BOARD OF WORKS—PUBLIC MEETING.

Colonist, Volume III, Issue 293, 10 August 1860, Page 2

BOARD OF WORKS—PUBLIC MEETING.

According to advertisement this meeting took place at the Court House, pn Wednesday evening last, when about 50-or 60 persons were present. . ;. Mr.' Luke Nattrass was voted to take the phait;^ jvvlib having read the advertisement calling the meeting, said he should be happy to hear what any one had to say. >■ Mr. Lewthwaite asked whether Mr. J. Gorrie, whose name was appended to the advertisement, was a member of the present Board of Works ? Mr. Berry said he thought some of the persons calling the meeting should explain what they were there for. Dr. Bush : Hold your tongue! Mr. I. M. Hill: As one of the callers of the meeting, he would endeavour to explain the object of it. The object of it is to endeavour to put a stop to the extravagant cost of expending the public money, by the present Board of Works. Some one had asked him to prove wasteful expenditure—why, the amount of collected rate was £1189, and the amount of salaries, rent, survey, clerical assistance, &c, was £440; so that it takes upwards of £400 to spend £700. Let any tradesman conduct his business in the same manner and would it not be called extravagant. For his part he wouid rather trust the expenditure of the rate to any merchant in the place, and he was sure we should have it done better. It was true that £3000 had been disbursed by the Board, butit must be remembered, that the greater part of that sum would have been expended on our streets, whether the roads had existed or not.' In the report it is stated that the people are better satisfied with the present system. Is it so ? (No, no.) He considered as a ratepayer that he had a right to demand that economy should be used in the expenditure of the public money. It was said at the nomination the other day that no one person could be found who would undertake the duties of secretary and overseer—this is not true. He could find a person who would undertake to do it, and he believed was competent to do it well. I shall therefore move the following resolution. That considering that the; Nelson Town' Improve, mant Acts are not in accordance with the wants aiid expectations of the people of Nelson, inasmuch as they afford power of wasteful expenditure of the public money; and as a first act of the majority of the re--cently elected Board of Works evinces -a determination to persist in a course of unnecessary and extravagant appropriation; this meeting energetically protests against the exercise of such power, and having no longer any confidence in the four members forming that majoiity in or of the said Board, hereby requests them to resign their seats thereat, for the purpose of electing new members, who may be prepared to exercise economy, and to limit the operations of the Board to matters of immediate utility, Mr. Hume briefly seconded it. Dr. Bush : I perfectly agree with the resolution proposed by Mr. Hill. I think new colonies should exercise judgment in the expenditure of the public money (hear). And I see the press have too, but we must not be pressed too much by the Board of Works or any one else. People get on the Board of Works to suit their own ends. I approve of Mr. Hill's idea of combining the offices of secretary and overseer in one person. I perfectly agree with the resolution. I don't think Bailey or Jennings know anything about it. (Hear, hear.) Mr. J. Graham : As one of the four you want, to censure, I contend that the cost of the expenditure of the public money is not extravagant. Why it is not more than 10 per cent. Mr. Hill says that it-costs £400 to spend £700 —this is not true —there is over £3000 spent annually by the Board. I gave my vote for the election of the present secretary, because I believe him to be fully competent for the duties of his office. I can assure you it is not an enviable position to be on the Board. If any of the grumblers will come and sit there for twelve months lam sure they will say so. I question whether there is a secretary in Nelson who keeps his accounts like the present secretary to the Board. If the public wish me to resign I will do so, but I shall not notice any resolution that may be passed by such a meeting as this. (Oh, Oh.) Mr. Hume : I can quite understand Mr. Graham's advocacy of the abilities of the present secretary, as it is pretty well known that they are brother's-iii-law. Mr. Graham : That has nothing to do with it ; we all know Mr. Hume, and we can afford to take him for what he is worth. Some discussion having ensued as to what Mr. Jennings was paid—Dr. Bush was called on for a song, by Mr. T. Berry. Mr. Lewthwaite : It appears that instead of £700, more than £3,000 had been expended by the Board. It is all very well to grumble, but I think every one here would have been satisfied if the £700 had been spent on their own individual property. The gentlemen comprising the Board are supposed to act honestly, and there is nothing to show they have done otherwise. I beg to move the following amendment. That in the opinion of this meeting the talent and industry employed in the management of the Board of Works for the Province of Nelson has not been accompanied by commensurate expenditure. Mr. Osman attacked Mr. Wrey for his conduct in regard to some works on the banks of the river, when he was formerly a member of the Board; and said, if any one can prove what good the Board of Works have done, now is their time to do it. No person having seconded the amendment, Mr. Lewthwaite asked Dr. Bush to do so. Dr. Bush : I'll be hanged if I do. Loud cries of question. , Mr. Osman seconded the amendment. Mr. Black said, If the amendment was rendered a little less ambiguous it would meet with many more supporters. Mr. Askew wished to know what the meeting was called for. (This gentleman came in late.) The Chairman read the advertisement calling the meeting and Mr. Hill's resolution. Mr. Rankin : I am glad you have read that resolution. lam a plain Scotchman and am never afraid to speak my mind. I can see what the dispute is about—it is all about Bailey's wages. 1 thiuk £200 a year is too much. .Why I know young men in shops in Nelson who keep books, attend to. the shop, grind coffee, and do all sorts of things, and all for £3 a week; why can't he work from 10 to 4 for the same money. I consider Barrack-square to be a perfect den of corruption, from the branding room right round, and the Board of Works the worst of the lot. I know nothing of combining the offices of secretary and overseer. I don't know whether Jennings could do it, but lam sure a man could be found. £270 a-year would do the whole lot. Mr. Lewthwaite.: I think this meeting i 8 entirely out of order and not competent to call in question the acts of the four gentlemen named. Mr. Wrey; I think after the exhibition of Mr. Lewthwaite, we had better nominate.him dictator of Nelson. I perfectly agree with Mr. Hill's resolution, and I hope the majority will go with me. I should like to explain what Mr. Osman has been telling you. 1 never voted for the expenditure of one farthing on a road for myself. The work talked of by him was done by the prisoners and not by the Board. Some nonsensical boards were, I believe; afterwards put up by Mr. Jennings. The meeting of the Board since the election surprised me. It was proposed to combine the office of secretary and engineer, at a salary of £200, three voted one way and three the other ; Mr. Webb as chairman save the casting vote against the proposition, and I think showed very j bad taste in doing so. I concurred with that proposition, and I believe the work would be more properly done—at all events it might have been tried. Mr. Hibble : I entirely dissent from what Mr. Wrey has said for the same reasons that I explained at the nomination. I proposed Mr. Webb because I think him a very useful man. I think it very unfair for members of the. Board, now they have failed in their motion, to attack gentlemen for voting as they thought right, and trying to get up an expression of public opinion.- , Mr. Perot; I think the public have wade ft

