THE The Otago Times. "Invenaim vain aut faciam." DUNEDIN, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 11, 1962.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 178, 11 June 1862, Page 4

THE The Otago Times. "Invenaim vain aut faciam." DUNEDIN, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 11, 1962.

If'a discussion, class wei'e established in Dunedin, we could not imagine a more interesting subject for consideration than this, —" Are the " Members of the Town Board more deficient in Mental or Moral Capacity." The opinions of the older inhiib'lants, we believe, would be most in favor of the deficiency lying in respect to moral powers, for certain it is that, for some time past, the popular idea- has been that no one vent into the To\rn Eoard unless he had some private little work of his own, that he was anxious to ssc^garried out at t;hc public expense. This .vi^r.yysrajjju' also be confirmed by the testimony "of onc'of the members, who, to do hinrjustice, has been less assailed by imputations affecting his disinterestedness, and who has certainly displayed more knowledge of tiie duties of the position he holds than his .colleagues. This gonfloman, Mr. Kilgour, pointed out a short while back the common practice indulged in by the Board of discussing on pcvsoiiijl gi.-our.ch every question .that came before it. !N rot the interest of the great body ofratepivcrs, —not the welfiireofthecity,—have been the tests on which to decide expenditure: but the benefits which Mr. Tliio or Mr. That would derive are the o:ily matters taken into consideration. Mr. Kilgour, in referring to this practice1, sufficiently indicated his opinion of tiie corrupt principles on whfch | the board fukilh'd its duties, and at last meat--ing he yet more clearly expressed himself when, in terms which did not admit of mis-un-.lerstiindi ig, he chp-ged t!ic menihsrs of the Board witli bunging to the discussion of most important questions nothing bat personal motive1?. S )-far then tlio moral deficiency part of tl!efjir:st.'on is eslahlu-licd, but it btill remains toba considciod whether, there is not a still greater mental t!eii'.:ieney contemporaneously divljyo'l. Fxjrli;e embodiment of egregious «f.>ily in a ;n'.!)!ic boJy, commeii'l us to the Town 13 >u\l. Their discussions would bsdistireuiuble to .a parcel of'drive! ling old men ; —the aged pensioners of Greenwich [lo*pib:l would cut a bolter figure in the c msi.'.cralion of public l)U'.inc'^ ; --and assuredly their twaddle would be considered too aimless and insipi 1 for an old nriid'.i tci parly. Like most sc-ptagenarian peopljthoy find thegrcatest difficulty in fixing their miirh to any one subject for more than a few moments together, consequently they all talk at once on different matters. One member will start off with the consideration of some pet private road he is anxious to see made, another member will at. the same time rawblo about a pump handle, -whilst a third,- will incoherently express his opinion as to tj:e jincy that should be paid for the town seal. It mny be safely said that the folly of their discussion, is only exceeded bj' the folly wilh which their decision.? are carried out. Unless wo were to set apart two or three columns daily, we could not do justice to the pre-eminent stupidity which is displayed in the. discussion of the executive functions of the Town Board. Instances Hash across us, ' " thick as leaves in Vnllnmbrosa." Amongst late ones which are told, and which we' m:iy presume are more or less true, we-will select one or two. It i<j said that a contract lately entered into for a moat important work, contains no prods-ion as to time, and, consequently, the contractor can take as many years over his bargain as he chooses. .A short while ago the Board arrived at the conclusion to.purchase a mud scraper, to provide for the exigencies of the coining winter. Some member, gifted with a more than ordinarily vivid gleam of recollection, bethought himself to enquire what had teen done in respect to

purchasing the instrument, when he was told that a letter bad been despatched to Glasgow to enquire the price of the paltry thing ! It is scarcely ne:essary to add that as many as were wanted could heve been easily procured in Sydney or Melbourne.

But it is unnecessary to multipl}' instances; the Board's whole course supplies the embodiment of the commonest form of arrogant stupiditj'; the xmdertaking what one does not understand. Did any one ever know of a Municipal Body entering into works affecting property of very large valuc^ without, first taking a skilled opinion. But this is the uniform course adopted by the Board. They just vote money as caprice or something worse dictates. Some member suggests, in an offhand manner, a bright idea that has occurred to him, aud forthwith, without inquiry, it is taken up, the member of course being understood to lend similar acquiescence to other'inembers afflicted with bright ideas. ■As;to any system being adopted, as to the works required by the town being mapped and and classified ; such a thing is not thought of. A member will look at his boots and remembering that he got them splashed at some particular spot, will deliver himself of the suggestion that said spot be paved. "All right, old fellow," the other members will chorus, and then, we presume, sub voce, " Don't forget that little job I and I and I want done." Questions that involve the largest interests they are equally ready to deal with. -For instance,-the alteration of levels is a very favorite matter with them, and as they can only meddle with it in the Board for an hour or so a-week rumor has it that they amuse themselves with the sam<3 subject out of doors. In other words, it is openly declared that members have given private assurances respecting the permanent levels, which they afterwards have not considered themselves bound by. Some members happen to have an interest in this interesting subject, either for themselves or their friends, and it is said to be astonishing how a change of property alters their opinions. Frank, generous spirits they are, not- above owning themselves in error!

The public "will have no confidence in any opinion arrived at by the Board, or by its Sub-Committees. They have the right to ask that skilled advice should, be taken, that a competent Inspector should be appointed, and the scandal avoided of niembers sitting in constant consideration on their own or their friends' interests. Surely Dunedin is^ large and wealthy enough to require a competent inspector of its public works—a professional gentleman of tried skill and ability. True his recommendations could scarcety be ignored,, and the Board would therefore, to a great extent, be precluded from continuing; its present eccentricities. It would be curious to know if this is the reason why the Members prefer perambulating about town, and making their own suggestions as to the p.il)!i'.--works required. We think the public have come to the conclusion that it is time to stop the pranks of a bod}' of men who'play at Municipal Government in a manner which only leaves it doubtful whether they are more to be pitied for mental obtuseness, than blamed for moral delinquency. ,