The Feilding Star. THURSDAY, SEPT. 16, 1886. Knight-Mayors

Feilding Star, Volume VIII, Issue 41, 16 September 1886, Page 2

The Feilding Star. THURSDAY, SEPT. 16, 1886. Knight-Mayors

We observe from our exchangos that many of the Boroughs in the Colony are much exercised on the approaching contests for the Mayoral chairs. In Wellington the battle will bo fought out to the bitter end between the rival candidates, of whom Mr Samuel Brown and Mr Geokge Fisiier have already declared themselves. The present Mayor, Mr A. Brown, has retired from the contest on the grounds that should he be elected, Hor Majesty the Queen was sure to make a knight of him. This is probably the most amusing excuse for avoiding the fatigues and worries of a contested election, ever put forward. It is not at all unlikely that Mr Dransfield will come forward, and as he has a good record of past services to show his chances of election are not small. In making their selection, assuming the knight scare to have good grounds, the ratepayers will be slightly embarrassed by the difficulty, which must present itself to their minds, of deciding — not so much who will be the beet man for Mayor, but who will best support that dignity as well as the threatened honor of knighthood. A man may fee a very good knight, and a very poor Mayor, or — as in the case ef Mr Brown— who has proved himself to be a good Mayor, but thinks and avows that he would make a poor

sort of knight. The Wellington ratepayers ought to be very much obliged to Mr Brown for pointing out this difficulty to them. To see a difficulty and understand it, is to overcome it. Now we are quite aware of the presumption of the suggestion we are about to make, but we are quite prepared to take the consequences thereof. It is as follows : — Let a committee of burgesses, appointed from each of the several wards in the city, select the names of several of the wealthiest or most respected citizens (the qualifications are always in conjunction), and from them choose the one most fitted to the position. Or, if this plan is rejected, let their choice fall on the oldest settlor ; the man who has by his unaided exertions achieved the highest social position which can be conferred by a grateful country on a distinguised and deserving citizen ; a seat in the House of Reprsentatives. Need we go farther ? We have one Sir Robert, two Sir Williams, two Sir Julius. Why not a Sir John ?