Edmonton Bulletin/Volume 15/Number 17/Public Meeting

Mayor McCauley presided, and stated that the object of the meeting was for the ratepayers to express their grievances if they were dissatisfied with the actions of the old council. He viewed several transactions of the council during the past year, and when questioned about the ditch near the curling rink, he stated the object of the same, but did not know nor could not find out who gave the orders, but thought it was all right for him to sign the cheques for same. The bridge across the Rat creek was discussed to so some length, when he said that it was built and that he thought it was a good bridge, so he signed the cheques providing the work was stopped on the ditch.

Jas. Goodridge was the next speaker, and said he did the very best he could and admitted that the council may have made mistakes, but no matter who that council was they would make more.

J. A. McDougall was then called and explained about the trip of the delegates to Ottawa and what encouragements they got when they were in Ottawa. Mr. McDougall then viewed the council and their actions of the past year, while praising some he thought they did a good many foolish things. Mr. McDougall said, if elected, he would do all in his power to secure a traffic bridge across the Saskatchewan, if the town had to pay a half or more. He would try to have the best system of waterworks that could be had, and what was a benefit to the town would be his first and last demand, if elected.

C. Gallagher was called upon and said he was not a public speaker, but ask the vote and influence of the ratepayers, and, if elected, would do the very best he could for the town.

K. A. McLeod was called upon and said that he was not a public speaker, but that he was an old timer, his all was here, he came to stay, and that he was going to stay. His intentions were favorable to Mr. McDougall's in regard to the bridge, and, if elected, would serve to the very best interests of the town.

Geo. P. Sanderson was called upon and said that he had been a kicker against the old council and that he was there to face anything he had said behind the boards. He condemned the council for the way in which they made the ditch, and that the water would not run up hill. He would guarantee that if a ditch was made 18 inches deep that there would be no surplus water on the low ground in which the present ditch was now made. He would, if elected, practice a little economy, not by salting every dollar in the treasury, but by careful handling for anything that would be a benefit to the town. He agreed with Mr. McDougall in regard to the building of the bridge, but would not go in for giving any bonus to a railway and and [sic] traffic bridge combined. He thought if the C.P.R. wanted to come into the town they were capable of so doing without the aid of the funds of the town. Some remarks made by Mr. Sanderson brought the mayor to his feet in defence of the old council, about the ditch between Namayo and Kinistino avenues, also the bridge on Kinistino avenue across Rat Creek in which no one seems to know anything why the work should have been done or who gave the orders for the same; but the town paid for it all the same.

Several members of the old council were called upon, but declined to speak.

The meeting then adjourned.