The Akaroa Mail. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume V, Issue 447, 2 November 1880, Page 2

The Akaroa Mail. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2.

By the report of the proceedings of the last meeting of the Borough Council it -will be seen that the question of the wharves again cropped up. Though this question lias been discussed in its various bearings almost <irt nauseam, it yet becomes necessary to revert to it once more. Wo believe'that the matter has now assumed a. phase which will necessi-

tato prompt action on the part of our

Borough Council, and if Unit body is too inort to take some decided step, then the public should give expression to their

opinion in an nnmistakeable manner,

At the meeting of the Council to which we have referred the Mayor stated thot the last correspondence on the matter was a letter from the Council to the Government, offering to take over the wharf if the Government would hand over towards its repairs and maintenance

the sumg received by them as wharf dues since the abolieion of the provinces.

To this letter and to a subsequent telegram on the same subject His Worship stated that as yet no reply had been received. Since that meeting we understand that a, reply has been receivoJ from the Government, intimating thai

hey are prepared to comply with the

request of the Council to hand over the sum to credit of the wharf, which amounts we believe to about £4.0 C, to the Council to form the nucleus of a wharf account. The Council will have at once to consider this offer aid accept or reject it

once and for all.

When the whole o

the circumstances arc taken into consideration, there remains very little doubt what the decision ought to be. We will endeavor to represent the alternatives presented to the Council for choice, and (o divest the issue of any fictitious adjuncts that hitherto may have been permitted to surround it. In the first place, Are would wish to assert in the most emphatic manner that one alternative may be dismissed at once without the slightest further consideration. It has beon claimed over and over again that the Government ought before handing over the jetty either to place it in thorough repair, or erect a new one. Now, of what ought to be the case we will not speak. It is quite sufficient for our purpose to deal with actual facts and potentialities. We have been given to understand that it is quite h.tjly tlu-.t some inhabitants of the British Islands leir.iid that Queen Anne sras deal. It would appear that there are several among our community who are not aware that Provincialism is dead— dead—dead, in fact far more dead than Lazarus was, because it is utterly impossible that it should ever be revivified. The Government have not the remotest intention of spending pnWic money on wharves, jetties, bridges and other local works. If they were individually inclined to do so, there would be no possibility of a General Assembly allowing them to " potter " with such two-penny arrangements while Colonial questions needed attention. The sooner therefore, all concerned dismiss from their minds the possibility of the Government so much us driving a nail into thu Akaroa wharf, the better chance for a sensible eluci lation of the points at issue. The alternatives therefore, offered to our civic rulers are (1) to take over the wharf with all its imperf ctions on head, coupled with the sum standing to its credit, and the right of raising a revenue from it in the future, or (2) to quietly fold their arms and see the present structure drop piece by piece into the water, and the trade of the port be absolutely ruined. There is no get away from it. There are the alternatives. If it wre a question of making a profitable speculation or otherwise it might be well to hesitate. But it is no such thing, whatever funds were derived from the wharves would have to be religiously spent in them, so there would be no profit in cash. And if the funds were insufficient to effect thorough repairs, no claim would be made on any other fund, so there could be no loss. But a Borough Council is not a collection of hucksters. It is, or should be a body of trustees for the public, and

having solely the interests of the public

at heart. The question then resolves itself into this—ls it to the advantage of the public of Akaroa and the neighbourhood that the wharves should decay before their eyes or that they should be maintained in a proper state of repair ? Most emphatically wo repeat that the only manner in which the latter consummation can be achieved is bythe local body assuming the management. We wero told the other day that the late Provincial Government made an unconditional present of several hundred pounds to a private speculative company in Akaroa. If the statement be true it is sufficient to reconcile all who de-

test jobbery to the extinction of such a Government. But one thing is certain. No Colonial Government will ever dare to perpetrate, such " leetle schwindles." And under such a heading would the lobbyists in the House class any attempt to smuggle through a vote for the Akaroa wharf. The issue is, therefore very simple. Let our Councillors and burgesses take their choice.