Such Men !

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 1 August 1891, Page 2

Such Men !

We can understand for one reason why the proprietor of the Palmerston Standard may not approve of the action of Messrs Kebbell and Davies, and for that reason we may be in sympathy with him, but we hardly expected that he. would have made such a mistake as to have used them as a glaring example of the need of the Government's new proposal to iqtroduoe the principle of " one man one vote " into County voting. In a leader in T hureday's issue he writes : " We would ask the ratepayers in Horowhenua County whether such men as Messrs Davies and Kebbell would be placed on the Council if the prinoiple of single votes obtained, and as we are sure the answer would be in the negative, that in itself is evidenoe of the necessity for an alteration. It really means that the proposal must be given effeot to or the present system of County Councils will be swept away and a more simple and useful form of local go vernment substituted. 11 In other words he suggests that " such men men as Messrs Davies and Kebbell " are in their position against the wish of the majority of the ratepayers, and that their being in such positions has been to the disadvantage of the districts they are representatives of. It may be possible that these gentlemen might not have been elected had not plurality of votes existed, though that we muoh doubt, seeing that the members of the County ''ounoil selected Mr Kebbell as Chairman over them, and the members of the Wirokino Eoad Board eleoted Mr Davies Chairman of their Board. Instead of this pointing to the reason for the introduction of the " one man one vote" prinoiple into the County Act. the very faot that it is probable that "such men "will not be elected is a very strong reason for property holders objecting to any such innovation. Mr Kebbell has shown himself to be a most painstaking County Chairman, and with the assistance of his Council has done wonders in opening up the whole of the Horowhenua County with roads, and he has had the great credit of doing his large share in securing a main line of road right through from the south to the north boundaries of the County. Mr John Davies has equal cause to feel proud of his term of office, as the country round Levin, Kereru, Heatherlea, and Shannon have had large sums laid out in forming roads through the dense bush and swamps. Fora long time Mr Davies con* ducted the whole business of the Road Board at his own house, and saved the ratepayers both cost of office and Clerk. It is just " such men " as these that help a district ahead, and the settlers would certainly be adding a rod to their backs if they advocated any alteration that would take the administration of their affairs from those who have a large monetary interest in the district, and placed the expenditure of their rates with a similar class of men as those who supported the labour candidate at the last election.

The Wellington Education Board at their meeting on Wcdn sday appo nted Mra M Kamag* assistant at Paraparaurau, at a salary of £50, and the Chairman was instructed to attend to ihe matter of ft shelter shej at the sama school. It was also dfi eidfld -o erect an additional c'ass room p.t Shannon, Thr. Borough Council will hod its nsnfil monthly sitting on Monday afternoon. The Governor has withdrawn hu patronago of tho Uniuu Hunt Club over last Saturday's hunt, i Business does not s em very brisk in Wellington when we learn there were 76 applications received by the Education Board for the position of carpenter to the Board at the pay of 10s per day. The Russians are n t above learning a lesson from New Zealand. The St. Petersburg Town Council intends to present eacli ship of the French Squadron with a piece of plate, and each sailor with a cigar case. The officers will have to attend 17 banquets ! ! ! These unfortunate officers will be able to brast of having bpaten our much banquetted Minister, the Hon Dick Seddon. We trust the effect will not be po disastrous to them as it has been to our New Zealand record breaker. Aa exchange says :— lt will be good news to New Zea an ? butter exporters to learn that in Samoa it is fast driving out the Danish imported article, and now, owing tn hotter packing, it is fetching a retail price of 2s per lb, The Queen, in very gracious terms, has invited the French fleet to visit Portsmouth on the 20th August, when the Czar and Czarina are expected. She proposes to pay a vieit of inspeottoa herself if the invitation is accepted. The death is announced of KingPomare, of Tahiti, Society Islands. The London missionary schooner Harrier, has been wrecked near Gooktown. The Rev. Chalters, five other*, and the crew were saved. General Booth's eooial scheme is being extended to the English provinces. Prej mises lately used as baths have been se- [ cured at Leeds at a cost of £1800, and | £2000 spent in necessary alterations to ! convert the whole into convenient and [ commodious buildings for Food and .Shelter Depots and Workshops. The General forma 'y opened the place on Wednesday, June 3rd. A gentleman has given £500 towards commencing t rmy operations in Hungary. Officers will shortly be dispatched. Tho New Zealand War Cry haa now a circulation of close on 23,000 oopies weekly. ' The stirrup-iron and leather were brought t<9 our office yesterday, the day immediately following the first appearance of the notice that it was lost.