The Mayoral Contest.

Southland Times, Issue 4488, 28 November 1882, Page 2

The Mayoral Contest.

mr j. l. McDonald at the thbatrb royal. Monday, 27th November. Tho Theatre Royal was tolerably well fillpd this evening by a number or ratepayers to hc-ur Mr McDonald deliver- his promised address on municipal matters. Mr James Ramsay, who was voted to the chair, stated that Mr McDonald had long been connected with the municipal affairs of the town, and he was so well known to them all that he required no introduction from him. Mr Mcponald then stepped forward and said that he had served four, years in the Council, during which tinje his action and conduct had been open to their criticism. If they elected him to be Mayor for the ensuing year, he would look upon it as a very high honor. He did not wish to make any reflections on the other candidate, and if he should happen to refer to Mr Kiug^land, it would not be in any dig. parading terms. At the time that he (the speaker) en Wed it, they were financially straitened, and the hank was anxious that the to^yn should recfuce its, qverdraft. He then suggested that the Council should borrow the sum of £15,000 or £16,000 'under the Corporation Act of 1876, and put itself in an independent position. He thought they would agree with him that he had acted wisely on that occasion. The result proved that the advice had been sound. — (Hear, hear.) The speaker observed tl)at nothing gave him greater pleasure than attending tp \m dutjes in the Council, and there were very few meetings either of the Council or of Committee that he had not attended. He was ready to stand any amount of criticism on hiß conduct while a member qf that Council, always provided that they delivered their blows above and not below the belt. In all questions before the Council he had voted for the best interests of the town, and he thought the ratepayers would appreciate his conduct accordingly. The first question that he would discuss would be that of retrenchment. Some considerable time ago there was a great cry for refrenchjflerit, \yith whj'ch he qujto coincided. A fair, amqunt qf retrenchment was at that time necessary, and a retrenchment committee was accordingly appointed and drew up a report from wbicb, however,

