Untitled

Evening Star, Issue 3820, 22 May 1875, Page 2

The more that one thinks of this widening of Princes street south, the less he is able to understand how it can possibly have come into its present utterly hopeless condition. There are certain matters which seem at the first light to be altogether impenetrable and incapable of being comphrended, which yet yield before a little steady thinking; one ray of light breaks in after another, till the whole thing becomes as clear as day. In the present instance, however, nothing of the kind happens—thought on the subject onlv makes confusion worse ecu founded, and that which at first seemed merely hard to be understood is at last found to be impossible. On the whole, we are iuolined to believe that Mr C. Smith’s motion made at the meeting in Leith Ward contains the pith of all that can be said on the subject

“ That, in the opinion of this meeting, the City Council, as a whole, has sadly bungled, from betrinnin S to en< i, m regard to the widening of Princes street.

This ia perhaps the safest view to take with rega - dto the past. As a coroner’s jury does in the case of a murder by an unknown hand, we must bring in a verdict to the effect that a large bungle baa been perpetrated in our municipal management of this widening business, but there is no evidence to show widen of. the City : ounci lors are principally responsible for it. Wi hj regard to tbe future treatment ; f this matter, we are in dined to chink that vey little good would be gained by tbe resignation of any, or of all of the Oity Councillors Tim only advantage that could be thus, in any case, brought about would be that an expression of public opinion could be obtained ; but surely there can be very litth doubt as to what the views of the pub'i.; -oa this sub ject arc. They have been already enunciated with sufficient distinctness. If the Council can fairly and honestly “ back out ” of the payment of the arbi tration awards, and it seems to us that they could do so with a comparatively trifling expenditure, they ought to do so : if net, there is nothnig for the citizens to d*> but to ‘‘grin and bear it,” firmly resowing meanwhile to ketp henceforth a closer watch ovei their represent nivet. who have shown that whatever else they miy be, they can by no means be considered as being overwise and prudent. As to the Corporation tenant.*, it is quite plain that past experience warrants our resolving that no attempt should be made to deal with them till iheir leases have expired.