COUNTY COUNCIL ELECTION.

West Coast Times, Issue 1287, 6 November 1869, Page 2

COUNTY COUNCIL ELECTION.

MR JOHN WHITE'S MEETING.

Mr John White, one of the candidates for the vacancy in the County Council for Hokitika, addressed the electors at the Empire Hotel.

There was a very large attendance, and Mr Duncan Macfarlane was elected to the chair.

Mr White, who was received with applause, prefaced his remarks by calling attention to a letter in the Star of the Even' ing, signed " Civis," in which reference was made to a statement made respecting the reason that induced Mr Hoos to go to Greymouth. He stated thit the conversation alluded to was private and jocular conversation, and had been dishonestly made use of by the Press. He thought it monstrous that men could nor join in ordinary conversation without its being taken up and made capital of by the newspapers. The fact was that the newspaper proprietor objected . strongly i to Mr Hoos be ng spoken of at all, except in terms of eulogy. He was compelled to j speak of that gentleman ; could uot do so in terms of eulogy, and so must have the consequences. He was not a bitter opponent of Mr Hoos, and he deprecated and disagreed with the strong remarks made by his friend Mr Sprot. But there was no doubt but that Mr Hoos had made mistakes, and every unbiassed mind would feel that in the matter of the Postal Contract, a vital injury had been done to the place. Everyone would agree with him, too, he thought, that in spite of the mistakes that had been made, the County system was preferable to the Provincial. He did not know how it would be if there were thirty or forty membeis, each of them drawing an honorarium, the more especially as it would then be necessary to have a well-paid executive. Everyone would see that the system was more simple, was better adapted for all parts of trie Colony, and especially fcr this part. He had never entertained tbe Utopian idea that the system newly launched was perfect in all its parts. The Act was defective, and needed amendment, in fact had been twice amended. But he did not think that the defects l of the Act had made Westland what it was in the c} r es of other portions of the [ colony — a bye-word, a place to be treated | with contempt and disdain. Other causes had led to that, and of those causes he \s ould speak. First, he would say a few words about the accounts. All would know that the County was allowed half the Consolidated Revenue, and the General Government the other half. He did not exactly understand how it did so. The Receiver of Revenue received every penny, and forwarded it to Wellington. Nothing was seen of it for at least two months. Perhaps the friendly Ministry used it to do some service to Provinces in distress. It was not allowed to remain in Westland a day longer than could be helped, but it was kept in Wellington as long a 8 it could be kept. Then perhaps £1000 was scut down, and after a delay another £1000, but no accounts were rendered, and it was impossible to say that the County really got half. The County was held in contempt ho believed, and so treated because there was not a competent man at the head of affairs. So far as he could glean there was an immense amount of indignation about how at the last session of the County Council money had been appropriated in the shape of what one honorable member called " honororium." Whether the appropriation was too much or too little or not, there was good ground for the feeling of indignation. He had drawn up a statement from which it appeared that during last session seven of the members had bugged £783 :—ln: — In honorarium, £434 10s; water race boards, £98 10s; the bar of the House, £100 ; arbitration, £100. Mr Button, to whom £5 was due, had not taken it, which was in his opinion a mistake. He (Mr White) had attended the County Council on the night of the return of the illustrious trio. Had it not been for that the Council would then have been prorogued. But an arrangement bad been made otherwise, one no doubt concocted on board the Tararua. He did not say that the intentions of the members had not been strictly honorable, but when he found the expense so much increased he could not but doubt it. An inference was drawn from the result. Then, with regard to the £100 received by Mr Rees for going to the Bar of the House. He (Mr White) had been iv the Council the night it was resolved that Mr Rees should go, and heard that gentleman say that all he wanted was actual expenses. He also happened to know that before he left Mr Rees obtained a cheque for £50, he supposed on account. Had he been the Chairman he should, on giving the money, have told Mr Rees to take care of and bring back the change ! Now, no one knew better than he did the cost of a trip to Wellington. He» had made three on important business that compelled him to associate with gentlemen, and live like a gentleman, whe r e he had had to charge his expenses, and those expenses had never been questioned. The last time he had been three weeks, and calculating the cost of the passage, he had found that £25 covered all expenses, and something more. Yet Mr Rees got his 100 guiueas for doing the sanie thing. If his services, or the loss of business that would no doubt accrue during his absence, were taken into account, Mr Rees was perhaps not over paid ; but what he objected to was the sham. After all the journey was, as he had publicly stated it would be, a wild goose chase. Mr Rees never got to the Bar of the House, but he must have get to Bellamy's bar often to knock down the money. (Laughter.) On the night that the money was voted, Mr Lahmau asked for some details, when, according to the report, Mr Barff got up and said that if details were given the amount would have been £150, That shook his faith in Mr B«rff, for.it looked to him Jas if dust wm bung thrown in

