REPLY TO THE MAYOR.

Globe, Volume VI, Issue 675, 18 August 1876, Page 3

REPLY TO THE MAYOR.

'Jo the Editor of the Globe. Sir, —The Mayor has ventured to put forth a political manifesto on subjects in which, as ratepayers, we unfortunate citizens are interested, both from a sanitary and a monetary point of view. I regret to say that I differ most completely from the Mayor, both in his history of the past, and also in his dismal picture of the future. History of the past.—Mr Hobbs says : “The towns have been, induced to become municipalities, and then left out in the cold as regards endowments.” This statement is utterly untrue. Cnristchurch was most splendidly endowed with laud reserves, which if they had been properly managed would have done for us all that could be wished, but here’s the rub, and a sore rub it is. One of Mr Hobb’s co-mates and brothers in office sold those reserves for £20,000. Like Esau, with his birthright; like His Worship with the.£l subsidy; our birthright, the endowment of our city, was sold for a paltry mess of pottage; or for the sum of £2500 per Sir Julius to Mr Hobbs. These two cases Mr Editor are perfect and beautiful parallels. When I saw Mr Hobbs comq r from the Ministry with that “ first instalment of the subsidy,” I wrote to the Globe *■ that the Mayor had signed our death warrant, bub that it was beyond his purpose or ken.” The Lyttelton Times in its leader the other day has just discovered that what I said months ago was true, and so the City Council have also opened their eyes to find out that Sir Julius lias given them a “ white elephantindeed Sir Julius “ just means that entirely now to every man-jack of you,” but to himself £2500 extra wages to pay for “ dansesa la masque ” and other unreasonable little affairs of that kind, while you and I may stick in the mud. The dismal future of Mr Hobbs is entirely his own making; if the City Council would only be as ■wise as the Premier, that is to say just adopt and carry out my plans published long ago, we have a splendid future. Towards the close of 1875, 1 printed and published a Reform Rill, and posted the same to all the Members of Parliament, and all the newspapers in New Zealand, from Sir George Grey and the Southern Cross, down to Mr Macandrew and the Otago Daily Times. I also asked them to adopt the principles of the Bill, and carry them out The Premier has followed my advice, and adopted from mo the following principies ; 1. To raise the price of land to £2 all over New Zealand, 2. To abolish the volunteers (see to-day s telegrams). 3. To appoint a Royal Commission to consolidate the laws, 4. Consents to the principle of an absentee tax.

5. Admits that Triennial Parliaments in a growing colony are better than Quinquennial,

6. To abolish the £1 house tax. 7. To revolutionise the Native Department b/ allowing the natives to throw their land open through the Waste Lands Board. This last principle, Sir Julius says, “is a worthy crown to the Public Works policy,” but he never tells you that it was published by Mr Tombs for me last year, and sent to the Ministry by post to help them out of their mess into which they had gotten the colony. The three points on which Sir Julius stands beaten, and on which he will be turned out are precisely those in which he has not followed my Bill. 1. He makes large, instead of «nnll counties.

2, He practicdly seizes the land fund, instead of localising it, Mr Whitaker spoke truly when he said that.

3. His finance is bad, the Bank agreement void.

My argument from these facts is, "If my policy has proved so good in the higher part of statescraft, is not my policy in mere trumpery municipal matters equally good. Of course the fearful untruths concerning my speech, &c, that were printed in the Lyttelton Times, would only lead people astray. The Lyttelton Times, like all the rest of the world, is apt to measure other people’s corn by its own bushel. What that bushel is, the public can easily see by referring to the leader in one of this week’s Lyttelton Times, “ it is set on fire of hell," those are the editor’s words, and of course untruths are very commonly met in society of that description. , Mr Tombs printed my speech truly, and the Globe published it. The Mayor will see from that nomination speech (which was carefully composed, cut and dried, written out, and learnt by heart before delivery) that a' policy unheard of, quite original, was proposed. I maintain (I) that my policy can be carried out ; (2) that it is the beat thing you can do to get you out of the mess ; (3) that it will give you a splendid future.

1. As the Government will not bring any ol the north, south, east, or south-western lines to Christchurch, do it yourselves, get power to use the reserves, which at present lie idle from Addington to Cathedral square, borrow on the line, and you will have a revenue that will astonish you. 2. Cease to talk such nonsense about City Proper, get a Bill passed to take in the suburbs, they are larger, and better than Christchurch, and forbid street building within one mile of the new boundary. 3. Ask the usual endowment for a new municipality, when you do the above, and ask also for compensation for the lost reserves.

If necessary put up municipal barriers (get power to do itl and tax the country folk who tear your streets up. With this policy our future is not as Mr Hobbs says, dismal and hopeless, but “ God help those who help themselves, and none others,” T ns committee that the Times talks about (the Mayor j and Messrs Turner and Hawkes), they have no right to consider political questions at all. It is to us, the ratepayers, that this matter comes for settlement, that is to say, “ whether we will adopt the Government proposals or not.” As a citizen I protest against the Council taking this responsibility. Let a public meeting be called, there will be a full meeting I promise them, and wo can decide these matters. Yours, &c, J. W. TBBADWELL.