MUNICIPAL MEETING.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 262, 11 September 1879, Page 2

MUNICIPAL MEETING.

The meeting called by Messrs Bisli, Mc Cardie, and Feist last evening, was extremely well attended. Mr A, R, Bunny took the chair on the motion of Mr Feist, and briefly explained the object of the meeting, and concluded by calling upon Mr Bisli. Mr Bisli, who was well received said he appeared almost as a new candidate. He did not think that as yet he had had a fair trial, and hoped those who had recently supported him would again return him. Referring to the question of a loan, he said if they could not pay oil tlieir present overdraft of £9OO, how could they pay interest on a £20,000 loan, He would, however, support one for £B,OOO, He considered the Council had done well in the past, and that the old members deserved great credit, He regarded road construction as a primary claim on the attention of the Council, and thought a loan of £5,000 or £'B,ooo would be sufficient. After they had spent £5,000 or £B,OOO, they could if necessary float a second loan. If they went in for a big loan their rates would then have to be doubled. He supported the resolution in the Council for compelling the ratepayers to pay their rates and considered it only right that they should be paid. If again returned he would do his best for the Borough as a whole, and give every matter that came before the Council his serious attention, doing his duty faithfully and independently.—(Applause.)

Mr Feist, who was next called upon, regretted that the meeting was not called at an earlier date, but the Hall had not been available before. Opinions had differed as to whether they should have a public meeting, but at last it had been decided that they should. He was glad to take part in that meeting because charges had been made against the administration of the Council which could not be sustained, One charge was that they had not displayed suHicient energy in floating the £B,OOO loan. He described the repeated attempts they had made to raise it and the trouble they had taken personally in trying to float it, There had been no want of energy on the part of the Council.—(Applaube.) He hoped that by-and-by, they would be able to secure a loan, but he was not disposed to go in for a £20,000 loan. The proposal was illegal, as a portion of the sum could not be raised without specifying the work for which it was required. They had no adequate security to offer for such a loan. The interest on the loan would absorb all their rates, and they would have no money left for maintenance and repairs. The proposal was altogether premature. He did not believe that, they could raise a smaller loan just at present. He believed that drainage and water supply could not be carried out efficiently for £20,000. He did not wish to shelve the question altogether but would keep it in view till they were prepared to cope with it, He denied that money had been spent in favored quarters, as had been alleged, and specified the works that had been undertaken, to show the general distribution of them —(Applause.) Since tha Council had been formed, it had spent £3,000 on contracts, Withreference to the financial question, he said that they had arranged to wipe off all their overdraft by the 31st of March next, so as to stait with a clean sheet on the new year.-(Applause.) He considered this showed a sound financial position, He next would give them an outline of what they proposed to do during the ensuing summer. First, they proposed lowering and widening the Kuripuni road, metalling 50 chains of the Columba Road: also eon" structing Bennington Road, and Perrystreet, and re-metalling the Upper Plain Road. He consided these works were fair, considering the amount of funds

available, _ He expressed an opinion that their subsidies would soon be withdrawn, and for this reason they could not make any great promises. He trusted they would again do him the honor of returning him.—(Loud applause.) Mr W. W. McCardle, who was next called upon) said that in again offering himself as a candidate it would he necessary for him to refer to the proposal which , he had made pi'ior to the last election, when he had advocated a loan of £BOOO, I that being the amount which they found was essential for necessary works, They failed to get the loan, and it was fortius reason that they had injurred an overdraft. (The speaker here complained of an interruption which broke the thread of his thoughts). He had strictly adhered to the pledges he had formerly given, and had done his best to carry them out. A panic in the home market had been fatal to their loan, but now he thought there was a favorable opportunity of placing it. Referring to the land held by the Glasgow Bank which had recently beon sold at high prices, he argued that thij fact alone would raise New Zealand in the opinion of the money lenders. He considered a loan of £OOOO would be ample at the present time. Originally they had put down on their estimates £IOOO for Council Chambers, which they could do without, and they could also do without the largest proportion of the sum they had allocated for a water supply, He considered that a permanent water supply would cost from £30,000 to £40,000, The Waipoua and Kuripuni streams as population increased would become polluted and money spent on them would be thrown away, He advocated securing a site on the mountains for the future service of the town. A drainage scheme, too, was beyond their means. Ho detailed the charges which would be entailed upon a £20,000 loan in interest and sinking fund. It would take £3,000 a year to pay for such an expenditure, If returned, he would endeavor in the future, as he had done in the past, to spend all money fairly throughout the district. He had opposed amateur engineering in the Borough, because he believed that it would save money to the Borough if they had an engineer paid 6 per cent on the amount of any work done. With amateur engineering they had insufficient plans and specifications, which raised the price of tenders. At any time, if he found that he did not possess their confidence ho had sufficient self-respect to at once retire—(Hear, hear). He explained that he had no ambition to occupy the office of Mayor, believing that ho could serve them equally as well as a Councillor. He had strong faith in the future of Masterton.—(Applause). Mr J. C. Forgusson said he was unable to plead past services, His opinion was in favor of a mixed class of government. He believed the Council as a whole had worked well, but he contended that every class was not represented in it He could not advocate drainage and water works, but believed they could afford lamps and footpaths. He stated in conclusion that he might have expressed himself at greater advantage if he had not been in the first instance interrupted.