he (the speaker) differed. In his opinion retrenchment: should be uniform in order to be fair. It should commence with the highest and possibly; go down to the 'lowest, and not commen'ccC'at the lowest and possibly go up -to the ; And yet this latter ;%as the^ eoiirae^/ pursued, /on that occasidn^'The, men engaged &i the gasworks had their reduced, While sometime afterwards iF"was proposed that the salary of a well-paid officer should be increased. What he (the speaker) said was that if the underpaid workmen had their wages reduced the ..higher_officerß,..should.Mkjswwe_Bufferjome. retrenchment. He urged this upon the Council, and the result was that the men were reinstated in their former position. At that time Mr Isbister was engaged „as foreman by the Council at a salary of £3, which was reduced to £2 10s, which in his (the speaker's) opinion was not high enough, and when Mr Isbister was succeeded by another gentleman at the same low salary, he (Mr McDonald) proposed that it should bo increased to the former amount, a proposition with which he thought they would concur. Coming to the question of the appointment of a valuator, Mr McDonald said that some years ago he had urged that the offices of town valuator and town clerk should be separated. (Hear, hear.) It was said that i the Town Clerk could do the work so much better than anyone else, but as this gentleman waa already so overworked that he required clerical assistance he did not see why they should heap more work upon him. He was in favor of having an independent valuator. (A voice : Have another clerk.) The speaker then referred to the schedule of works for whioK a special loan had been raised and which were not nearly completed yet. The loan had been raised two years and more, and had been spent, and the work still remained undone. He thought the balance of these works should be completed. All money borrowed, as this money had been for a special purpose should be devoted to that purpose, otherwise faith was not kept with the burgesses. In order to complete the schedule they must make an overdraft of £7000, and thus place themselves in the very same position they were in at the time the money was borrowed. A number of improvements were required to be done, many of which forced themselves upon the attention n£ the Council. One of these was the continuance of asphalt footpaths, an improvement which had now entirely .superseded the use of gravel. Another one was the metalling of Dee street, which had not been touched for 18 or 19 years. Then there was the question of crossings which the Town Council evidently regarded with favorable eyes. All these improvements required money. Mr McDonald then proceeded to unfold his scheme of consolidation as the best way of meeting the financial difficulty. He had brought this subject forward at a recent meeting of the Council althowgh not with any electioneering motive, as had been insinunted, since he could show that he had introduced the question a long time ago when it had been favorably commented on by the press. Mr McDonald's proposition, which has already been published, recommends the consolidation of the outstanding debenture stock amounting to about £80,000,find bearing interest at 6 per cent., or an annual total of £4,800, into one fund of £100,000 bearing- 5 per. cent interest. This would give them a clear annual gain of £360 from the difference of interest, which, if invested at 7 per cent, for 30 years, would amount to no less a sum thac £36,000. In addition to this saving they would obtain mone}- enough to pay up the overdraft, besides having about £16,000 to spend on street inprovements. One great advantage of consolidation would be that it would make their loans quotable on the Stock Exchange. The speaker then proceeded to quote an article from the Victorian Review with regard to the success of the consolidation system introduced against great opposition under the administration of President Hayes by Mr Sherman, Secretary to the Treasury, who had saved the United Stajca an annanl sum of about 14,000,000 dols. The question was not a new one, and had been known for a long time in England, which now paid only 3 per cent, where before consolidation it paid 8. He thought that Invercargill should a.dopt the system of consolidation, and if the Auckland Harbor Board could float a loan of £150,000 he did not see why this town should not float one of £100,000. Fortunately New Zealand Coiporation loans were looked upon hs good sound security at Home, where he was glad to say there was a growing feeling to invest in colonial rather than in foreign securities. Mr McDonald said he would now say a few words on the question of New River Improvements. (Loud ap' plause). His decided opinion was that if they wanted to make this a commercial centre, they must encourage all efforts to improve it as a port. (Hear hear). Manchester, with its railways and its canal, had been outstripped by Liverpool, because the latter had a port, and Manchester was now going to spend a million pounds sterling on preliminary expenses to remedy this deficiency. Now they ought to keep one thing steadity in view, and that should be the bringing of ships to Inverc;\rgilL He did not jthink they would find any difficulty in improving the New River. The diffloultiea were not so very serious after all, and yet notwithstanding the advantages which the improvement of the river would have, they refused to spend a few pounds on it. (A Voice : Shamo on them ! followed by laughter.) Some people said that Invercargill was not big enough to justify any great outlay, but both he and they anticipated that before long Invercargill would have greatly increased in size and importance. If the shipping was nQt here it would b« at the Bluff, and if it was, at tho Bluff the best thing they could do would be to pack up their things and go down there. At present, however, the centre of commerce was here, and it was very likely to continue here irrespective of the Bluff. (Hear hear.) When he was in Victoria they were discussing the improvement of the Yarra. Well, the Yarra had boon deepened, and now th,e largest steamers 'could unload at the wharves. Now it was just as important to Invercargilj to have ships come up the New River as it was to Melbourne to have them come up the Y a rra- Mr Kingslapd ha.d remarked that it would make little difference if vessels of 1000 or 5000 tons come to the jetty. But this was a fallacy which did not need discussion. The expenses would not be recouped at the outset, but he anticipated that the New River would repay all the outlay and a great deal more before very long; The speaker resuined his seat aniid loud applause.

Tho Chairman then called upon the meetingf to put any questions relative to the business of the town to Mr McDonald they might like.

Numerous questions were then put to the candidate, most of which were answftred in a satisfactory manner, judging from the applause which almost invariably applause.

In answer to Mr Henderson, Mi' McDom aid said that they must go step by step with the present scheme for improving the river, their first care being to get vessels drawing say eleven feet of water to come up. If this w*re done, all Waterston's vessels would be able to get over the bar, .and come up to tho jetty, which would be a great convenience.

