THE WEEK.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 53, 2 March 1878, Page 2

THE WEEK.

I imagine that the readers of the local newspapers will be by no meaus sorry that the election of a City Councillor, which has been pending for the last few weeks, is at last orer. Such a wordy contest there has not been in Nelson for a long time, aud it is to be hoped that there will not soon be another like it. Byron wrote — " ' For a kiss's strength, I think, it must be reckoned by its length." This rule has been very severely applied by correspondents, writing on the late election, to their letters, and hence half-columns have' been the order of the day, where a score of ( lines would have answered all the purpose And such startling doctrines haye been laid down too. One individual argues that in order to give zest and piquancy to what he says a writer in a newspaper may make use of language which is capable of but one interpretation in order to express some idea of his own which is as far from the real meaning as the heavens are from the earth. Another finds fault with an editor for presuming to criticise a letter that appeared in his paper. He does not complain that there was anything unfair in the criticism, but the mere fact of hia not allowing the letter to pasi unnoticed is regarded as an act of injustice on his part. I don't know what ideas we should hare had promulgated if this contest had lasted much longer, so that it is just as well that it is orer. Councillors, you may learn a lesson from the result. If you wish to retain your seats at the Council table do not regard them in the light of children's toys, to be thrown away in a moment of caprice, and picked up again when you feel so disposed. The electors don't care to see their confidences treated in this manner. Our local Road Boards do their work exceedingly well, as I think wili be generally allowed by everyone who has ridden through the country and seen the many miles of roads that they keep in excellent repair with a rery limited sum of money at their disposal. But in some things they seem to mo uot;to exercise that amount of discretion which is necessary to the success of tlieir schemes. I take the liberty of expressing this opinion after reading the report of a meeting of the Motueka Road Board, which was recently published. Therein I fiud the following:— «'A? letter was read from the Chairman of the Waimea Road Board suggesting that it would be advisable for the chairmen of the various local bodies to meet the hon the Premier, Sir George Grey, with an address of welcome on his visit to Nelson, so as to have an opportunity of representing to him the wants of the district." The italics are mine, but the words are those used by tUe chairman o| one Board in his letter to his brother chairman. I dou't know that they throw any light upon the subject of addresses of welcome in general, such as are usually showered upon great men when they undertake official tours, but wouldn't it have been wjser not to show the oloven hoof so very plainly and unmistakeably ? For instance, if the chairman of the movin"* body in thje matter had written publicly .0 the others inviting them to join in framing and presenting the "address of welcome," and had enclosed a private note to the following effect:— "Address of welcome all bosh of course, but it will give us a fine chance of squeezing what wp can out of Sir George Keep this quiet, and don't let those confound«d newspapers get hold of our ulterior intentions, or they may reach the Premier's eavs." I think this would have been tbe more discreet course to adopt, and besides Sir George would have appreciated the address of welcome so much more if it had been kept concealed from him that it was but an excuse for "representing to him the wants of tt*.e district, $c." He himself is so childlike and bland, that he would never have suspected anything like humbug in the deputation of highly respectable chairmen that is to wait upon lum, if they had not so foolishly blurted but their waut of sincerity, but now the senior chairmau to whose lot it will fall to read the flattering document to the Premier need not be surprised if when he arrives at the end of it, he is met with the question, " And now, Sir, after so much by way of preface, perhaps witliout further waste of time you will kindly tell mo what it is you want !" This would be something quite new in the way of a reply to an address of welcome," but novelty in such matters is in itself a merit. I hope that was an unintentional libel on the part of Mr Gray on himself and his fellow-Councillors in reference to a visit thpy are alleged to have paid tp the gasworks. "What was most remarkable," he says, " every one of us met punctually at the gate." If this really was " most remarkable," I fear that none of the Councillors alluded to will ever develop into a Duke of Wellington, by whom punctuality was regarded asa cardinal virtue, -p