THE NEW BOARD OF CONSERVATORS.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2132, 23 December 1880, Page 2

THE NEW BOARD OF CONSERVATORS.

The nominated Board of Conservators has been replaced by a duly-elected one, and the question naturally arises as to the manner in which the new men will grapple with the difficulties of the position. Speaking generally, the elected Board are a fairly representative body, although the majority are new to tho work. We trust, however, that the more inexperienced Conservators will set themselves to work to consider the duties to which they have committed themselves, and will remember that more valuable service can bo rendered by aiding in tho furtherance of carefully thought out and properly matured plans, than, as is too often the case in elected bodies, in each member contributing his plan for the furtherance of a work with which thoy may havo but a superficial acquaintance. We hope, further, that each member will endeavour to secure tho greatest possible results, combined with a jealous care of the funds committed to their trust.

There aro two points connected with the elections just concluded that call for a passing word. The first is the fact of how exceedingly close (save in the election for the Lincoln Sub-district) the losing candidates have run their com-

petitors. Tho second is the fact of the great apathy shown by the ratepayers in the matter. For instance, take the North-west District of Ohristchurch, the voting power in which comprises nearly 1000 votes. Now, in this district the total number of votes polled was 162, leaving about 800 votes unrecorded. Also in the North-East district of the city, where the voting power is nearly 1200, the votes recorded amounted to only 443, showing that more than 700 votes were not used. Now, on such an important question as this, which involves nothing more or less than the preserving of Ohristchurch and its suburbs from inundation, this is a peculiar state of things. One would think that every ratepayer, when so much depends on whether a competent or an incompetent Board of Conservators is elected, would be eager to record his vote in the favor of the man he considered best calculated by wisdom in council to avert a terrible calamity, which would, amongst other things, involve the loss of property of immense value.