At Sixes and Sevens.

Patea Mail, 31 May 1882, Page 3

At Sixes and Sevens.

Was ever a loan scheme abused in more partisan fashion than the scheme which came before a public meeting on Saturday ? The scheme is decidedly faulty, in our opinion ; but the difficulty is to devise a scheme that shall do as much general good as this will do,, and yet be less open to objection. As soon as you begin to alter it, new objections arise'; and until we see some scheme that is so much better than this. as to make it worth while to throw this over, we will have nothing to do with defeating this scheme for some half-and-half tinkering project. A good approach to the town there ought to be; cost what it may; and a good approach there shall if any advocacy of ours can help it.

Now why are these partisans squabbling and trying to upset a scheme ; because it is the Mayor’s ? Are the borough interests to be be made , the shuttlecock of wretched ' personal jealousies ? Ratepayers as a body should “ sit on ” both parties, and compel them to conduct business with proper public spirit, or leave it alone. This scheme has been a subject of manoeuvring in the Council; 5 No Councillor moved to adopt the scheme. No Councillor moved to modify it. No Councillor inoved to have .it further considered. Yet although each and all knew that the scheme 1 was coming before a public meeting, not one . Councillor, friend or enemy, moved hand or voice to'prevent that course being followed. Yet when the scheme did come before, a public meeting, quite a burst of indignation, . quite a well-arranged surprise; signalised the opening of the public discussion. Points of law, questions of procedure* . were raised ;thick and fast. Yet what did they all amount to ? Only to this, that when a Councillor knowingly abets an error of procedure in the Council’s business, and then pretendsrto ; snatch a partisan advantage: by breaking; from ambush and exposing- the error; he is ‘more to blame than the other for playing . an unworthy trick.

Objections such - as were raised by Councillors Aitchison and Gibson are of a different sort, and deserve thoughtful consideration. We would gladly have seed less damage to sections caused by high.,grade,;in,...tlbp =’ middle■ part of Bedford - street. There are 'set - offs ; against that; . No public work will bene- ■ fit the town so much as a well graded approach from that side. Not more thani £SOO could be saved' by lowering; the grade to a dbgree. No* Councillor has proposed any compromise, in this direction; and, now that the; scheme, is out of the,, pouhcirs hands, and is public property, we hope it will

not be upset and valuable time lost, in trying to make alterations which may satisfy a few, ,but cannot please everybody. No scheme for spending £5,000 on street improvements could be devised to meet all objections. If there must be objections, let us face those that we know, and vote on them, ; ; .