THE MAYOR AS CHAIRMAN OF POLITICAL MEETINGS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1647, 27 August 1887, Page 2

THE MAYOR AS CHAIRMAN OF POLITICAL MEETINGS.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, — Considerable fault has been foum m varioaa places m N Z whenever th Mayor of a town has not bean requoatei to preaido at polileal meetlbgi, and n doabt there would h*ve been a simila outory here if our May^r had not graoei • the chair on the occasion of the visit c r 1 Sir J Yogel. '" I hay« b»doonei<ierab!o sympathy *rit] snoh a outcry hitherto, but after Thura day night's experience I regret to bay tha I am forced to the oonalusion tha Mayors are but mottV, and that ii times of political excitement it would b better for any party (o Appoint its owi Chairman at meeting!. I think no im partial man can do other than regret th exhibition of political bias made by ou Mayor on Thursday nlpht. I will no discuss the good or bad tisto of his rerj fulsome introduction of the Colon la Treasurer, but I caunoc pass over hi conduct of the latter part of the meeting While Mr Williamson was endravorinj to speak the Mayor made . repeats* attempts to gain him a hearing. 80. when Mr Parnell, m response to repoatei i oalls, easayed to addrees the meeting saw no effort 'made by the chair ti - quieten the audience. And again whei the "ayes" and ."noes" were oalled fo I certainly thought that the " noes : distinctly preponderated. But whothe this WBB bo or not I can only think tha the Mayor waa little short of ineultin m saying that "apparently a few peraoD at the back of the hail oalled out no, and consequently he would ask for ; show of hands. Does the Mayor mean t< say that only those prominent citizen who had front seatn (the East Stree Brigade who seem to think they can rui . the House as well as the Borougl Council) had a right to a say m the mattei : and that thoße electors who had th misfortune to suffer a standing seat a the baok had no right to express ai opinion. I fancy that both he and Eas Street will find out that " those at thi baok ' will have a say on polling day, I see the newspaper report says tba tho Mayor, m intimating that he holi back certain of the questions as frivolous stated that the authors of the question! 1 might aak them poraonally. Why ther did he stop Mr G. Yenables and tell bin his question should be iv writing. I sup ; pose he is not one of the " push." Many will remember the manner it which Mr D. Williamson jockeyed th political meetings three years ago, but J for one hardly expected that our preseni Mayor would have been so well trainee by the Bteble m such a short time. I cm, etc., Fair Pi, ay.