The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 1882.

Kumara Times, Issue 1738, 26 April 1882, Page 2

The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 1882.

An event occtnred at the meeting of the Borough on Thursday evening last, which should not he allowed to pass without comment. Councillor Seddon, apparently without notice, moved a resolution desiring bis Kxce.llency the Governor, subject to the approval of the County Council, to issue a proclamation dissolving the Borough of Knmara. Kow it most decidedly appears that in matter of so much importance, the ratepayers themselves should have an opportunity afforded them of expressing an opinion before a vote was taken to decide this matter. It may have been, and probably was, a mistake in the first place to constitute Kumara ft Borough, but the Borough bavins once been created, the merging of it into the County is certainly a step not to be taken without the most serious

consideration, but at a moment’s notice to gb to the vote, was most unreasonable; There is but one argument advanced in favor of the abolition of the Borough, and that is, that under the Licensing Act now in operation, hotelkeepers are unfairly treated, especially those who reside within the limits of a borough, who will be called upon to pay for their annual license no less a sum than forty pounds, whereas those who fti f B outside the boundaries will pay fifteen pbunds less, Now this is undoubtedly a great hardship, and the Legislature dditiniitted a great blunder when they passed the Act in such a form, but because an drrdr has been committed, that is no reason why we should Commit a second. Cannot Some arrangement be made, under which a refund will be allowed to hotel-keepers? It is true that there is nothing in the Municipal Corporations Act to provide for soch a case, but there does not appear to be anything which prohibits it. Cue thing, however, is perfectly plain, and that is that the Act declares in the most unmistakeable terms, that no Councillor shall vote upon, or take any part in the discussion of any matter before the Council, in which he has, directly or indirectly, by himself or his partners, any interest, and any Councillor who breaks the law in this respect, is liable to a penalty of fifty pounds. This is shown in the seventvfifth section of the Act, But to look at the proposed abolition of the Borough from a broad point of view, supposing that such an event occurred, how would the present ratepayers like to see three parts of the revenue of the district diverted from its proper channel, and expended in patching up some miserable old tracks in the south of Westland, where there is hardly any population, and where there is not sufficient traffic to prevent them from being overg-own with scrub? And yet if what is now being spent in making this town habitable, was to go to the County, it is tolerably certain that we should stand but a very poor chance of ever seeing it again. Tnis fact, and it is a fact, should be borne in mind by the ratepayers before they decide to abandon the municipal privileges they now enjoy. If the question of the Borough being merged into the County is to be again discussed, and it most probably will, let the persons interested, that is the ratepayers, be consulted before any final action is taken in the matter.