Marlborough Times. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1880.

Marlborough Daily Times, Volume II, Issue 153, 7 September 1880, Page 2

Marlborough Times. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1880.

Tn ic meeting of the ratepayers held in the Good Templars’ Hall last evening, a report of which is published in another column, elicited a few remarks of grave importance to the Borough. The speeches of Messrs Parker and Ching were terse and to the point, but we cannot deprecate too strongly the statements made bv Ml- Terry respecting the private affairs of one of his opponents. Whether true or false, a public meeting is no place to criticise our neighbor's monetary affairs ; neither should anything be introduced ir relevant to the business on hand. But it is not with Air Terry’s tirade that we propose to deal in this instance, but with a remark—very honestly made by one of the candidates that the East Ward had much that requir-

ed attending to, and were lie elected he would he bound conscientiously to look after its interests, rather than

those of the North Ward for the pmsent. All who are acquainted with tlie Borough, am aware that the East Ward is capable of being made the garden of the, Wairau ; that it is the residence of a hard-working and frugal class of men, whose properties are spread over a considerable area, and from its silnation and the past necessities of the Borough, it at the present time requires the closest attention on the part of its members. AVith a decreased income this Ward will require to have its interest closely guarded, and its ratepayers should, therefore, see that they not only secure the services of the ablest man they can find, but also one who by his influence in the Borough Council, collectively and personally with its members, can have this —certainly the most important "Ward in the Borough so far as local production is concerned—-placed on a par with the other portions of the town. Its present member lias not neglected its interests in the past, and lie possesses that influence calculated to weigh with the Council in the distribution of its reduced income. There is no denying the fact that self-inter-est, in politics, local or general, is the mainspring which iufluencesthe great majority of men, and especially is this the case in the Borough Council affairs. It may be said without fear of contradiction that men of property get elected almost instinctively on the ground put by Mr Parker, that in looking after their own interests they must at the same time benefit their neighbors’. It will, therefore, on every ground be seen that the old members should be returned, and especially for the Ward under consideration. A\ r e should never lose sight of the proba hie mainsprings of men’s actions, and must consider how far Air Wamlon’s interest would be used to improve the East Ward, were his employer’s property on the Opawa requiring more embankment) It will.be readily seen

tlmt his influence would be used for the North rather than for the East Ward. We regret that our knowledge of human natute does not permit us to take another view, but our experience has taught us that those who profess general philanthropy in relation to money matters, and especially town rates, are attempting to deceive the inexperienced. Taking, however, a general view of the selfish side of human nature, it works right in the end by the members or individuals, each striving to obtain as much as possible. The natural law seems to be that the weakest must go to the wall, both in general and local concerns, and for this reason we counsel the ratepayers (of the East Ward particularly) to elect Mr Rogers, who is beyond all question the candidate best calculated to advance their interests.