The Globe. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1875.

Globe, Volume IV, Issue 466, 11 December 1875, Page 2

The Globe. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1875.

1 he only nomination for Mayor of Chris!church is that of Mr Hobbs, who will thus, for a second year in succession, occupy the chair at the City Council meetings. We are glad to see that the Councillors and the ratepayers are willing thus to honour a man who has filled the position be is in with credit to himself and the city. There is, however, a question which must be discussed, sooner or later, and this of course is the honorarium which is to be voted for the Mayor. We entirely object to the term honorarium. If a certain sum of money is to be voted year by year then let it he called, woat it really i«, a salary. There are many citizens who could not afford to laae the position of Mayor, with its unavoidable expenses, unless it was understood that there was a certain sum to be paid for the work done. No one amongst us would grudge a fixed salary being paid to the chief officer of the city, and this being the case, let it be known that the Mayor is a salaried official. There may of course be cases in which a wealthy citizen is elected to the office, who would not care to receive the salary, but in the majority of instances the sum oi three hundred pounds for the expenses of a year of office would not be too much to allow the Mayor. If the members of the Council are in a position to vote a salary to their chief, the ratepayers would, we think, concur iri the expenditure, but it should be distinctly understood that this will not bo au exceptional case, but that every occupant of the chair will receive the same sura. There can be no reason why one Mayor should be paid and another receive i othing for his trouble, and it is alwaya open to a man to refuse to

receive the honorarium, as it is a' present termed. The fact of the position being made a paid one, would remove a great deal of ill-feeling with respect to the Council’s disposing of city funds amongst themselves. The present system can give no satisfaction to the Mayor, the Council, or the ratepayers, and the sooner it is altered the better for every once concerned.