MR BARNES AND THE "DAILY TIMES."

Evening Star, Issue 3097, 22 January 1873, Page 2

MR BARNES AND THE "DAILY TIMES."

To the Editor, Sir,—“ The Devil may quote Scripture fo r his purpose,” and I think the Daily Time 9 will quote the Devil for its purpose if it suits. The mighty has at last fallen, and the Daily Times to a “ practical joke it only remains aow for that journal to advocate Mr Barnes’s' claim to the Mayoral chair. On reading a laudatory leader in yesterday’s Times on Mr Barnes’s scurrilous exhibition of Saturday night, I was tempted to make comparisons, and the subjoined is the result —1 am, &c., Afgvs, Daily Times, Aug. 2, Daily Timet, Jan. 20, 1870. 1873. The practical joke Already we are glad perpetrate ! yesterday to see that one of the by the ratepayers of members of the ComLeith Ward is remark- niittee —Mr Barnes ably ill-timed. It may has intimated in public bo that a want of ani- that he will take an matiou has character- early oppoitunity of ised the City Council moving, in his place in of late, and that the the Council, That Mr presence of Mr Barnes Gore’s valuations be adwill furnish the speci- bered to and if those men necessary to make who voted with him tho newspaper reports last week have any more readable. We regard for the good can see no harm in the name of the Corporaratepayers returning tion, we shall find them as a Councillor one giving their votes for who can, in the proper Mr Barnes’s motion, discharge of his duties, afford them some little amusement. If, combined with that faculty of creating mirth by his utterances, their representative should possess such qualifications as sagacity, intelligence, knowledge of business, and public spirit, we should be ready to congratulate the City upon such an addition to the Council. We believe that many of those points in Mr Barnes which detract from the value of his services are not caused by any fault of his. But this is no reason why the City should suffer. There are many important questions which the Council will shortly have to take up. Wc have only to mention that one of these will be the financial state of the Corporation, to remind the ratepayers that the subject can only be discussed by busin- ss men. M e have no hesitation in saying that yesterday s election may have the effect of preventing eligible men of this class coming forward again. We trust that it may not be so, and that the cause of Mr Barnes’s return will be viewed in its proper light. This is not the first time the electors of Dunedin have played off a similar joke—we hope sincerely it will be the last.