THE EVENING MAIL. TUESDAY, JUNE 5, 1877.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 348, 5 June 1877, Page 2

THE EVENING MAIL. TUESDAY, JUNE 5, 1877.

Wkitkcg on the question of the Dunedin gas, the Otarjo Daily Times endeavours to exonerate Mr. Gexevjek from the blame which has been attached to him by the City Council and a large section of the public, in consequence of its bad quality and expensiveness. There is one suggestion which, for novelty, is consistent with the theories which, that journal has advanced from time to time, and in which it has proved itself far ahead of the age in which it is published, and that is : " The time that members can spare from their own affairs is quite insufficient to enable them to look after all the affairs of the city. '"We believe that one remedy, though it may seem far-fetched, would be to increase the number of Councillors." The Times itself, so struck with the idea, and fearing that it might, perhaps, only meet with that cruel reception accorded its suggestions regarding the trainingwall and other kindred questions by people whose education in such matters has been lamentably neglected, hesitates for one moment to remark par parenthe.se, " though it may seem far-fetched." Not at allT The idea seems perfectly feasible. As the multiplication of drinking conveniences is believed to reduce the amount of tippling, so would the increase of the number of members of the Dunedin City Council facilitate the settlement of their business. Two or three additional Henry Smith Fishes, and Barnard Isaacs, judiciously mixed would have the desired effect. Tiie meetings would be so terribly long and tedious, in spite of the lively denunciations of the former and sparkling wit of the latter, that men who had other business to attend to would have to content themselves with the hum-drum lives of common citizens, and their places would eventually be occupied on the City Council benches by gentlemen whose time was their own. This may seem farfetched, but it is a solution of the difficult;.-.