In answer to Mr Goodwillie, the speaker said he was aware that vessels of over 400 tons register lay alongside the jetty in the early days, and this showed that what had been done of yer.e. could be don? again.— (^.pplaiiqe).' Questioned by Mr Strang, the speaker ga|4 he concurred in the idea that the adjoining municipalities, which would uq<

1 dbubtediy^blenefit by the improvements to the NewJEliyer should share the burden of the expense, • j • riiii rejjjjj|lp Mr McEwan, Mr McDonald ?ai&:hej§i&uight it would be extremely ungratJßf ul:6ff,the part of the Council to turn rouiid^pnifMr Thomson, a member of the ! had gratuitously served that "body^o the best of his power, and commenced a schema which he (the speaker) thoogbfc he*oughi^ out. Mr Kingsland Had stated that the Gouncib had handed over £5000 yto. Mr T , Thomson to experiment witb^ /'. which was altogether fallacious, and about equaF to- saying that the Corporation" Bail 2 .' handed over £15,000. fto r the: engineer to experiment with, when the -object, as they all knew, was the improvement of the streets, r/ ;■.;■<;■-<, ■ '•' r -•;•■■■

; Mr Joyce was, the next questioner. \ He enquired (1) whether Mr McDonald had stated that the? Harbor Board oughttobave a larger; endowment ; (2), whether the improvement of the river would/not tent to diminish the traffic by railway to the Bluff, and, last but not least, whether Mr McDonald thought the Government would vote any money for such an object, These questions were greeted with laughter. Mr McDonald answering the first two in the affirmative, and dismissing the third by paying that was a question for the Government to consider.

Mr McEwan next asked whether Mr McDonald was in favor of refunding the sum of £1500 lent to the New River Harbor Board, but this was a question Mr McDonald preferred not entering upon, The last question of all being propounded by Mr Campbell concerning the surveys, Mr McDonald pointing out that the only legally recognised Burvey would be that made by-the Crown. The chairman then thanked the meeting for the excellent hearing they had given Mr McDonald, and a vote of thanks having been proposed by the latter to the chairmand carried, the proceedings terminated.

MR KINGSLAND AT APPLEBY. Monday, 27th Nov. Mr John Kingsland, T in the prosecution of his candidature, addressed the electors of the southern side of the towa in the