the eyes of the people. Then with regard to Mr Harrison. That gentleman had been well treated by the County of Westland (he should like to have half the income he had received from the County). He would not say the £100 ought not to have been given; but he was astonished to find that this petted member, not content with being M.C.C , M.H.R. and Arbitrator, had actually put up for the Nelson Provincial Council. He did not wonder at the West Coast^ Times calling politics a profession, particularly when Mr Harrison's new election cry was • the dismemberment of the County that had paid all his dues. Mr White referred to the subject of the hondrarimn, and said that although it could not be expected that members from the country ' could give their services without payment of expenses — the system was bad. He thought £l a day sufficient ; and rather than give the members the temptation of prolonging the session, he would perfer that a direct payment per session or per year was made. Westland had got into bad odor from its financial embarrasments. For the late Treasurer's defalcations both the present and previous Chairmen had been to blame, in allowing one man to have sole control over the cash. But the first thin? that i degraded the County wns the Chairman's ( foolish telegrams, of which capital was t made by members not opposed to the place, but opposed to the pa'ty who created the County. After referring to the Dyer Inquiry, and to the fact that at the time the clerks and officials were waiting fov their money the members got theirs, Mr White proceeded to speak of the Postal Contract, blaming the Chairman for want of firmness, but expressing the hope that the committee recently appointed would remedy the mischief. He quoted statistics, showing that over half a million letters, and nearly as many newspapers were despatched through the Post Office between the places per year. He also referred to the matter of education, saying that although he was in favor of a national system of education, yet, as the approach to that sj'Stem must of necessity be gradual, he thought that justice should to done to those denominational schools which had hitherto provided the education. He advocated an annual conference of members of Road Board?. Thought that the Government should aid the Prospecting Association. He would object to the Westland police being placed under the control of the General Government unless all the other police were. He said that if he was elected, he would serve the people faithfully, and would do his duty to his constituents and to the public at any sacrifice. (Applause.) The Chairman said the meeting had heard Mr White's very lucid explanation of his views, and it remained for those present to put any question to the candidate which touched upon matters upon which he had not expressed an opinion. In reference to the payment of members, the candidate said that he was to a certain extent in favor of the system, but he might state that' the present system as carried out in the Council had not his approval. If the members were to be paid, he would be in favor of a direct payment of a certain sum per annum, as then there would be no inducemenc for members prolonging the sessions. The payment of members a direct sum of mo.icy would place them in a more independent positiou. In answer to Mr Cross, the candidate stated that he would not touch a cent of honorarium from the County. Mr Hawkins would enquire of the candidats whether he was in favor of the town members receiving payment except on committee. Mr White— Decidedly not. If the town members were called away from their business, then he considered they were entitled to payment, but not fov attending the usual meetings of the Council. Mr Cross would ask the candidate if he would oppose a vote of 30s per day to members if again brought forward as it had been in the first session of the Council ? Mr White said he was of opinion a guinea a day was sufficient remtmerationto country member?, and that town members should not receive any pay. He might state while speaking on that subject that when he on a former occasion solicited their suffrages, he had been unable to give an opinion on the matter of the election of the Counly Chairman, since then he had given the subject full consideration, the result of which was that he was strongly opposed to the present system of electing the Chairman. He was, after due consideration, strongly iii favor of the Chairman being elected by the votes of the people. The election of County Chairman was, in his opinion, a different matter, and must be viewed in a different light from the election of Mayor. Among the councillors, every individual member was'known, and there was no difficulty in selecting the best man. In answer to Mr Barrett- the candidate said he was in favor of the National system of education, but he would not advocate any sudden transition from the system of Denominational teaching which had hitherto prevailed in the County. He had not thought of the subject of withdrawing all votes of money from Denominational schools, as he hardly thought that the County was prepared to commence the National system. He, however, entertained a strong opinion that the State had nothing whatever to do with secular education. That was a matter entirely for the consideration of the clergy. But he would not be in favor of any injustice being" done the schools at present existing. And, judging from present circumstances, he thought there would not be a great deal to spend on the matter. In answer to Mr M'Lean, the candidate said he was not in favor of country members receiving honorarium for attending committee meetings. He would, however, pledge himself not to take any money whatever from the County for his service?, either for attending committee meetings or any regular meeting. He would at the same time state that he considered payment f members the proper system. Mr Barrett — Would yeu shirk your duty by evading the attendamje on committpc meetings ? Mr White— CoTtainly not. I will not shirk any duty either on committee or otherwise. In answer to Mr Gibson, the candidate said 1 c could give no opinion on the policy of introducing a publican's permissive bill, that was a matter for the consideration of members of the General Assembly. There being no more questions, Mr Hawkins said he had much pleasure in rising to propose a vote of confidence in favor of Mr. White- He considered he had stated his political views candidly and lucidly, nnd he (Mr Hawkins) could assure the electors the candidate would advocate the principles to which he had pledged himself. He had known the ondidate for a number of years, and had always found him act up to any statement he might make, and they might rest assmred that any matter before the Council would reC9ITC justice, and be well-handled, by Mr

White. He, therefore, had great pleasure in proposing — " That Mr White was a fit and pioper person to represent the electors in the County Council." Mr Cross, in seconding the resolution, said he fi.lt certain that everyone was satisfied with the clear and direct manner in which Mr White had explained his vieWs. Mr Tait would support the resolution, although he was himself a candidate; but, alter hearing Mr White's straightforward addn ss, he would withdraw from the contest and resign in Mr White's favor. The Chairman, in putting the resolution to the meeting, said he felt satisfied the electors were of opinion that Mr White was no " milk-and-water " politician. He Avas in his element when among politics ; and from his straightforward manner that evening there was no doubt on his mind that he (Mr White) would act as straightforward as he had spoken. The resolution was then put, and carried unanimously. A vote of thanks to the chairman having been carried, the meeting dispersed.