The Daily News. THURSDAY, MAY 6. BOROUGH COUNCIL AFFAIRS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 85, 6 May 1909, Page 2

The Daily News. THURSDAY, MAY 6. BOROUGH COUNCIL AFFAIRS.

Tlii' comprehensive review of the lmsi-1 noss' of the borough during the past I year, presented by the Mayor at the in-1 etallation ceremony yesterday, showed I a satisfactory record of accomplishment, notwithstanding the (somewhat caustic criticism directed against the Mayor's figures by .Mr. Dockrill. We are sorry that Mr. Dockrill should have chosoii the statutory and pseudo-ceremonial meeting of the Council to thus challenge the Mayor I *' statement of the year's operations, and certainly think Mr Doekrill should have postponed such criticism till an ordinary meeting. The Council ta

table is not, we hope, lo lie a sparring •[ ground whereon tire ex-Mayor ami ( Mayor lire to he exercised I'or the edi- < fication of eouiifillors. Without in any i way deprecating the value of -Mr. Dock- ' rill's past service lo the borough., as ] councillor mid Mayor, we cair.iot help ' thinking he did his better instincts eon- ! sidcrablc injustice by drawing a dis- i paraging comparison between Mr. Tis'ch's ] record in the mayoralty and his own. Mr. Duckrill's attitude in this regard, if persisted in, will not make foi° the J harmonious working of the Council, and , it certainly will not have the support of the ratepayer*. We hope to -see Mr. Dockrill, whose experience of borough affairs is a valuable asset on the Council, use .his knowledge for the advancement of the borough, and not for tbe would-be embarrassment 1 of the Mayor. With the deductions he draws from the financial Statement we do not propose to deal with at present, but sliall await his fuller statement promised for a later meeting. The fact that a largo number'of new works, that had been shelved by previous councils, were undertaken and completed by All'. Tiscli's Council last year absorbed the surplus cash that the Council had at it,s disposal. Whether some of these works' might better have been constructed out of loan money is a question open to debate, but in 'any case ratepayers need not be alarmed because it has been pointed out to them that less money will be available for expenditure during the present year. As much as hitherto will be at the Council's disposal for the ordinary upkeep of the borough, which will not suffer in this respect under careful administration, although it may be possible that less will be available for new and permanent works. We certainly believe that the streets are in no better a condition than they should be, but with the reversion to the working foreman system, decided upon at the last meeting of the old Council, wc believe the supervision so necessary for economical street working will be provided. It may quite be understood that a thousand yards of metal could be spread on the roads, under systems' varying according to the views of the engineers, the quantity in one case covering an area perhaps one-third greater than in the other, and for its purpose giving equal aatisfacliou. Street work, therefore, the heaviest drain on the borough's resources, requires direct and expert supervision, and it is to be hoped the newly-appointed foreman will be given every facility to demonstrate his worth. In the work of the new year, we consider the Council should devote greater attention to the footpaths, which at the present lime are anything but creditable, it will be noted with satisfaction that the Mayor is alive to the question of electric tramways, and It is hoped the committee appointed in thin connection will expedite the consideration of the question by an early investigation of the prospects of such an installation. If it is found necessary to go to the ratepayers for a loan drying the year, it should lie for such, an amount as will complete all the works necessary for the immediate requirements' of the town. In so saying, wo arc not necessarily advocating a 'loan, which must be considered on the merits of its individual proposals. We lookforward to good work being accomplished by the present Council, and hope that the personal differences that have modestly obtruded themselves will henceforth be rciegaled to the past to which they belong.