THE MAYOR TO THE FORE.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2605, 12 August 1882, Page 2

THE MAYOR TO THE FORE.

It was with great pleasure we read the manly remarks of the Mayor on the subjeet of the rejection by the ratepayers of the water supply scheme. His Worship aptly referred to the fact that the matter had been taken in hand by a private company. It is not, however, with the water supply question that we desire to deal today, but with one which is even far more important. The question raised by the Mayor simply amounts to this—are gentlemen to go into that Council simply as delegates, or as representatives doing the best according to their lights for the city ? The action taken by a section of the citizens appears to imply that they consider the former to be the proper thing. They seem to treat the whole Council as mere dummies sent to do the business of the city according to whatever a certain section may deem fit. No matter how carefully they may considers question, how much mote capable of arriving at a sound conclusion they must necessarily be than the general body of aitizena, a portion, at the bidding and instance of one or two men, veto all schemes for the advancement and improvement of Christahureh. If this state of things is to continue, how can they hope to find anybody who will come forward to serve them. They will not listen to reason nor argument All they care for, is blindly and implicitly to follow the lead of gentlemen like Mr. Clarkson and others, not knowing in the slightest where it will land them. We have been for years foolishly spending our rates on permanent improvements, taxing ourselves for the benefit of those who come after ns, instead of making posterity, for whose benefit these works have been carried out, pay a share of it. Other cities, notably Dunedin, have borrowed largely and spent money on works, such as water supply, &c., which return revenue sufficient to cover interest and sinking fund. The result is seen in the comparison of the two cities. Dunedin to-day is far and away ahead of Christchurch in its improvements and its general ornamentation of the city. Why is this, it may be asked ? To this we reply that the ratepayers of Dunedin are not obstructive, they do not wish to dictate to or interfere with their representatives, and they arrange their finances so that the ultimatecost of works executed of a permament character shall be defrayed by the future generation. That is the policy we want here. Instead of an obstructive and short sighted interference by the ratepayers on all possible occasions, let them join loyally with the representatives in carrying out schemes which have been well digested and thought over. Until we do this wo must be prepared to take an inferior position amongst the cities of New Zealand. The Mayor is entitled to great credit for his straightforwardspeech, which really contains a great deal, and wa trust that the ratepayers will think carefully over the position and not be scared on every occasion like a lot of children by the bogey “ More Taxation.”