THE GLOBE. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1879.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1801, 28 November 1879, Page 2

THE GLOBE. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1879.

The successful candidate in the recent Mayoral contest at Christchureb, in speaking at the declaration of the poll yesterday, mentioned that several important works would shortly be put before the citizens. Wo presume that the Mayor alluded to the questions of the municipal buildings and water supply. His Worship went on to say that ho hoped the next year would be one of progress. We re-echo his sentiment very heartily. The past year—dating from the Mayoral election—has not been so marked with energy on the part of the Council with regard to theso matters as we would have wished. With regard to municipal buildings, we are at a loss to know what position the question is in at present. The whole thing from first to last has been mismanaged and muddled, so that it is very questionable indeed if two members of the Council could give a clear account of the present aspect of affairs. Why the delay has occurred we are unable to say. The two plans have been displayed now for some time, and if anything could add to the fervour of the wish that the ratepayers will decline to entertain either, it is this very display. Now that ample opportunity has been afforded to all who desire it to inspect theso plans, the sooner the question is submitted to the ratepayers the better. To continue the present state of affairs is simply wasting valuable time, because we feel pretty certain that the result of the appeal to the ratepayers will be to go into the whole matter de novo. The present Council, seeing tho moss made by their predecessors, had a very good opportunity of beginning afresh when they came into office. They preferred, however, to perpetuate the muddle, and the result is that no progress has been made with what is admitted on all sides to be a most desirable work. Henco, with regard to this matter, we trust that tho prediction of the Mayor will bo verified, and that no time will bo lost in submitting it to the decision of the ratepayers. The other lai'ge question, namely that of tho water supply, has very frequently been referred to by us. Wo are sure the Council must feel tho necessity of zeal and activity in carrying it to a practical conclusion. So soon as the reports of tho engineers are submitted to the Council—which, by tho way, should have been done long ere this —the ratepayers ought to be at once consulted. If tho scheme under consideration is cca-idered inpracticable or beyond our means, then some other .source of supply must be found. An improved wator supply system Christchnrch must have, so the

sooner the Council face this fact the better.

In the matter o£ smaller works, there are many which we hope to see concluded during the Mayoral year just about to be started. First amongst these are tho improvement of private streets and the re-arrangement of tho lightingof tho public streets. It is true that financial difficulties oppress the Council, as they do, in many cases in these hard times, private individuals, but tho above are works of such pressing necessity both for the health and comfort of the citizens, that despite the pressure of the monoy market they should be executed. The resources and future of this city are so large that the Council may with confidence carry out many works for its adornment and sanitary improvement, making the principal cost a charge on posterity who will come after us and reap the benefit of our enterprise and forethought.

The remarks made by the Returning Officer at the recent declaration of the poll for the election of the Mayor of Christchurch, deserve more than passing notice. Wo find from what Mr. Leo then stated that a number of votes were obliged to be cancelled, and those who gave them were consequently disfranchised owing to carelessness on tho part of the voters. The Legislature, with a laudable desiro to make the process clear to tho mind of the voter, has enacted that certain very clear instructions shall be appended to tho ballot paper. But notwithstanding this, we find that both in tho City and tho adjoining Borough of Sydenham, a number of votes had to be rejected on the ground of informality. In tho city, some of tho methods adopted by the burgesses to record their votes wore very amusing. For instance, some papers had all tho names struck out, which must of necessity to tho most ignorant mind have convoyed tho idea that the paper would be utterly worthless, and that consequently the time of the voter would be completely wasted. Then again, in other cases, all tho names wero left uncancelled, but an emphatic line was drawn under the favored candidate. A very favorite method seemed to be to commence to cancel tho names of those the voter wished to strike off, but, as if ho were seized with remorse, only a very little progress wasmado in the process, and their names were but partially erased. These and similar other breaches of tho simple regulations under which tho ballot is conducted, show that a number of those entrusted with the franchise require some education in tho way of using it. It has often been said that the ballot is tho especial bulwark of tho working man, and it may be so. But if ho wishes to exercise his undoubted right to choose who he likes to represent him be must take care to make himself acquainted with the conditions under which this may be done effectually. Wo hope that those who are not fully acquainted with the method of voting will devote a little time and study to tho acquirement of this useful knowledge.