Appleby Hotel this evening. There wcra about 25 persons present ; of whom Mr J. 0. Hawkins was chosen chairman. After a brief introduction from that gentleman, Mr Kingsland opened his remarks by a comparison between the qualifications required of candidates for the office of councillor and mayor. The question for them, he thought, was what had been his action and what the position he had taken up in public matters in the past. Briefly reviewing the history of the municipality, Mr Kingaland expressed the opinion that the rates collected and money borrowed had been fairly and honestly spent, considering the large area covered by the town and the numerous demands on the municipal exchequer. He said that one' mistake had been made, in that when the borough was divided into wards, strict count ani reckoning had not been kept of the income and expenditure of each ward. From neglect of this simple provision arose the fact that no one could tell in what proportions the revenue had been expended ; and so it was impossible to refute oi confirm the very common complaint that this or that ward had more or less than its share. Mr Kingsland gave as his conception of a Mayor's duties, that he should hold the balance fairly between parties, control debates; !and see that the derisions of the Council' were strictly carried out. He^explained the position of the funds of the last loan and his action with reference to their expenditure, <It had been said that his action was detrimental to the progress of the town ; but the fact was that he had (and frequently alone) acted the not very dignified, but useful part of brake to the municipal coach, in order to prevent rash, illegal, and improper expenditure. He did not object to the act of the Council in paying the overdraft with the loan funds, as that got rid of the payment of interest, and it was impossible to carry on all the works at once, economically. He condemned- several acts-o£ -the^-OounciL such as opening useless gravel pits, and held that because of these mistakes, Messrs Johnson and Jaggers had had to " whip the cat " during their terms of office and retrench. Tha proposal to consolidate the borough loans, and get £20,000 more, at a smaller cost to themselves than at present, he did not profess to understand. That would doubtless be explained to them next evening-. One thing he would be inclined to insist oni-that was, that in future loans the worka for which they were borrowed should be distinctly set forth. If they borrowed it should be for drainage and a water supply together, or leave both alone; aa one without the other would only. create pestilence. The wafer supply, be believed, oould be got from tinder the town without a Dunsdale scheme. Such a supply he thought, was within the town's resources, which the Dunsdale scheme wan not. According <;o the estimates on which the lattp.r was based, Invercargill should have had a population this yeaV of 9000 souls, whereas there was only 4500. They had thus esoaped a calamity in refusing to borrow £100,000 for water on such estimates. Mr Kingsland next spoke of the disputed surveys of the borough, as a matter in which all freeholders are interested, He was oi opinion that they must sooner or later accept and legalise Maben's survey. Mr Kingsland: next took up the subject of'the New Kiver> Harbor, a question on which he remarked the Southland Times had dropped him : in fact had dropped the infant it had stood sponsor for, (Laughter), and was now prepared to tar and feather, because of some supposed difference of opinion about a very clear matter. In the first place ho held that the Borough Council had no business to be the Harbor Board: a position that no other council in the colony held, and one that should b« taken from it. The question was how much money should be spent on the harbor? They could all fpend money, but must get it first. For the^harbor they had borrowed tu the extent of their tether. They had no more endowment to pledge, and the revenue was not likely to increase rapidly. He had been twitted with being adverse to harbor improvement. This he denied, but would ask what they would do with more money if they had it. Mr Thomson,, who was the falher'of the river, Haid that he only required £5000 to do certain work, and he (the speaker) had voted for that expenditure. Councillor Thomson had even voted against Councillor McDonald's proposal to .' borrow ■ ., more money, and insisted that they should firat «ee the effeot of the first outlay. He folio wed Mr Thomson in thisjviewand approved of it, yet he was held up as an opponent of the harhor. He was in favor of keeping the river open to vessels of a tonnage that could cross the bar, if- it could be done at moderate cost. Mr ThomSon^didnot want £65,000 to build a training; wall on the bar now ; he had the patience to wait, which was more than the Times people haft. He asked if there was a man in the town^ prepared to spend £125,000 on the harborfor the trade it would induce. Mr Kingsland then explained at length his; views o£ ; the probabilities, of a large trade being'induced to the river. He held that otir population was, as yet, too small; and that, even if accessible for ships from Home, it would be difficult to get, cargoes for them. His own experience was that in the presentposition of the district, the balk of the merchants' orders being foriamall quanV . tities, these were and would' be sent by, " steamer via Melbourne, Ho w-as not going ' tq depry thewprk already-done to the harbor, ag he" held 'that- it wag of the greatest 'importance' that vessels which crosagd^ toe bar phould/Ooffle,

to town. He had irioi the Xriigfiteet doubt thatihe pMt,expen4itare would be good for^the foWnj baV tbat ; was not to''bindtheifftb'feckless acheme'9. , What they had' sot was what Sir John^Coode and Mr homson and he would like to know wiiat'niore the Time^ wanted ? The quejrtiQn/wasin a. nujshell^andthe ,thought he was "aound on it. * At. present the expenditure on the. harbor was.£l!64 rnort} tbanthe^income, which|theTatepayershad to make good. In conclusion, he .maintained that rjUiero, was notbipg on ,the, revenue , to justify^ expensive works now, but when the time': came he would- be » the first to gaysspend money on the harbor. .Having Stated tb»t lii» services tp the town had been'givento the, best 1 of his -ability-; ' and that he had no axe to grind, Mr Kingsland thafiked the ( 'meetibg I ,' for the patient hearing ° ? given s lliim ) %nd , asked' 1 tha'tqueßtions should be put on publ'« matters. Iteplying'to Messrs: Kelly arid Brbwn, South InvercargilK Mi Kingsland said that he would'no^ object, to th«i borough paying half-cost 7 of , piles and palrymple roads, when in but not as at present. Ne^(9tl^9t>W ;-|h;ej object 'to these wprjes being, filaced'on a Bchedule of a n. wloan. On the motion of Messrs Cocks and Quick, alvete' ot confidence .wasl passed, and after the usual compliment to the chairman, the meeting-closed^'' '■■'- ;