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New Zealand Times. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 16.

Me. Gisborne is likely to have a walk-over for the mayoralty. We are glad of this. No better man could be found for the place than Mr. Gisborne, and none who could so conscientiously discharge the duties of the office. As an old and experienced public servant, the routine business of the office would bo most congenial to him, while the city would gain from his experience and judgment. His published reply in response to the requisition asking him to stand contains the elements of nearly everything that could be said on the subject of municipal affairs. Pure air, pure water, perfect drainage; these embody all that can be said or written on the subject, and Mr. Gisborne managed to wrap them all up in his reply to the requisitionists. We quite agree with Mr. Gisborne that the foremost duty of the municipality is to adopt a perfect system of drainage, and that it is necessary, in the first place, to borrow money for the purpose. But the municipality cannot borrow money just now, as Mr. Gisborne very well knows, and therefore the improvements contemplated by him must be postponed till next year ; at the same time, should there be anything like a long continued season of heat and drought during the summer, the want of an efficient system of drainage will be seriously felt. Still, as the Legislative Council refused to empower the Corporation to borrow money for sanitary purposes, the" citizens of Wellington must bear the evil, although should death decimate their ranks there will be another and an unanswerable argument against the constitution of the Legislative Council. Wo are gratified, however, that Mr. Gisborne has consented to stand for the office of Mayor, and we trust the ratepayers may feel, on the termination of his first year of office, that he is deserving of re-election.

The deputation to the Minister of Public Works yesterday was as successful as could well be expected under the circumstances. At the same time we cannot help thinking that something is duo to the City of Wellington in consideration of the fact that the Colonial Government has had, for many months past, the free use of the wharf for the discharge of Government plant and material. A very large saving has thus been effected, and it is only

fair to suppose that the Government will take this fact into consideration. But, be that as it may, it is only right and proper that the Government should give effect to its own policy of progress, and construct the railway wharf without clelay. From what Mr. Richardson said, we are led to believe that it is not intended to do more than contract for the wharf during the current financial year; but the action of the wharfinger may, in some sort, alter that intention. Notice has been given to the Government by the lessee of the wharf that, in future, the charge for landing Government material and plant will be “ enormously increased.” We do not know what the exact figure is, but this is what Mr. Richardson said. Now, it is quite clear that the Government cannot submit to extortion of any kind, and it may just happen that the action of the lessee of the wharf may accelerate the construction of the railway pier. At all events, such was the impression left upon the minds of the deputation. Of course, one could not expect a definite answer from Mr. Richardson, as to when the wharf would be completed ; but there could be no doubt whatever as to the intention of the Government in the matter. No delay will take place in completing the work. It now remains for the City Council to take such steps as may be necessary to relieve, for the present, the pressure upon the Queen’s wharf. That this is a serious drawback to business cannot be doubted ; but, as we pointed out in a previous issue, it is quite possible to do a good deal towards remedying it. We leave it, however, with the City Council. The members of the Council are practical business men, aud know the difficulties which the merchants encounter on the wharf, and we trust to them to do their best to remedy the evil.

At the annual meeting of the Central Fire Brigade, held last night, Mr. Moss, the, captain, made a suggestion which it is to be hoped will bear fruit. It was this, that, on obtaining a room in which to hold their meetings, the brigade should have a reading-room and small library, which the members could attend, and thus find rational and intellectual amusement, ivliile at the same time they would be in readiness for duty at the first sound of alarm. It is rather a matter of surprise that some steps in this direction should not have been taken before. Elsewhere, it has proved more than successful, especially where, as in some places we could mention, the readingroom is attached to the engine-house, in which case those of the brigade who may bo passing their time in the reading-room have only to turn round, as it were, to reach their apparatus. Hitherto, this brigade have received no outside assistance in support of their sick and accident fund, but we feel sure that such a useful body of men would not have applied in vain ; and, as regards the proposed x’eading-room, there can he little doubt but that the brigade will receive the support they unquestionably deserve. Wellington has up to the present time enjoyed an immunity from fires for which it cannot be too thankful, but there is no foreseeing a moment when a conflagration may sweep away any part of the town unless we are prepared with means of prevention. Such means exist, thanks to a number of worthy volunteers at both ends of the town, and it is impossible to accord these men too much encouragement.

The Wairarapa Standard is very much annoyed because, in acknowledging information from its columns we have spoken of it as “ one of the Wairarapa papers,” or, “a local paper.” It denies that this is a fair acknowledgment; but surely it is fairer than the practice of our touchy contemporary, which, in its very last issue, contains several paragraphs that it must have •written with a scissors from the Wellington papers, and which it inserts as purely original. These paragraphs describe an incident at the last Education Board meeting ; the reception of the Governor at Christchurch; the first day’s racing at the same place, and the acceptances for the Melbourne Cup. So far as we are concerned, we intended no insult to the Standard when we described it as “one of the Wairarapa papers,” or even as “ the local paper on the contrary, we paid it a very delicate compliment, because, as a matter of fact, it is but faintly representative of the Wairarapa, and can lay little claim to the title of local whilst its progressive rival “the-i Yews” is in existence. We trust that this apology will be accepted as satisfactory, though we can scarcely be thankful for the prophecy the Standard vouchsafes regarding us, or for the advice it tenders. It predicts instant ruin for the New Zealand TVmcs, but that need not alarm subscribers. This paper will be published as usual to-morrow. It points out that this ruin can only be averted by the employment of a gentleman as to whose absolute utility there are two opinions. Home, we know, was saved by the cackling of a certain bird ; but, for our own part, utter extinction would be preferable to life, if purchased on the terms prescribed by the Wairarapa Standard.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZTIM18751116.2.9

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4573, 16 November 1875, Page 2

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,290

New Zealand Times. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 16. New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4573, 16 November 1875, Page 2

New Zealand Times. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 16. New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4573, 16 November 1875, Page 2

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