The Globe. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1874.

Globe, Volume II, Issue 127, 27 October 1874, Page 2

The Globe. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1874.

On the occasion of the annual session of the Mutual Admiration Society, duly convened for the purpose of electing the Mayor of Christchurch, it has been customary to refer in terms of self-laudation to the high character of the Council, but vve fancy that the present Mayor will have but little to say on this subject —at any rate, he will have but scant cause to do so, for the Council, which for some time past has been most irregular in the conduct of its business, has now reached the highest pitch of disorder. The time of the Council has for a long time past been wasted in personal and frivolous contentions, but last night the scene which took place was a disgrace to Christchurch, and one which we sincerely hope will never occur again. Tor over an hour the wordy war raged, the feeble endeavours of the Mayor to preserve even the semblance of order being set at naught. Mutual recriminations, in which anything but parliamentary language was used, were hurled broadcast, and so bad was the scene that one member declared he would resign his seat rather than continue a member of a body where such proceedings were allowed. For this state of things, in a great degree the Mayor is to blame in allowing the discussion, which was quite out of order the moment personal motives were imputed, to continue, and unless some change is made in the conduct of business, the name of the City Council of Christchurch, will become a bye woi d and a reproach. Further, tliau this however, we will go, and say at once, that the City Council as at present constituted, does not represent the ratepayers; it is no use shirking the fact, and we believe a majority of the ratepayers will agree with us. From the absurd system which prevails, of badgering candidates at public meetings, number of good men—men who would do good work for the city —men of position and influence, are practically shut out, and the result is that t he ratepayers have to make the best of what they can get. A body of men who can spend hour after hour squabbling and fighting over the precedence of a committee or the mere petty details of the reference of an account, while disease is rife amongst us for want of proper and sufficient drainage and sanitary precautions, are not entitled to the confidence of the ratepayers, and should give way to better men. Time after time the subject of making some preparation for the approaching season has been pressed upon the Council; but yet, with a largely-increased population, and consequently double or treble the risk of disease, absolutely nothing has been done to remove from Christchurch the stigma, confirmed by official statistics, of being the unhealthiest city in the colony. The Council meet week after week, and the vital question of how to prevent death decimating our population, as was the case some two summers back, appears either too vast for their comprehension, or, in their opinion, too insignificant in comparison with the greater question of whether horsefeed accounts shall be passed by the Finance or Works Committee. The whole thing is a farce, and the sooner the ratepayers look into the subject the better. If something be not done soon, the coming summer will leave behind it wailing and lamentation in many a home for relatives sacrificed at the altar of the tutelar deity of the City Council—Muddle.