South Canterbury Times. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1880.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2400, 25 November 1880, Page 2

South Canterbury Times. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1880.

Tin-: mayoral elections of yesterday were of unusual interest to those who take a delight in studying the How and ebb of the municipal tide. The results show that if; the general Covcrnment of the country is drifting towards the Dead Sea, there is plenty of wholesome vitality among the representatives of local bodies and their constituents. In the. principal centres of population—-if wo except Auckland, which, like Timaru. is satisfied with its choice —the honors of the mayoral office have been enhanced by contests of a somewhat exciting character. Christchurch has witnessed a keen duel well fought between two experienced representatives, and the result, though flattering to. the gentleman who has secured his spurs for the second time, is by no means disconcerting to the defeated candidate, seeing how tolerably equally divided the electors appear to have been. In Lyttelton, Air Allwright has scored a sig nilicant victory over his opponent, Mr Webb—a circumstance that must sorely perplex the wise heads who have lately been predicting that the alleged political dcliquencies of Mr Allwright would exclude him from a continuance of municipal favors. The most important contest in the civic arena was undoubtedly the one fought at Dunedin. The battle there was keen and desperate, and anyone acquainted with Municipal affairs in this Southern city can easily imagine the bitterness of feeling imported into it. The rival candidates, Messrs Fish and Boss, were both City Councillors, but they represented two distinct factions. The former represented the old municipal leaven ; the latter the new blood. Experience was pitted against inexperience, and, strange to say, experience has been defeated. So far as the Press of the city was concerned the candidates were fairly handicapped. Mr Loss received the support of the two morning journals, while the candidature of Mr Fish was backed up by two of his former opponents- -the “ Evening Star,” and the i; New Zealand Public Opinion.” The return of the comparatively inexperienced candidate —Dir Boss —by a majority of two hundred voters must be a sad surprise to the gentleman who polled so well twelve months ago, and who would have been Mayor of Dunedin had he exercised a little caution, and abstained from dabbling in municipal contracts. The Mayor-elect of Dunedin on this occasion is a gentleman whom to know is to esteem, and whose genial unassuming disposition and irreproachable character as a man, renders him specially fitted for the municipal throne. Dunedin has for years been ruled by a small clique of contractors, who like certain bodies in Timaru, conduct the financial part of their business in committee and surround their transactions with an air of unpleasant mystery. Occasionally when a streak of light was thrown on their axe-grinding operations, there would be a cry of indignation, but invariably when they came before their constituents they contrived to assume such an exterior of exemplary selfabnegation that their flagrant faults were either forgotten or condoned. The citizens appear to have at length discovered the advisability of applying the soft soap to the soap-makers and of purifying the Municipal Chambers of the presence of a small but unscrupulous sub-contracting element. It is almost a singular coincidence that just as their new Town Hall has been completed, and one of the grandest schemes of water supply ever attempted in New Zealand has been successfully carried out, they have also apparently resolved to turn over a new leaf by thoroughly renovating and re-organising the Municipal dove-cot. The cleansing of the Augean stable is ever a formidable task, but we must compliment the ratepayers of Dunedin on the splendid effort they have made. The result, wc believe, will be salutary.