WESTPORT LETTER.

Lyell Times and Central Buller Gazette, Volume V, Issue 249, 21 November 1885, Page 3

WESTPORT LETTER.

(from our own correspondent.) November 16th. Next week, the ratepayers of Westport will be called upon to decide on the relative merits of the rival candidates for the Mayoral office for the ensuing twelve months, the candidates are Mr John Hughes, the present Mayor, and Mr William Lloyd. Mr Hughes has already filled the mayoral chair twice, and Mr Lloyd has filled Municipal offices before, so both are tried candidates. My own opinion, is that Mr Hughes will win, but my hope is, that Mr Llo.yd will; not that I have anything to say against Mr Hughes, who has discharged the duties of mayor in a right royal manner, but I object, on principle, to a man filling the office more than twice at the outside.

Our local Dramatic Club played here the other night to a crowded house. The Club are very fortunate in having at the beginning, such an able and courteous stage-manager as Mr Stanton. I should not ba surprised if the company visited Lyell one of these days. It is extraordinary how hard it is for predudice to die. I hear that pressure has been used by some persons calling themselves religious people to induce some ot the young men belonging to the Dramatic Club, to withdraw from it, as it is a dangerous amusement. Evidently there are still some people living at Westptrt in the nineteenth century, who still think the title ol play-actor and vagabond, the same thing. The Great Republic crushing is still proceeding. I cannot inform you yet as to how it is likely to turn out, but I know one or two of the large shareholders, and they are just as satisfied as they ever have been, that they hold big trumps, and I am sure they deserve all good luck. Our Harbour works are going on slowly, wlik li is a great pity, to say nothing of a great shame. The country has acted most liberally to us, but personal jealousies divide the collective wisdom ol the Harbour Board, so when " Doctors differ, patients die;" in other words, a lot of hard-working men who have come here at a g( od bit of expense to themselves, are compelled to be idle, which is a disgrace to Westport, and a reproach to a colony like New Zealand, though it is not the fault of the colony outside of Westport. The Looker-On.