The Globe. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1875.

Globe, Volume IV, Issue 459, 3 December 1875, Page 2

The Globe. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1875.

The forthcoming election of the Mayor of Christchurch will be the first on which the general body of the ratepayers will have the privilege of recording their votes in favour of the candidate of their choice. Hitherto, the plan of election has been that that the members of the City Council nominated and elected one of their own body as Mayor, and, in consequence, the coveted billet fell in rotation to the different Councillors, It is gratifying

to find that this system will be broken up by the new plan of election, as it is evident that a man may be a very worthy and useful councillor, and yet at the same time be perfectly unable to enact the part of chief officer of the City of Christchurch with credit to himself or those who elected him. Amongst those who have sat in the Mayoral chair, we have had some really useful men, more mediocrities, and one or two to whom this term would be too flattering. The civic year, now drawing to a close, has been one of great importance, and the present Mayor has helped very largely to pass certain measures which were approved by the majority of the ratepayers, but which met with determined opposition from a section of the Council. Chief amongst these must be noticed the establishment of a Drainage Board for Christchurch and the suburbs. The absolute necessity of such a Board was apparent to most people, but its establishment was opposed with the greatest pertinacity, though luckily this opposition was ineffectual, and the elections of members for the different districts will take place very shortly. The Mayor, too, has had no small difficulty at certain times during his tenure of office in keeping order in the Council Chamber, and it is to his credit that he invariably declined to mix himself up in the quarrels between excited members, and that he generally succeeded in keeping what was at one time a very unruly team within certain bounds. We fancy, however, that whoever may be called on to fill the post of Mayor of Christchurch will not have any such difficulty with the Council as at present constituted. The last elections have shown that the ratepayers have determined to send only men who can be trusted not to forget the position they occupy, to represent them in the Council. That the present members fully appreciate the services rendered by the Mayor is evident, as they have unanimously nominated him tor re-election to the office he now holds. He has accepted the honour that they have done him, which action, we think, will be fully endorsed by the ratepayers on the nomination and polling days. While insisting that it was the right of the ratepayers to elect any one of their number to the office of Mayor, yet we have always considered that, if a suitable person could be found amongst the members of the Council, other requisite qualities with regard to a candidate not selected from that body being equal, the councillor should be elected, his knowledge of the business of the Council being a great advantage to him. Mr Hobbs wiil compare favourably with any candidates j for the mayoralty, and his knowledge i of business and experience as a councillor are well known. Under these circumstances we hope to see him again elected to the position which he has so worthily filled during the last year.