The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. MONDAY, MAY 15, 1882.

Kumara Times, Issue 1754, 15 May 1882, Page 2

The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. MONDAY, MAY 15, 1882.

For a considerable time past almost everything connected with the Borough Council of Kumara has appeared to be in what may be termed an upside-down condition, while on several occasions, “ confusion worse confounded” has reigned triumphant. It has been no uncommon thing to see members of the Council “ shepherding” the door of the Town Hall to observe who else would be present, and so make a quorum, or the reverse, as their fancy led them. But the real trouble commenced when the Public Works Committee, by certain ill-advised action, trod upon some particularly soft coins. At once it was resolved upon that nothing but the abolition of the borough could avenge the injury done, and consequently that work was set about with such indecent haste that abolition was agreed to both by the Borough and County Councils before a word was spoken to' the ratepayers on tho subject. Members of the Borough Council were elected to administer our municipal affairs, and not to destroy the system of local selfgovernment under which we have lived. If they find themselves incompetent to carry out the duties with which they were entrusted by the confiding ratepayers, let them resign, and better men take their places. The great cry is about the publicans’ license®, but it will be well to remember that whichever way the thing goes, publicans will have to pay the full amount, for the di.-s lution of the bo’ough cannot be accomplished until the expiration of throe mouths. If the abolition takes place before twelve months are past, the streets of Kumara will be merely muddy horse-tracks, and as for the footpaths, they will s inplv be a chain of chasms that will rentier it positively dangerous to walk about except in full daylight. Miners will be deprived of their usual evening stroll, and what was once a town, will appear to bo a city of the dead. The revenue which has hitherto been spout among us, will be made ducks and drakes of all over the country, while the people of this district will bo left to mourn over the evil moment in which they abandoned their local institutions and

their revenue at the same time. How comes it that the County Council were so eager to grasp the opportunity afforded them of confirming the decision of the Borough Council 1 Not a dissentient voice when the vote was taken, of course not. What other benefit will the county derive from the merging of the borough except the appropriation of our money 1 None whatever. All these things should be very carefully considered before the ratepayers endorse the action of that wonderful body, the Borough Council. Some solid and substantial advantage to the whole community should first he shown as likely to oocur after abolition takes place. A public meeting is convened for this evening to discuss and consider the whole question, but it is certainly a direct insult to the ratepayers that this was not done before a majority of the members of the Borough Council hurriedly decided upon acting us they have done. Let every ratepayer weigh carefully the disadvantages as against the imaginary advantages of the proposed change, before holding up his hand for any resolution to be brought forward at the meeting.