CAREFULNESS OR APATHY?

Free Lance, Volume II, Issue 65, 28 September 1901, Page 8

CAREFULNESS OR APATHY?

A Question for Councillors. PERSONS mteiested in the wclfaie of tins city may have seen various young and middle-aged poisons, allegedly in the employ of the Coiporation, recently going round filling up caverns m the footpaths They may have also observed that, with a sublime disregard to the fitness of things, the alleged repairs are being effected where they are least required. An unfeeling citizen last week, viewing the antlike evolution of one of the elderly persons with the asphalt rammer, in leply to a query, said, "Yes, they are lepairing this sidewalk, but, then, jou sec, two Councillois live down this stiect"

It has been suggested that, foi the puipose of repans, the Council be cnlaiged by many members, who shall livo at inteivals along the more impassable poitions of Lambton Quay so that the elderly peisons who arc hiding then tai and lammci in the bye-ways and alleys may leave sohtaiy Councillors to effect the repans and make life somewhat smoothei for the denizens in the populous poitions of this to-be 'municipally peifect" city Stiangeis to AVelhngten have been noticed gazing abstractedly at the miniatuic whnlpools in Willis and Cuba stieets They have noticed the city cars bravely breasting the wave, sometimes successfully, but not always, and have concluded that the tiansport of passengeis had been anangcd by laigc-heaited Councillors, with a bent foi novelty, and a tendency to aquatics.

The same strangers have wondered also why the citizens should not pay half lates foi half footpaths, and have computed that, allowing foi the excavations in the said half, the people are appaicntly content-with something like a quaitci Some who aie not stiangeis call the apathy caiefulness, and _ome call the carefulness apathy The latter sounds the most likely solution of the two Wellington is alleged to be thnving It is also obviously so tlnifty that it is neglecting itself, possibly to lay up stoics of cash foi a lamy day The rainy day is here now, and there is little prospect of it cleanng up while this apathy 01 carefulness exists

The Council la\s the nattering unction to its soul that this w of ally bedraggled city is not ntore so than other cities in the colony If the Council will arise and travel, it

will find that footpaths and roads in places that arc not cities, but mere villages, without the "municipal peifcctio.i" ambition, arc infinitely less cavernous than those of the principal stieets in the Empae City Everyone knows the Corporation is "going to impiove things, but why not now ? * + * We know the Corporation has a reputation for independence. It is not to be badgered by Government, and it refuses to cower to deputations E-veiyone will gladly admit its originality m this lespect, but will deplore its ability to sleep so long and soundly when the people lcquire then wakefulness, and the" paths and loads yawn an invitation to be made oidmanly passable Procrastination is evidently an enemy that is to be fought m Wellington Before the enemy is killed someone must awake We wondci who it should be ?