The Globe. THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 1877.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 980, 16 August 1877, Page 2

The Globe. THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 1877.

¥e have now before us the details in so far as they affect Christchurch of the work done by the recent Municipal Conference in Wellington. The information afforded by Mr. Hobbs fully confirms the view we had taken on the scantier details afforded up by telegraph, viz., that a great deal-of good will result from the labors of the Conference. Not alone has there been a great deal of valuable information afforded to the Government as to the practical working of the Act, but the coming together of the representatives of the municipalities throughout the colony, and the interchange of ideas must lie productive of satisfactory results. On the two important points of the very large deductions made from the subsidy payable to municipalities and the endowment of those not yet possessed of any resources beyond the rates, the action taken by the Conference was at once wise and decisive. With respect to the first matter Christchurch has suffered perhaps more than any municipality in the colony, and as will be seen by Mr. Hobbs’s report, the Government were unable to give any idea of the basis they had adopted in charging it. In the matter of endowments also Christchurch is in a very bad position, and the recommendation of the Conference that a select committee should be appointed to consider the condition of the boroughs without endowment so as to make special provision by way of grants of land, will at once commend itself to everyone. As we have before pointed out very responsible and onerous duties have been cast upon the 1 municipalities, and it is only right that those who have been left without any means beyond their locally raised rates, should receive a subsidy in the shape of endowment. The vesting of the various reserves in the city such as Latimer and Crarimer squares and the Market Place is a step in the right direction, and one which is very necessary. At present they are a sort of no man’s land, but by the vesting in the Cor^rftti° n ensure their beingretained purposes for which they are jnteaM On. the several other questions tossed upon by Councillor Hobbs we think the latepayers will agree with us that the recommendations made by the Conference have been made upon a sound basis. We think the ratepayers owe a debt of gratitude to Councillor Hobbs for the able manner in which he discharged the duties devolving upon him, and the tact and knowledge displayed by him in dealing with, the various subjects brought before the Conference. Though taking exception still to the manner in which the instructions of the City Council were conveyed to him, we yet cannot refrain from paying a wellmerited tribute of praise to the zeal and success with which Mr. Hobbs carried out the functions of a delegate from Christchurch,

The citizens of Christchurch will have read .with surprise and regret the course taken by his Worship the Mayor, in connection with Mr Jameson's letter making enquiries as to the two shilling rate. ' On reading the telegram from Wellington which omitted to state that the increased power applied only to Otago, Mr. Jameson wrote to the Mayor, asking him whether instructions had been given to Mr. Hobbs, to support such increase. The Town Clerk drafted a letter in reply, giving the facts of the case, a copy of which appears in our report of the City Council proceedings of yesterday. The Mayor, however, objected to- it, and ordered a reply to be sent simply stating that the delegate was not instructed to apply for the increase, thereby creating the impression in the minds of the ratepayers that Mr Hobbs had voted for an increase in taxation. The conduct of his Worship is all the more to be blamed when we' take into consideration the fact, that the day before, Mr. Hobbs waited on him and explained the whole matter, drawing his attention to the circumstance that the increase applied only to Otago. The explanation given by his Worship is paltry in the extreme. He excuses himself on the plea that he had no right to say more than he did, because he was only asked whether the delegate was instructed to support an increase to 2s in the £. By sending the answer which he did, he willfully or ignorantly did Mr Hobbs a great injustice. Let us charitably believe his Worship acted through ignorance. But whatever his motive was, let us hope that his conduct on this occasion will not be forgotten, and that should he again be a candidate for the Mayoral chair at the approaching election, the citizens will return a gentleman better fitted than he is to maintain the dignity of that high office.