A QUESTION OF LUSTRE

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8362, 24 February 1913, Page 6

A QUESTION OF LUSTRE

The squatters’ organ, which never loses an opportunity of indulging in cheap and vulgar sneers at the expense of his Worship the Mayor, uses the standing orders episode at the City Council the other night as an excuse for saying that “ it cannot be said of Mr McLaren that ho has added lustre to the office of Chief Citizen.” Now, this is distinctly personal, and, as such, it invites a personal reply. As we pointed out the other day, the paid writers of the squatters’ organ cannot bo held responsible for these insulting things. To correctly fix the responsibility, it is necessary to go behind the writers, and ascertain who directs and pays them. If we mistake not, Mr John Duthie is still chairman of directors of the journal in question, and, if eo, he has challenged a comparison disagreeable to himself. We nave a distinct recollection of a short period of twelve months many years ago during which Mr John Duthie occupied the Mayoral chair, and we have no hesitation in saying that Mr McLaren has proved himself an incomparably better Mayor than Mr Duthie was, though he has not tho advantage of Mr Duthie’s wealth, social position, and powerful influence. Moreover, Mr McLaren is handling an infinitely greater and more complicated municipal department than Mr Duthie did. As for this sneer about lustre,- we are not aware that Mr Duthie, worthy enough man in his own way, shed any extraordinary degree of lustre upon any public position he ever filled. We dislike writing in this personal strain, but Mr McLaren does not control a newspaper, and is therefore placed at an unfair disadvantage. Resides, comparisons are admittedly odious—to someone.