The Wanganui Borough Cases.

Manawatu Standard, Volume x, Issue 1448, 7 September 1885, Page 3

The Wanganui Borough Cases.

fWanganui Chronicle.] All the defendants were until quite recently members of the Wanganui Borough Council — m fact, one of them is still a member of that body. The offence charged against them was that while concerned m a contract with or work to be done for the Council, they acted m their capacity as councillors. The Resident Magistrate • (Mr Ward), who- presided, freely admitted the aburdity of the provisions of the Act he was called upon to administer, but held that he had no o ption but to give judgment for the plaintiff. We may perhaps be pardoned, under the circumstances, if we single out for a moment or two the case of the greatest offender. Mr Carson has served as a borough councillor continuously for a period of some eight or nine years, during three of which he filled the mayoral chair ; ho gave up his time ungrudgingly, attended to the duties of his"office diligently, and never once forfeited the confidence of the burgesses. Mistakes he doubtless made, but his bit terest opponents never charged him with trying to gain the smallest advantage for himself,, or with being actuated by any expectatipn or hope of reward. A few days ago he severed his connection with the Council, of which he was so long a member, and his municipal career closes with the infliction upon him — for an offence of which he was all the time sub limely unconscious— -of by far the heaviest penalties that have ever been . imposed m New Zealand. After this, who would not be a Borough Councillor? ". For the protection of business men who ...may still elect to retain their seats, 'we may refer them to a way of escape pointed out by Mr Carson, and consented to as 'quite correct by the Resident Magis- • trate. It is this — that councillors may " supply goods to any amount to the Couu- , cils of which they are members, provided that they are careful to neglect tWr duties until after they had received payment. The penalties are specially .passed to catch honest and diligent men, but the way is perfectly clear for any who may be satisfied to work points for themselves and serve half-time as councillors. As some of our readers may not; quite understand the far-reaching effect of Mr Ward's interpretation of the Act, wa ua'ay explain it m a word or: two. Supposing the Town Clerk to : putchasa: from the shop of a councillor, for the; use of the, Council, any article from ;the value of a pound to a penny, and twelve months afterwards pay the price, ; of the article to. the clerk hr the shop ; and supposing that all this tinie the Councillor, ignorant of- what has transpired, has been, attend ing diligently to his official duties, and that m the course of ■■ the year has attended one hundred meetings of the Council, Mr Ward, if appealed to, would, fine him exactly £5000. Why the Municipal Act siiould be more stringent than v the Harbors Act and the Education Act, we i cannot imagine ; but we presume that now .that a good deal of injury bas been inflicted and mischief effected, owing to its. extraor- " -dinary provisions, we may hope that -tW Legislature will at once make some treasonable amendment of it. \