great mistake in electing Mr. Wrey to the Board. Mr. W. has opposed the Nelson Improvement Act from the commencement, and yet you elect him..to assist in carrying out that Act. I can't see what objection there can be to the present overseer,' I am'sure he earns his wages as well as any man*in this room; why he only gets one or two shillings more a day than the laboring men. I can see no saving in combining the offices of secretary and overseer. Those persons who grumble at Mr. Bailey's salary, should undertake his duties for twelve months, and they would find it no sinecure. Mr. Rankin said that Mr. Jennings' salary was £l4ocj£ 3*413 or about 9s. a day. Now the men onlyfjjt %. Sd. aQtey, so that he got 2s. 6d. a day more than the men. ; Mr. Graham : The laboring men employed by the Board get 6s. 6d. a-day, and tools found them; but if they find their own tools they get 7s. 6d. or 7s. a-day. . ■ , Mr. Lewthwaite again, rose to address the meeting. Mr. Goldsworthy : We have had quite enough of Mr. Lewthwaite, Mr. I. M. Hill : It has been said that I ignore the fact that £3000 had been spent by the Board. Ido nothing of the kind; I say that to expend £1190 it costs £440. ' . Mr. Graham : It is not true. Mr. Hill : I say that we have only to do with the rate collected, and the amount it costs to expend it. I have nothing to do with any one of the B.oard; we expect them to spend our money fairly and honestly as any tradesman would do. Let an officer be appointed who can do the duties of Secretary and overseer, and give the work out by contract. lam an enemy to the Nelson Improvement Act, and always will be. Mr. Graham: If Mr. Hill sat on the Board fora short time, and hear the numerous applications for improvements to individual property, he would see that it would be impossible to give the work out by contract. The Board must employ labor. There is nothing but sitting on the Board, will convince such men as Mr. Hill. Mr, Lewthwaite rose to address the meeting, and-" was greeted with groans and hisses, &cV The Chairman : I will not hear you, Sir: you have already spoken several times. Mr. Lewthwaite : You don't know what. I'm_ going to B&y. The Chairman: I don't want to know. I will not hear you, Sir. (Loud cries of " Sit down," " turn him out," &c, &c. And a personal encounter between Dr. Bush and Mr. Lewthwaite, which ended in the latter gentleman being forced into his seat.) Dr. Bush : Come and have a nobbier? Mr. Lewthwaite again rose: and was again compelled to sit down amidst loud groaning &c. (Cries of "Put the resolution.") Mr.-Hume: I have had a resolution put into my hands, Mr. Chairman, which if you will read, I shall have much pleasure in proposing. The Chairman read the following resolution:— That in the month of January last year, (1859) at a very large public meeting held at the Odd-Fellows Hall, the following resolution was carried unanimously, namely—" That this meeting fully admits of raising funds for the" improvement of this town: that the ppwers' vested in the Board of Works are of too extended a nature, and that it is advisable the Provincial Council do repeal the Town Improvement Acts, arid substititute in lieu theref an'gAct more limited in its nature and more in accordance with the feelings aed opinions of the residents of the said town." That a memorial embodying the above resolution and signed by one hundred and fifteen residents and ratepayers was addressed to his Honor the Superintendent, which was laid by him before the Provincial Council on or about the 6th May, 1859 ; that the Council took no notice of it whatever, beyond ordering it to be printed; that another session j of the Provincial Council has since passed away, without any attention having been bestowed upon it; That these circumstances being well known to the public, the Provincial Council and the Board of Works, this] meeting does hereby record its protest against the further operation of the said Town Improvement Acts, beyond works of immediate and actual necessity. ~.,, It was seconded by Mr. J. S. M. Jacobsen. The resolution was then put and carried unanimously. Mr. Hill moved that copies of the resolutions be forwarded to the Superintendent, and the four members of the Board of Works. Carried. ; A vote of thanks to the Chairman concluded the meeting, which was one among the most uproarious we have ever witnessed in Nelson.