THE GLOBE. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1882. THE APPROACHING MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2626, 6 September 1882, Page 2

THE GLOBE. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1882. THE APPROACHING MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.

WE feel sure every ratepayer will join with us in echoing the expressions of regret made use of at the last meeting of tho City Council on the occasion of the rotirement of several of the notably Crs. Hulbort, Bishop, and England. All three of these gentlemen have, in their respective way, done good service to the city. Or. Hulbert, though perhaps through his thoroughly English love of plain speaking and honest voting, according to bis opinions, on every subject coming before him has, it is said, incurred thereby the displeasure of a certain clique of the ratepayers. We are not aware that such is the fact, but it is commonly reported. If it bo true, all honour to Cr. Hulbert. But, apart from this, he has been quietly but assiduously and zealously doing the work of the city, not obtruding himself into public notice, but rather discharging those duties in connection with the Council, which, while entailing an immense amount of labour, brought with them no corresponding kudos or opportunity of posing as the friend of the ratepayers. The city will, we feel sure, ere long begin to understand that in losing the services of Cr. Hulbert we have lost a thoroughly efficient man. Wo are glad to notice that Cr. Hulbert will, should the ratepayers desire it, once more place his services at their disposal, and we hope it will not he long ere he again re-enters municipal life, probably as Mayor of Christchurch. The same remarks apply with equal force to the two other retiring Councillors. Cr. Bishop has also done yeoman service during his period of office. His labours in connection with the Bye-law Committee alone have been such as to entitle him to the best thanks of the citizens, and it is matter for the very riacerest regret that the circumstances to which we shall presently more fully allude have rendered it necessary to deprive the ratepayers of the services of so eligible a representative, the more so when we consider how difficult it is to fill up the vacancies with suitable men. Though last, but by no means least, comes Councillor England, whose career in the Council has been one of thoroughly good work honestly performed. To any one having at least the real interests of the city it must be very disheartening to find gentlemen like those wa have been referring to giving up working for the ratepayers. But it is more so wheu wa come to consider the reasons which to a very great extent have actuated these resignations. These were pretty fully and plainly stated by Cr. Bishop, and wa can sympathise most fully with him. It is not so much the rejection without investigation, without hearing the reasons which have induced the conclusions come to of the schemes brought forward for the benefit of the city. True it is that this is enough in itself to make any body of gentlemen who are dovoling their time and energies to the work of the city stay and consider whether the game is worth the candle. But they could even afford to smile at the howling and raving of a noisy set led on by Mr. Samuel Clarkson and other ratepayers occupying similar distinguished positions had they, as they ought to do, received one scintilla of support from the mer-, chants and business people of Chrissehurch. This, as Cr. Bishop very plainly puts it, has never been afforded to them. The men who pay a large share of the rates in whose interests it is necessary that meu of intellect should occupy seats iu the Council and carry on our municipal government, are just the very ones who on all occasions have boon conspicuous by ibeir absence. Wa look in vain any meeting on city questions Sor such men as Mr. Cunningham, Mr. Georgq Gould and.

others wo could name. They are content to allow not only others to take up the burden of public work which they ought to sharo in, but to stand alone in their endeavours to carry out schemes for the beautifying and adding to the health of the city. It is this apathy openly and prominently before us on the part of men who Lave made their all here, but who not only decline to take part in the work but to support those who do, which renders it so difficult to get good men to £ll seats in the Council. In a city like Christchurch it should be a coveted honor to hold a seat in the body which governs it. But the reverse is the case, and if the Council should deteriorate from the standard reached during the first two years it will be the fault of those who stood idly by and allowed the workers not only to be abused but positively insulted. In taking leave of the retiring Councillors we do so with regret, but we agree with Councillor Bishop that, after the utter indifference exhibited by the merchants and others of Christchurch, they are quite right to decline to sacrifice their leisure and spend money for the advancement of the interests of those who apparently care little or nothing about the progress and welfare of the city.