The Globe. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1874.

Globe, Volume II, Issue 167, 18 December 1874, Page 2

The Globe. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1874.

Councillor Jokes is no doubt a very estimable personage, but he has an unhappy knack of saying the most mal apropos things at a time when one least expects them. In fact, he is always ready to raise the war-whoop and plunge into a contest with anybody, particularly the newspapers of the city, which appear to be his especialenemies. On Wednesday the office of proposer of the Mayor elect devolved upon him, and, true to his creed, he set up a couple of shadows in his address, and forthwith proceeded to demolish them, much to his own satisfaction no doubt. On one point we join issue with him—viz—the election of the Mayor. There is, we venture to affirm, an overwhelming majority of the ratepayers in favor of the choice of Mayor being exercised by the citizens at large. Of course the present members of the Council do not share this opinion. That is not to be expected for a moment. Each one, as year after year goes by, stands nearer to the coveted dignity, and they will of course conserve, as long as possible, the privilege of meeting in private coterie, and chosing the Mayor for the next year. Perhaps in years gene by,in that happy-family periodknownas the good old times, this primitive method had its advantages. But now things are different; the position of Mayor of Christchurch is such that it is not desirable that it should be left to be filled by the mere chance of rotation —a chauce which might eventuate in tho election of a most undesirable person to fill the office, one who, though perhaps a worthy citizen and a good councillor, would still be most unfit to occupy the position of Mayor of a city like Christchurch. But under the present system there would be no help for it; unless the gentleman next in order refused, the members would have no alternative but to elect him. This surely is not a desirable state of things, nor one whi ch is likely to conduce to the success of Municipal institutions amongst us. Cr Jones may perhaps refer us to past Mayors, than whom no more worthy selection could have been made, but this was due to a fortunate combination of circumstances which may not occur again, and which after ail is an exceedingly risky speculation. Referring to the general question, we would point out to Cr Jones and his fellow councillors that even supposing the election of the Mayor was carried out by the ratepayers, it does not follow that they would be passed over. On the contrary, the probability is that the ratepayers, seeing the work done by them in the Council, would not go outside of it, but elect a member from the public knowledge they have gained of their capability of discharging their duties. The members of the Council, judging from Cr Jones's remarks, seem to think that the moment the power of election is taken out of their hands, that moment they will be relegated to the cooler shades of respectability, as councillors for ever, without a chance of being " youi worship," or of wearing that gorgeous array of purple and fine linen irreverently styled by a correspondent "a cotton velvet bedgown." But it is not so ; the ratepayers will, we hope, use their endeavours to secure the best man, and surely those who are conversant with the routine and the work of the Council, and who are carrying on its business, will stand an equal if not a better chance of being selected than an untried man. There will, we hope, be an agitation amongst the ratepayers, with a viewof getting the provision as to tho election of Mayor by the people inserted into the Act, and we are very much mistaken if the voice of tho people will not moat emphatically be with us upon this point, Cr Jones to the contrary notwithstanding. Though hardly connected with this subject, we would desire briefly to

touch upon what fell from the late Mayor with regard to the newspapers and the Council. Wo have freely and fairly commented on the acts of the City Council during tho past} r ear, and in doing so we have not only discharged our duty to the public, but have done good to the Council themselves. The criticisms passed upon the acts of the Council, from the wholosomesome check and control they exercised, have had a most beneficial effect. Nothing tends more to demoralise a public body than unlimited praise from the public journals, or a total want of intercut in them. Fair and honest criticism of their actions has the effect of bracing up their nerves, so to speak ; it acts as a tonic, and the whole system is thereby improved. His Honor the Superintendent, than whom no one has had more experience of the attentions of the Fourth Estate, spoke truly when he said that the public take a keen interest in criticising the actions of public men. And it is a good sign when they do so, because it shows that they are watching the efforts being made on their behalf. "We take leave of the exMayor with regret, recognising (though we have had occasion to differ with some of his opinions), the untiriug zeal he has displayed during his Mayoralty, and we can assure his successor that, while as hitherto, commenting freely upon the various questions of public importance likely to arise during his year of office, he will have our hearty support in the carrying out of the work he lately undertook, and a ready acknowledgement of his efforts to serve the ratepayers.