MUNICIPAL REFORM IN THE VALLEY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2388, 7 December 1899, Page 40

MUNICIPAL REFORM IN THE VALLEY.

MRS CHAPLIN'S LECTUBE.

Mrs Chaplin, who some little time since stood to represent one of the wards in the North-East Valley Borough Council, and who is again a candidate for councillorship, delivered an address upon municipal reform in the Public Hall, N.E. Valley, on Monday evening. Prom the time the doors opened there was a gathering of people in the vicinity of the hall, but the chargo of Is for admission had a restraining influence upon such as were not zealous for municipal refoim. Tho hall was quite unoccupied for some short time after 8 o'clock, the only person in attendance being Mr Chaplin to preside over the sale of ■tickets of admission, and an assistant to receive them. Mr! Chaplin and a lady friend then, arrived, and at a quarter past 8 o'clock five people were within the building. Outside there was a crowd of about 50, chiefly young men and lads, with the local constable as tho presiding genius of order. By half-past 8 o'clock the audience had gradually increased to 22, six of whom were ladies, and (subsequently 10 other people came in. Some impatience was manifested, the stamping being quite disproportionate to the size of the gathering, while those excluded from the hall showed their "interest by throwing bricks on tho roof, and occasionally storming the doors. A gentleman took the chair who did not inflict a speech upon the audience, which was impatient to hear the lady who was announced to speak, and to see the dolls which she exhibits to illustrate her remarks and satirise her municipal antagonists, or those whom she regards as her opponents and oppressors. Mrs Chaplin, on taking the platform, began to talk with some warmth and much volubility. An ordinary formal communication from the borougli clerk, calling attention to the broken condition of the drain in front of her property, and offering the services of the municipal employees to put it in order was treated as a cause of dire offence. The drain, she said, was on her freehold, and if she chose had a right to stop it, and would stop it. A similar cause of offence given subsequently wis also commented upon severely. It took, the lady remarked, two men to deliver the notice, and they soon made themselves scarce, and, aftor seeing the toe of her boot, left at such a speed that by this time they must have reached the Transvaal. This and similar remarks, of a more or less personal natuie, caused much amusement. The present councillors were represented by dolls dressed in rather striking costumes ; one was simply a monkey on a stick, and another of the figures consisted of a donkey, in what was meant as Masonic regalia. The condition of the streets was commented upon adversely, and a lot of details were given of the rating of various properties, the allegation being that certain people were favoured and others punished. She wanted improvements made, and was prepared with a scheme for supplying water down the Valley to lay the dust there at a cost of £25, which she would raise by public subscription. Some diversion v/as caused by two lads outside opening the windows as rapidly as tho attendant could close them, and at last a good sized sod was thrown through the open window, and nearly knocked down one of the spectators. Some feeble attempts were made at patriotic singing, but tho element of fun had been excluded by the charge for admission* and the jpro.ceecUugs

closed in the most orthodox manner, with a vote of thanks to Mrs Chaplin, who expressed herself as confident of being returned on Friday next.