AFFAIRS MUNICIPAL.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 3, Issue 260, 14 January 1879, Page 2

AFFAIRS MUNICIPAL.

To the Editor of the Alcaroa Jfall. Sir,—Once again, with your kind permission, I venture to trespass on your space with a few remarks on the above subject. The information, embodied in your report of the last meeting of the Borough Council, that the offer of five shillings per acre per annum for the Ashburton Reserves had been accepted, cannot fail, I think, to meet with the approbation ofth«. burgesses; but"the action of the Council in filling permanently the vacancy caused by the resignation of the late Town. Clerk, without opportunity being granted: for a publico competition for.- that office, will be received by the majority with sentiments of an opposite nature. Speakingbroadly, such a course is burking the public* of an opportunity they have a claim to expect, although legally,' the Act is indefinite on this point. Therei is, however, a question of fair play and open dealing involved in cases of, this kind that; public bodies should recognize and strictly carry out, lest the imputation, true or false, of " hole and corner"," work be applied to j their actions. '.'''ParparentKese, be h undjer- • stood, Sir, that I am at the appointment made, but at the manner in which it was done, arid "Ihat my remarks are oifered in the, interests of the public, and not meant in any personal sense. To judge by your-report of the discussion; which took place on this ') sub j&ii, councillors have still a great' deal to learn in their administrative ca'pacityi Passing by Cr Penlington's motion anent . publicity being given to the vacancy existing, and inviting applications for the office' from the public—which was the fair and proper course—Cr Henning displays his lamentable ignorance of his subject by an inane question to the chair as to whether the duties of the office are%efinitely laid down? Or is this a refined sarcasm of that noted adept in all pertaining to red tape ? This pleasantry—-or whatever it r was—is followed by an equally' senseless, though more pernicious, remark from Cr Cullen that he " did riot see the use of advertising. It would only be a waste of time and money." What a' crushing denunciation on the opinions of the age; what a wholesale slur oh the abilities of the public, and what a feeble, mean, specimen of economy! Henceforth shall that day be marked with a red cross in the annals of the Borough, for have not its* coffers been saved, say seven aud sixpence ; what matters it that the ratepayers might have received a hundred fold benefit by laying the office open to the public 1 Bah 1 such little-mind edness and short-sighted policy is positively nauseous, Messieurs Councillors, and unworthy of you. But the cream of the debate follows. Cr Meech correctly points out that the course proposed by Cr Cullen is contrary to their "standing orders." Then follows in the report the following tit-bit:— " Opinions were expressed that the standing orders were not binding, and had not the force of law" (the italics' are mine). Why not call them " shifting," "mobile," " fluctuating," " varying," "sliding," "vanishing," or "vamoosing" orders? Then one could vary .the monotony by sweepstakes on the next municipal move. I apostrophise the Council, and say, in the words of a modern poet, slightly paraphrased—" Oh, what a day you're having!" As a fit conclusion to this consummate, farce, if appears from the report further on that the,present Clerk, when appointed, was actually at- that time one of the Borough Auditors, so that, strictly speaking, the election is null and void, and that officer has no legal status. And all this to save seven and sixpence! 0 temjpora,o (worse than many) Moreys. J Yours, &c, BURGESS.

N.B.—There's a rod in pickle with regard to the auditing of some late accounts, but of that anon.* B.