[Editor: An election advertisement regarding the candidature of John Joseph Moore. Published in The Peoples’ Advocate; or, True Friend of Tasmania (Launceston, Tas.), 20 October 1856.]
To the Rate-Payers of Launceston.
General Election for Aldermen.
Gentlemen, — The tenure of office of the present Aldermen will expire at the end of the present year, when a General Election will take place, and as some of the present Aldermen are canvassing the Rate-payers for their support and interest at the forthcoming Election, I hope the residents of Launceston will pause ere they pledge their votes to any of the present Aldermen, to support them at the General Election, for go where you will the Rate-payers say — “we pay our taxes, but our streets are not improved; all that the present Aldermen care about is to get our money for the improvement of roads adjoining their own property and that of their friends, whilst the streets in the poor neighbourhoods are utterly neglected;” yet not satisfied with this, the present Aldermen are endeavouring to increase the boundary of Launceston, in order to enable them to make more improvements to their own and friend’s property.
I contend that the money raised by the rates should be equitably expended, regardless of private or personal interests; that those who are too poor to pay should not be pressed for taxes; that the plurality of votes should be abolished; that the Municipal Boundaries of Launceston should not be extended for the purpose of taxing the inhabitants, as it is not likely, for years to come, they will get any return for their rates, in the shape of good streets or roads, and, therefore, they ought not to be taxed; that all work, no matter of what description, for the Corporation, should be done by tender, and thus take the power out of the hands of the Mayor and Aldermen of using their official position to benefit their private friends and supporters, at the expense of the funds paid by the Rate-payers; that, instead of allowing the water, now introduced into Launceston, to remain near the residence of our present Mayor, it should be distributed throughout this town, by means of pipes, funds to complete which might soon be raised, and thus a public benefit would be conferred on all classes; that even facility should be given to householders by the Corporation to secure stone and gravel for yards, private lanes, &c., at cost price; that the streets and sewers should be properly cleansed no one will deny, but at present the system is to employ men in the streets to scrape up the mud, &c., where it is allowed to remain for days and weeks, (indeed sometimes gets distributed before it is attempted to remove it) instead of having a cart to follow after the men, who cleanse the streets to remove it at once.
There are other reforms necessary, connected with our Municipal body, which are well known, indeed too well, to require especial notice, but which it is hoped will be attended to, for the benefit of the public, by the successors of the present Municipal body.
These ideas are published, in order that the Rate-payers may consider over the topics alluded to, as I intend to contest the Election with some of the present Aldermen next January.
JOHN JOSEPH MOORE.
Launceston, Oct. 16th, 1856.
Source:
The Peoples’ Advocate; or, True Friend of Tasmania (Launceston, Tas.), 16 October 1856, p. 1
Also published in:
The Peoples’ Advocate; or, True Friend of Tasmania (Launceston, Tas.), 20 October 1856, p. 1
Editor’s notes:
ere = (archaic) before (from the Middle English “er”, itself from the Old English “aer”, meaning early or soon)
John Joseph Moore = a Tasmanian newspaper proprietor, printer and publisher, as well as a publican; he was involved with the production of several Tasmanian newspapers; he died in New Zealand in 1863
See: 1) Jeffrey R. Briscoe, “A sense of duty: The Clerkes: An Anglo Irish Family in Colonial Tasmania”, University of Tasmania, June 1996, p. 59
2) “Death of Mr. John Joseph Moore”, The Mercury (Hobart Town, Tas.), 4 September 1863, p. 3
[Editor: Changed “abolished:” to “abolished;” (used a semi-colon, in line with rest of the text).]
[Editor: The original text has been separated into paragraphs.]
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