The Feilding Star. TUESDAY. JANUARY 13, 1885. The Borough Council

Feilding Star, Volume VI, Issue 90, 13 January 1885, Page 2

The Feilding Star. TUESDAY. JANUARY 13, 1885. The Borough Council

The meeting of ratepayers held on Saturday night last, although not composed of the representative men of tbe Borough, yet is deserving of more than a mere passing notice at our bands. It is indicative of a spirit of enquiry beginning to show itself among tbe ratepayers, combined witb a natural desire to know the reason of things interesting to themselves, inasmuch as they directly and indirectly bave to find tbe ways and means for carrying on tbe business of tbe Borough. Ratepayers individually and collectively are beginning to remark that from tbe Mayor downwards, not a single member of the Council bas ever taken the whole body of ratepayers into tbeir confidence, by a public address, as to their individual views or opinions on Borough affairs, neither have they afforded them an opportunity of putting questions whereby they could elicit information on points where enlightenment was and is absolutely, necessary, and which can only be given by Councillors retiring from office, or candidates seeking the position. As. the ratepayers have never demanded from tbe latter any public expression of opinion, tbey havo only themselves to blame for the condition of ignorance many of them confess themselves to be now in on matters so deeply and expensively interesting to themselves. Taking the whole List of Councillors who have represented the burgesses in the Borough Council from the beginning, we have been singularly fortunate in having men who (apart from those personal idiosyncrasies incidental to humanity, and from which even Borough Councillors are not free) have been only actuated by the best motives, and have invariably endeavored, to the best of their knowledge and abilities, to act their several parts honestly and with independance. But they do not represent the ratepayers as a whole. Each man as he sits at the Council table only represents one ratepayer, i.e., himself, for the very simple reason that he cannot know the feelings or wishes of those ratepayers who are equally ignorant of the Councillor's ideas from want of opportunities of public inter-communication. There is a feeling of dissatisfaction existing which we believe could be removed by the ratepayers petitioning the Mayor, and the Council consenting, to call a meeting to discuss a subject which should be clearly defined by the petitioners, in order that the Mayor and Councillors, whose duty it would be to take a. part in the said meeting, could come forward properly prepared to give clear and distinct information on the matter causing discontent. That this is in the power of the Council we are perfectly satisfied. If this is not done the feeling will only become more wide spread, and the evils arising from " a house divided against itself " are only too well-known already. And at present, when a supposed grievance would be discussed with temperance and good sense, in the future may very probably only be discussed in a manner the very reverse.