serving you faithfully, fearlessly, and honestly for a period of yeara, I should ask you for the reward which you have in your power to give, and which it is your privilege to bestow —viz,, that of placing me in the Mayoral chair of this city. In my humble opinion the occupancy of that chair should be for one year only, and I pledge my word that should I be returned as your Mayor I shall not again seek your suffrages. "Yes, gentlemen, with regard to the rolling office, I may tell you I am a believer in the system which you have so clearly indicated to be in accordance with your wishes iv the past, that this office should bo what is popularly known as a rolling one. In the history of the Corporation for the past few years many matters of great importance have been discussed and settled, I trust thoroughly to your satisfaction. Amongst others that much-rexed question of the city levels occupied the serious attention of the Corporation. I believe all the members of the Council gave their best and mo3t earnest attention to the question, and that it has been settled to the general satisfaction of the citizens. Ido not think it right that I should occupy your time by delivering a long address on this occasion, as I am aware that many of you are anxious to return to your several business positions; but I would like to say that it is my intention to address you in the several wards on the various matters which must of necessity engage the serious attention of the Corporation during the ensuing 12 months— subjects of the greatest importance to you as ratepayers: for instance, the questions of drainage, public baths, the city roserves, gas and water supplies, and the general Banitary condition of the city. The population of this city is now so great that it is imperatively obvious that your representatives should give these matters their serious attention, and that they should tackle them with a will, and in a really earnest manner. Gentlemen, you will not find in me a candidate full of promises, but you may rely on this : that I shall endeavour to the utmost of the ability which I may po3sess to do tha very best for the interests of the city generally.—(Applause.) I trust, gentlemen, that during this contest none of the candidates will occupy the unenviable position of being charged with using personalities.—(Hear, hear.) Although it may be necessary to make personal explanations, that is a very different matter from descending to personal abuse of each other. In the heat of argument one is unfortunately sometimes led into making use of language which after reflection would never have bean used. Following upon these remarks I may just add, gentlemen, that should the necossity for personal explanations arise, I trust the explanations will be given in a gentlemanly and temperate way; in such a manner as wilJ reflect credit upon the gentlemen who at present represent you as councillors. It was my hope when first starting this election campaign that a systematic and persistent canvass would be avoided, and that tha result of the election would be left to the intelligence of you gentlemen who are so competent to judge of the relative merits of the different candidates. Gentlemen, during the house -to - house canvass or the Louse -to - house hunt for votes, I take leave to say that no one can charge me with having conducted the canvass in an objectionable manner.—(Hear, hear.) I have only asked a few of my personal friend 3, and have been introduced by members of my Committee to such ratepayers as they personally knew. Thero are hundreds and hundreds of ratepayers whom I have not seen or had-an opportunity of calling upon. I trust those ladies and gentlemen will take the will for the deed, and t ask them now, through the medium of the Press, to accord me their support. Gentlemen, lam led to believe, from the very largo amount of support which I have received at the hands of the ratepayers, that it will be found on the polling-day that I shall occupy the proud position of the successful candidate.—(Applause.) Whether I am successful or not, permit hie to say that I shall always be to the fore in my humble way in advancing the best interests of the city. You all know, gentlemen, that I have served you for a longer period than either of the other candidates ; and I feel sure of this, that the feeling of justice and fair play will give that consideration its proper weight. I have lived in your midst for a period of 20 years and upwards, and you have all had an opportunity of watching my career. The candidate here explained the arrangements the Town Clerk had at his suggestion agreed to adopt in order that the recording of votes on the polling-day might be facilitated and continued. Gentlemen, in concluding, I will simply say this, that I expect the polling-day will reveal that I have served you faithfully in the past, and moreover that, as an assurance of your confidence in me in the future, you will return mo at tho head of the poll. Mr D. M. Spedbisg said: Gentlemen, at this unseasonable hour, and in this unseasonable weather, I will not detain you. I have already been before you, and my speech has been fully reported. I have talked on thoso matters which interest the ratepayers most at the present time—the gas question, tho drainage question, and the water supply. These matters have been fully discussed, and my remarks have appeared before you. As far as the gas question is concerned, I told you that there is a misunderstanding existing in the minds of the ratepayers ; that a fnlso accusation had been mado ngainßt mo—viz., that it was my intention to sell the Gasworks. I proved that it was impossible for the Council to sell the

