GORE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2389, 14 December 1899, Page 29

GORE.

December ll.—-The weather-of late",has 'consisted of sainple3, wiCh ,tho barometer corij stantly on tho move. There has been aii.uau4ual amount of thunder and" lightning, ■ with - hailstorms, Eunshiae, and rain in quick .suc- •' cession. . ■» *-' i^ j Mayoral Election.—There were ''two caudSdates for the mayoral chairs-Mr J. Ballintine - j and' Mr A. A. Mac Gibbon.' The"latter prgI bably owed his deteat to the fact that the^maj jority of the ratepayers'^wer^of "the opinion ! that he w.ould inaugurate some expensive imI provements to the town, which would tend to j raise the rates. Mr Ballintine was elected by a majority of 26; but I am sure that most of thoso who voted for h'ini were' astounded at tho speech he made in returning thanks for his election. In the course of this rema-rk- , able oration he stated that he had had all the I "toffs" and ''would-be toffs" against him, and - he was proud to say that he had beaten them, and Mr Mac Gibbon wou.d now have to sit under him in the "council for his impudence. The whole thin« was the most disgraceful exhibition of ignorant and insolent boasting it has ever been my lot to listen to, especially from a successful candidate at an election. A man can at all times be a gentleman, which was certainly not the cast in this instance. Pronounced expressions of disgust were given vent to on all sides, and it was almost decided to get a petition signed-by the ratepayers asking the mayor-elect to resign. It was also ru-