New Zealand Times. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) THURSDAY, MAY 17, 1877.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5038, 17 May 1877, Page 2

New Zealand Times. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) THURSDAY, MAY 17, 1877.

Besides tho acquiescence givon by tlio public meeting on Tuesday evening, the agreement of the great majority of the ratepayers may bo expected with tho resolution that tho opinion of a competent authority should bo obtained on Mr. Climie's drainage scheme before its adoption is finally decided on. It is quite plain that tho feeling of tho public is altogether in favor of the carrying out of a proper system of drainage in this city; and it is also pretty plain that their feeling is so far in favor of Mr. Ommik's sehome that, with the recommendation of some admitted authority in its favor, they would undoubtedly adopt it. But

what they want, and what it is quite reasonable they should want, is that before going into the expenditure of a very largo sum of money in carrying out certain works on a particular plan, every due precaution should be used so that the ratepayers should not hereafter have to regret that expenditure. We have ourselves supported Mr. Climie's scheme; but our approval of it has only taken the same form as that of the ratepayers, namely, that to us, though not possessing j professional qualißcations, it seems sound enough; yet at the same time, before we saw the city committed to a large expenditure upon it,- the merest prudence would dictate its reference to some admitted authority. Indeed, if we are not mistaken, Mr. Climie himself is anxious that it should be referred to some such authority, and has no fear for the result. The commission to which Mr. Travers would have referred the scheme of Mr. Climie was, for obvious reasons, a ridiculous one. We need say no more on this point, as the ratepayers are perfectly capable of understanding that our assertion on this head is quite correct. From a letter which wepublish in another column, and from undeniable testimony, it is apparent that Mr. Climie's qualifications for his task are of no mean order, and therefore his plans should be submitted to none but the highest procurable authority; but without so submitting them they should never be carried out, nor should the opinion of the ratepayers as to the merits be demanded by means of a poll. His Worship the Mayor, by an advertisement in this morning's issue, notifies that the poll will be taken on Monday, the 28th instant; and since in this matter the action taken by the Mayor, and explained by him at Tuesday evening's meeting, has been most unfairly commented on, it will be as well to put the matter fairly. By an express resolution the City Council have practically instructed the Mayor to take the opinion of the ratepayers pro and con. on Mr. Climie's drainage scheme. Under this it is the obvious duty of the Mayor to take such opinion, until countermanded by the City Council; and he himself pointed out at the meeting that there was no doubt the Council, if they had the resolution passed at the meeting before them, would act in accordance with it, and before taking a plebiscitum would refer the proposed drainage works of Mr. Climie for the expression of skilled opinion. Messrs. Travers and Gisbokne, who did not seem averse to the indulgence in a little of a kind of sport which may be called Mayor-baiting, proposed a further resolution, which his Worship very properly declined to put to the meeting. The proper, decent, and decorous course before those gentlemen is now quite plain; and stickler for law, form, and ceremony as Mr. Travers is, he ought to perceive it without our tellina; him. Let a special meeting of the City Council be called, either by requisition from three members, or the Mayor himself would hardly refuse, we think, to call one on requisition from the ratepayers. At this meeting let the resolution arrived at by the meeting on Tuesday evening be considered, and as a result the poll will be stopped, and that resolution given effect to* as soon as possible. We are quite as anxious as Mr. Travers to see a proper opinion on Mr. Climie s drainage plans ; but that does not prevent our seeing that in his present action the Mayor is but carrying out an order of the City Council.