BOROUGH AFFAIRS.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 4, Issue 391, 4 May 1880, Page 3

BOROUGH AFFAIRS.

To the Editor of the Akaroa Mail

Siß,—ln replying to " Outsider," I will first ■address myself to the business part of his letter, then and to the personal. Taking, then, the business part. He inquires, first, ■whether the two previous Maj'drs were not equally to blame with the present Mayor for not getting in the footpath rate. The answer to this is, that it was not in the power of either of the preceding Mayors to recover, the rate, inasmuch, as the bylawa, Qiider wliich it became recoverable, did not come into legal force till some months after the present Mayor came into office. Eis Worship is, therefore, solely to blame for the loss the Borough has sustained. , ~ ~ " Outsider" next inquires whether the recovery from the Akaroa and Wainui Road Board of the proportion due to the Borough, on separation from that body, is not due to the present Mayor. Having been in the Council at the time, I can testify that the recovery was due—l may say entirely due—to Mr Waeckerle a persistent efforts; and the thanks of the ratepayers are due to him for the considerable sum—l forget how much—that was recovered. " Outsider " then asks whether the Mayor was not elected on both occasions by large majorities. Such was the case at the first election, but at the second, which took place after his fitness had been tested by a twelvemonth's tenure of office, ho headed the poll by some eigln votes only. It ia notorious that his having won the day is due to the fact of a wretched cart having been started in his support by the publican interest. Bo much, then, for " Outsider's " suggestion that the Mayor was, on both occasions, elected by large majorities, and must, therefore, possess the confidence of the ratepayers. We come next to " Outsider's " opinion, very grammatically expressed, that the Mayor " would have to be considerable of a pugilist" to keep unruly councillors in order. The Municipal Corporations Act gives ample power ior dealing With such characters. In Christchurch, some four yeare ago, owing to the persistent obstruction of business by a councillor, tue Mayor had a constable present at a meeting or "two. By this means the disorderly member was eventually tamed ; and ilie same good result would have followed in our Council, had the Mayor adopted a similar •course. To come now to the pi-rsonai part oi " Outsider's letter. Without having made

any inquiries, he takes upon himself to charge me with telling "fibs," and being actuated by" purely.sordid motives." Since, as regards the "fibs," the facts I Adduced were notorious to all the town ;*whilet as to the " purely sordid motives," it is clear to anyone that 1 neither have, noi , had, anything to gain by the collecting or noncollecting of the rate, I am content to leave " Outsider's " charges to be taken for what they are worth. ; In' short, Mr Editor, " Outsider "is one of those illi'erate windbags with an itch-, ing for running into print, that every community has to bear with one or two of. He is a parrot who has a stock of expressions, such as "sordid motives," "men's evil deeds, &c," and " lubricatory propensities," which, not knowing the meaning of, he hurls about indiscriminately. What he means by " lubricatory " it is impossible to say, since there is no such word ; but the parrot has evidently heard some eimilar word, but has failed to catch its exact pronounciation. " Outsider," however, is unhappily more than a mere ignoramus. The man who publicly makes unfounded charges, which he is afraid to to put his name to, is, an , arrant andcon- ;- temptible coward. ■ ; 1 trust " Outsider" will again give me credit for Bpeaking with no ! uncertain sound. , ~ Yours, &c, W. H,-HENNING. Akaroa, May 3. . ,