The Globe. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1874.

Globe, Volume II, Issue 109, 6 October 1874, Page 2

The Globe. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1874.

At the meeting of the City Council last night, Councillor Eapbm I’s motion —“That the resolution No 23 on “the minutes of the Council, 17th “September, 1873, with reference to “ the sum of £3OO being allowed for “ the Mayor’s official expenses, be res- “ cinded from the expiration of the “ present Mayoral year was passed by a large majority, in fact there was only one dissentient member. The explanations given regarding the reasons for this sura of money having been originally voted to the Mayor, are some of them curious. Amongst others is the statement of the present occupier of the Mayoral chair, that “It was known, eighteen months “ before he was elected, that he would “ not take the position of Mayor, un- “ less £3OO were voted to him.” Well, we might have had another gentleman filling the office, and we do not know that the citizens and ratepayers would have been any the worse off, if we had been deprived of the present Mayor’s services in consequence of the economy of the Council. It may have been worth the £3OO that has been, or will be, paid to the Mayor, to have had the benefit of his advice and council during the official year just drawing to its close, but we confess we cannot see how the money’s worth has been obtained. No doubt the Mayor has been active, has attended the meetings of the Council, and has looked after the various municipal works which are going on in the City ; out this is no more than we expect from any Mayor, and he would surely not claim any particular credit for having done his duty towards the ratepayers of Christchurch. One thing is certain, and that is, that anv candidate for the position of Chief Officer of (he City of Christchurch mi st be ready and willing to devote a good deal of his time, and a considerable quantity "f trouble to the supervision of muni cipal matters. If we are so unfortunately placed as a community, that we have no citizens, who possess the necessary brains for filling the office of Mayor of Christchurch, who are willing or able to take (his position without a salary being attached to it, then we suppose that there must he a salary. If this be the case, let the salary be fixed, and let it be paid in any way that may be most convenient, but we protest in the strongest manner against the Council in this case, requiring the items of expenditure to be placed before them. Some Mavors might be given to charitable donations, others to dinners and entertainments, and the one class of gentlemen would be as embarrassed as the other, if they had to produce their accounts before a Council. Ihe present Mayor observed that “ if they “wanted a Mayor with a pudding “ head and plenty of money, they “ could, no doubt, find him ; but if “ they wanted a man with brains and “ money 100, they might have some “ difficulty in finding him.” Quite true, we confess, but. then it is very easy to find plenty of pudding-headed candidates without money, w r ho would be perfectly willing to sit in the Mayoral chair for the next ten years, if they were only guaranteed the sum of £3OO per annum for so doing.