The Nelson Eveing Mail. WEDNESDAY, JULY 11, 1877.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 162, 11 July 1877, Page 2

The Nelson Eyeing Mail. WEDNESDAY, JULY 11, 1877.

. In the course of a few day3 the ratepayers b£ Nelson will be called" upon to elect a representative to fill the vacancy recently ..created in the City Council, and before doing, so we would ask them to reflect seriously upon the importance, of the office it ,ia in/their power to bestow, and td consider to what extent their interests may be affected by the choice they have to make. At .the present moment we can write with perfect freedom on the subject, as we have no idea whatever who are likely to present themselves as candidates for the vacant - seat, and, consequently, are in no way biassed in favor of, or in opposition to, any one particular individual. We merely ask the ratepayers to profit by their past experience, and to use their best judgment in making their selection, and in order to induce them to do this we shall quote a few figures with the view of showing what is the value of the property, with the care and improvement of w'uch our Councillors are entrusted, and ! what the amount of revenue placed in their hands for expenditure. The suddenness of the transition from a Board of Works, which, in passing, we may say performed its duties in a most creditable and generally satisfactory manner, to a City Council will, perhaps, to some extent account for the seeming inability or indisposition, whichever it may be; of the ratepayers to realise the fact that functions of the latter body are far mo. 'c iriipo tant, and the interests entrusted to it of considerably greater magnitude than those possessed by, and handed over to, it 3 predecessor. And it must further be remembered that both of these have been largely increased by the passing of the Abolition of Provinces Act. But the simplest mode of demonstrating why we should exercise the greatest caution in the selection of our representatives at the City Council table will be by showing what it is we ask them to undertake. We will commence by statiag the rateable value of the property which is so to say, placed under their control. This' according to the latest assessment, is which, estimated at the rate of seven per cent on the value to sell, represents capital i to the amount of considerably over three- : quarters of a million sterling, in addition to ' which there is the g&s and water works plant, which is worth, or, at all events, cost £50,0:)0. We surely cannot afford to entrust such a property as this to iucapable hands. And now let us see what is the annual revenue, for the careful and judicious expenditure of which we look to our Councillors. It may perhaps surprise some of the ratepayers to 'earn that this exceeds £10,000, but, in order to convince them of the correctness of our assertion, we will give in detail the items of which this large total is composed. They are as follows : — £ Bates 2500 Rents 40 Publicans' Licenses ."" 1300 Auctioneers' ditto 120 Hackney Carriages, Carts, & Boatmen's Licenses, &c. 60 Dog Tickets ... ... ... 2 00 Fines and Miscellaneous Receipts ... 3 0 Government Subsidy (after deductiug allowances to Hospitals and Charitable Institutions) gOO ' a-w M' Totld £510( > Aad to this: — : Gasworks Receipts 2500 Waterworks ditto [ 2800 Grand Total £10,400 We ask the ratepayers of Nelson lo ponder over these figures before recording their votes at the. forthcoming election- to consider the interests at stake, ; alid, disraW''' wg.f rom their minds all personal antipathies or predilections, which too frequently exercise their influence on such occasions, to ask themselves .which of the candidates who may come forward they would select as an adviser iv the management of an estate of such value supposing that ifc were their own private property,. If they r do this if they recognise the import- 1 ance of the duties that arc undertaken by a Councillor, and are guided in their choice by such considerations, they may expect to be well, faithfully, efficiently, and respectably served, but if on the other hand they set but a low value on the services to be rendered aud lightly estimate the position to which they elect him who is to give them, they must not be surprised if the City Council of Nelson descends to the level of many others which have become a reproach to the colony