works under any circumstances, as the works belong to the debenture-holders; and I also said, with regard to leasing the works, that when the proposal came from a syndicate in Dunedin to lease the works I opposed it at once, and said that if it were necessary to lease them, that should be done only by giving the privilege to the citizens themselves, and that if the citizens approved tenders should be open to the whole world, I have spoken on the question of wator supply; and have shown that.it is the intention of the Council,.as, soon as funds are available, to give you an adequate supply of water. : A proper system of drainage will also be provided, and, as I said, delegates from, the different muncipalities have been asked to meet the Council so as to confer upon adqpting a general system of drainage that will be mutually beneficial and greatly reduce the expense to tho ratepayers. Regarding the other question—public baths—l have, after exhaustive inquiries, found that you cannot have pure salt water on this side for bathing purposes, but that wherever the baths are erected in Dunedin salt wator musfciba lartificially supplied. There ia no possibility of permanent baths baing constructed this season, but I have proposed a means whereby, at the expense of the Corporation, you would be able to have a "dip" in clear water .atithe other side of the bay. I have also shown the position of municipal affairs, and though councillors have been blamed for not doing things the ratepayers wanted, I have proved that lately, through the good management of the Council, every penny we were entitled to spend has been spent for tho benefit of the city, and that further we could not have gone without making the councillors individually responsible. Gentleman, I will not detain you longer. I shall meet you in the different wards of the city during the week. I can only say, asCr Street has done, that I hope the contest will be conductod in a fair, open, manly,' and friendly manner, so that at its close the opposing candidates can shake hands, and have no personal ill-feeling left. It is for you, gentlemen, to select the best man ; I am not egotistical enough to think that I am hs, but if you, tho ratepayers, think so, it will do me far more good.—(Laughter and applause.) There is only one thing further I will refer to, and that is a letter that appeared this morning in the Daily Times. I forget what the signature of the letter is, but it refers to a letter signed " Bell Ward." I have been accused of know, ing something about the writer, but let me tell • you, gentlemen, I have no idea who the writer is, and none of my committee could tell me who wrote it. The letter is evidently intended to be in my favour, but there is a sting in the end which shows that the writer is trying to do somebody else harm. My hands are clean of it, and none of my supporters can tell me who tho writer is. I leave myself in your hands, hoping that on the polling-day you will rally round mo and give me your support. Mr J. Guthbie said : Mr Retuming-offlcer and gentlemen, I appear before you to ask you for your suffrages to appoint me to the honourable.position of Mayor of the city of Dunedin. I may tell you, gentlemen it was not my intention to aspire to the position I am now seeking until within a very few weeks of the present time. Some of you, at any rate, are aware that a very large number of tho gentlemen who signed the requisition to our present Mayor, Mr J. B. Thomson, after his refusal came and asked me to allow myself to be nominated as Mayor of the city.—(Hear, hear). I have been told by several during my canvass that they did not think I was sufficiently well known. Well, I do not profess to bo known to everybody in the city, but I have lived in Dunedin for a period of 21 years, and I have been in business here for about 14 years. I may also state that, so far as I am personally concerned, I think that my position will compare very favourably with either of my opponents. I regret to Bay, gentlemen—l say it with a certain amount of feeling—that lam not receiving fair play from one of ray opponents. I will take another opportunity of explaining that, as I do not consider this either the time or the place to occupy yoiir time with matters of this kind. You will see by the papers that it is my intention to address you, and that I start to-morrow night at the Queen's Theatre, and will be in every ward of the city during the week. I shall deal with the various questions that agitate the public mind at this time with respect to municipal affairs. I shall deal with the gas qtiestion, as I have a very great deal to tell you about the Gasworks. I hope aa many of you as can make it convenient will do me the honour of attending. I also state, gentlemen, that in my humble opinion, and I leave you to decide whether, in your opinion, you think I am receiving fair treatment at the hands of one of the daily papers. lam referring, gentlemen, to the Daily Times. Now, I ask you, gentlemen, as reasonable and sensible men, what have I done while I have been a city councillor thatl should have the Press of Dunedin, as I may say, against me during this campaign. I can assure you, gentlemen, that this is a time when a man finds out who are his friends and who are his foes. I can only refer to my past conduct since I have been a member of the City Council. Cr Street told you that he was the oldest councillor. lam not prepared to deny that 1 am the junior councillor, biit if attendance is counted, I may say that, taking into. consideration the time I have been in the Council, I have attended nearly two meetings to every one that my opponents have been at. I have been a worker, gentlemen, though I say it myself, and those who have worked with me in the Council and in committees, know I have never shirked my duty in a single instance. Then, taking all these things into consideration, gentlemen, I contend that I have a fair claim upon your support. There is on 3 thing, gentlemen, that the Daily Times says, and I must confess that I quite agree with it. The Times protests against the idea that seniority in the Council should decide the issue of this election. Well now, gantlemen, I agree with the Times, so far as that is concerned.—(Applause and laughter.) Ido not know, gentlemen, as I have already told you, what is the reason tho Times has such a down upon myself, but I can only say, as I have told you, that I have had an experience of 21 years amongst you, and that in no single instance have ever I known of any candidate that that paper has gone for (whether for municipal honours or political honours) ever in any single instance being successful.—(Applause and laughter.) Gentlemen, I will not detain you longer. At my meetings I will go into the various questions, and I hope you will do me the honour of attending, and if you are satisfied with what I shall toll you that you willv.ote for me. Although lam last now, I have not the slightest fear of the result. You have no right to be dictated to by any of the papers in Dunedin. Gentlemen, I leave the result in your hands, and allow you to say who shall be Mayor of the City of Dunedin. A vote of thanks to the returning-officer closed the proceedings. WEST HARBOUR. The nomination of candidates for the office of Mayor of West Harbour took place at noon yesterday. The following were proposed :— John M'Neil, nominated by James Urk Russell and Thomas Corbett De Lact.

David Young, nominated by Grant Pbes> ton Farquhah and James Palmer.

The election will take place on the 28th inst

MAORI HILL,

The following candidates for the office of Mayor for the borough of Maori Hill were nominated yesterday :— Daniel Brent, proposed by Messrs JOHN Sheehan and W. Ibbotson.

Edwin Tanner, proposed by Messrs Nicol Booth and Thos. Collins.