THE MAYORALTY.

Oamaru Mail, Volume III, Issue 714, 1 July 1878, Page 2

THE MAYORALTY.

TO TEtB ;EDITOB OF THE EVENING MAIL. Sir,:—lf the writer of the letter in your issue of Saturday had either put thetwo lettersj .."/un" before. hja signature (" Truth"), or added ( a*ffbte at the foot thereof intimating that his effusion was intended to be satirical, he would then have made his effusion clear to all. As it is, he has demonstrated that he is either a goods hand at drawing on the imagination, or a bad one at writing satire. Your correspondent must know little or nothing about the man-'he ealogiaes (that is, if hia letter is penned in aerioiuneu) when he

says that the Mayor is straight forward in ' his purpose. Although his Worship is ii^yerAfraid to speak of what he can do, and what he will do ; yet I think he even will refuse to assert that hisi tactics are always straight forward, much less to hold. himself up as par excellence the man who possesses' this quality more than any. other individual in the Colony. Your correspoudent";alsb asserts that we are indebted to the' Mayor for the Waterworksscheme. This is perhaps a palpable misstatement. Mr. Sumpter was in office as Mayor when it was first originated, and I have no doubt that if he was still our Mayor, the prospect we have, of ever seeing it carried out would be much brighter than it is at present. We nil know what queor people they are in the Legislative Assembly, and how they watch narrowly any attempt to take away the lands of the colony for municipal endowments. Supposing the Bill to be introduced next suasion should be thrown out, what will be the result to the Corporation, and how will the people at Home who subscribed the loan like it when they find that their security is not what it was represented to Ihein. The manner in which the affairs of the Corporation are conducted at present is unnecessarily extravagant for a town of the size of Oamaru, and it is time we had some man in the chair who would put the " brake" on—a man who would do the work mure for the honour of the position than for the salary,, and see that the high salaries now paid to the Council's officers were reduced. We want a Mayor, who would do this, and no matter who he is, he will earn thegratitude of the ratepayers.—l am, &c. Citizen.