Mr Donald said lie would not detain tliera long, as other speakers had to follow him. Had their retiring members been like Mr Feist ('applause), he would not have come forward, Mr Feist's views were very similar to his own,—(Cheers and laughter.) He did not believe in raising a loan of £B,OOO ; the interest on it would take one-half of their present rates. £4OOO or £SOOO was as much as they could afford in their present position,—(A voice, "How about Kuripuni ?") He did not advocate putting Kuripuni in the proposed expenditure, because he lived there, but because it was necessary to all of them. He had a great stake in the town, He held an eighth part of the whole area of the Borough (Oh!) and his interests were bound up with theirs.—(Applause. Mr Francis spoke next, but by this time the meeting was getting a little lively, and frequently interrupted him in such a manner that his remarks were partly inaudible. He said that he had been somewhat unfairly criticised in the Borough, He was as much in favor of the Kuripuni road being completed as lie was of the Waipoua. He had been a contractor for 20 years and had always carried out his contracts successfully, and if returned he would do his duty by tliera, (Cheers.) Mr E. Jones then appeared on the stage, and was received with uproarious acclamation, He endeavored to make a speech,, but was not allowed to do so. Mr Woodroofe wished to ask Mr Feist and Mr McGregor what induced them to spend money in connection with the Featherston Railway Celebration 1 Mr Feist said that such a proposal had never been carried out, but as a part of the Wairarapa they would have been justified in taking a small share in the celebration,

Mr McOardle said that not a shilling of the rates had been spent in any such direction. Mr Woodroofe questioned them next as to their reason for employing Mr Bunny to defend cases in the Assessment Court. Mr Feist, in reply, said that they cmployed Mr Bunny m the interests of the Borough, (Hear, hear.) Mr McCardle said that Or Woodroofe was an appellant in one of the cases, Mr E. Jones asked why his tender for a footpath had been rejected. Mr McCardle said that Mr Jones' conduct at the Council Chambers was the reason. In answer to Mr Woodroofe, Mr McCardle said he voted for £3O for the Park, but he had no contract in his pocket for planting at the time. In answer to MrGirdlestone, Mr Fergusson said that as he was in the same line as the questioner, Mr Girdlestone could understand in what interest he came forward. Mr E. Jones wanted to know what Mr Bish proposed to do to each ratepayer. (A voice), sell him a watch! Mr Feist, in reference to a remark which fell from Mr Donald about the £B,OOO loan, explained that they did not propose raising that sum at once, but by instalments extending over three years, Mr Yile moved a vote of thanks to the candidates who had addressed the meeting. Mr Rockel seconded the resolution. Mr Woodroofe had prepared a letter for the press which had unfortunately not been published. He would reid it, The letter was an attack on Messrs Feist and McCardle, on the question of by-laws for hawkers, the railway opening, the planting of the MastertonPark, and other matters, Mr Woodroofe was interrupted by the Chair. Mr.Renall supported the vote of thanks as the candidates had done the fair thing in calling them together. He recommended them all to pay their rates, as the public works were arrested for the want of money. He next spoke on the question of professional assistance, which he contended was unnecessary. He had himself planned nearly all the bridges in the neighborhood. He alluded to the opposition given to the views he expressed, by

the Wairarapa Daily, and referred to the chairman's legal charges, Mr D. McGregor had been repeatedly asked whether it was his intention to seek re-election as Mayor, It was not his intention to seek it as his time was too much taken up with public duties; but though he did not seek re-clection, his interest in the Borough's affairs would be none the less, He thought it would be better to elect some one a3 his successor who resided in the town, Though some of the. proposals made that evening were not now practicable, the time would come when they would be. He had faith in the future of Masterton, The vote of thanks to the candidates was carried unanimously and the meeting concluded with tho usual compliment to the chair,