The Globe. MONDAY, MAY 21, 1877.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 906, 21 May 1877, Page 2

The Globe. MONDAY, MAY 21, 1877.

The quarrel between the Council of the Acclimatisation Society and their curator is not yet settled. It seems to be the normal condition of this eccentric body to be in hot water with someone. Now it is the Government, anon, one of its' own members, but whoever for the nonce is the unhappy object of its wrath, the Council is always according to its own showing in the right. In the present instance we think they are. The private coursing match of the curator cannot be regarded as one of those duties which came within the sphere of his ordinary work. If he felt insulted at being asked for an explanation on that subject, and at the resolution of the Council that in future be should not dispose of the property of the society without consulting the Council, well the best thing he can do is to stick to his resolution to resign. In our opinion he was (dearly wrong. But wo can well believe that in many instances he is interferred with in a most unwarrantable manner, and the sooner a clear understanding is arrived at as to the duties of the curator the better it will be for all concerned.

We have it on the highest authority that “ no man can serve two masters,’’ but hero is an unfortunate officer who is expected to serve, not two, bnl twelve. The difficulty must be still more increased when we remember that, in acclimatisation, considerable difference of opinion on many subjects exists. To have, therefore, to work amicably with eleven gentlemen, all having particular hobbies of their own, and impressing on the curator the necessity of carrying out these peculiar notions, must, to say the least of it, bo somewhat difficult. Were it not that the public are interested to some degree, as having contributed out of the revenue, the proceedings of the council would be in the highest degree comic. But it becomes a serious matter when the public funds are wasted, merely to enable a few gentlemen to indulge their hobby. Within certain limits the Curator should be entrusted with the practical work of the society. He should be a man competent to do the work, and one in whom the society could trust. Hitherto, instead of having one practical curator, wo have had half a dozen amateur ones, and the result has been chaos. The gardens are all but a wilderness ; and with the exception of stocking the rivers with trout, but little in the work of acclimatisation is being done. And so long as the present system is kept up, so long will this state of things exist. Let the duties of the curator for the future be clearly defined, and let the Council confine themselves strictly to the discharge of their executive duties, and cease to interfere with the curator, and we may perhaps then see something like vitality in the cause of acclimatisation. It is much to be regretted that the zeal and activity with which petty quarrels and bickerings are prosecuted by the Council cannot be diverted into a more useful channel. It would do a great deal of good, and tend to raise the Society in public estimation.

The Heatlicote Road Board has set an example which wo have no doubt will he followed by the other Boards throughout the province. We allude to the bringing into force that section of the Regulation of Local Elections Act which provides that voting in connection with local bodies may be by ballot. We are glad to see a move made in this direction. The Road Board voter has quite as much right to demand that he shall exercise his franchise, untrammelled by fear of consequences, as the voter at the Grcncral Assembly elections. Indeed we do not know that he has not more cause to do so. The social circle in rural districts is circumscribed, and it may bo that the knowledge of how A or B votes at a Road Board election may cause considerable unpleasantness. Therefore, we hope to see the example set by the Heatlicote followed in other districts,